Mouse Anti Chicken Integrin Alpha-5 (avian) Hybridoma [E82F3]

Lactobacilli play a crucial role in maintaining the ecological equilibrium of the vaginal niche, preventing the colonization of exogenous microorganisms. Although many studies have discussed the mechanisms displayed by lactobacilli in counteracting several urogenital pathogens, a few data are available on the interaction between lactobacilli and Chlamydia trachomatis. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular bases of the interaction among vaginal lactobacilli, the sexually transmitted pathogen C. trachomatis and the epithelial cervical cells. We evaluated the in vitro activity of 15 Lactobacillus strains, belonging to different species (i.e., L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L. vaginalis), against C. trachomatis. In particular, we evaluated the capability of lactobacilli cells to interfere with C. trachomatis infection in HeLa cells, by exclusion assays. Lactobacilli significantly reduced C. trachomatis infectivity, being L. crispatus the most active species. Although a dose-dependent effect was noticed, a significant antagonistic activity was maintained even at lower doses. As other Gram-positive bacteria (i.e., Streptococcus agalactiae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Bacillus subtilis) failed to interfere with C. trachomatis infectivity, Lactobacillus activity proved to be specific. The potential mechanism of protection was investigated in Lactobacillus crispatus BC5, chosen as the model strain. The incubation of HeLa cell line with BC5 cells induced important modifications in the epithelial plasma membrane, by altering lipid composition and alpha 5 integrin subunit exposure. When alpha 5 integrin subunits were masked by a specific blocking antibody or ITGA5 gene expression was silenced, Chlamydia infection was significantly reduced. It follows that alpha 5 integrin subunit is crucial for the pathogen infection process, and the anti-Chlamydia activity can be directly linked to membrane properties modifications in cervical cells. The three Grampositive bacteria used as controls failed to modify the expression of alpha 5 beta 1 integrin. In conclusion, we identified a potential molecular mechanism at the basis of the protection exerted by L. crispatus BC5 against C. trachomatis, getting insights into the role of the cervico-vaginal microbiota for the woman's health.

Background: Collaborative signaling between fibronectin-binding alpha v and alpha 5 integrins has been implicated in the lethal dissemination of prostate cancer in the bone-metastatic niche, the major source of morbidity and mortality in the disease. Methods: We assessed the frequency and pattern of expression of these integrins in primary high-grade adenocarcinomas and bone metastases compared to the physiological gland. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) radical prostatectomy (RP) samples (n=25) containing >= Gleason grade 4 cancer and decalcified surgical or diagnostic bone metastatic samples from 10 patients were stained for integrin alpha v (ITGAV) and integrin alpha 5 (ITGA5) expression. Antibody optimization and antigen-retrieval was performed beforehand. Results: ITGAV was exclusively expressed in the basal layer of physiological prostate glands whereas alpha v expression was invariably recapitulated in the malignant gland and bone metastases (100%) in multiple distinct patterns: epithelial membranous, basilar/luminal membranous, punctate cytoplasmic, intense foci as single cells or clusters, and rim stromal layers. The luminal/basilar layer of ITGAV expression was striking in cribriform carcinomas, suggestive of a role in molecular pathogenesis. ITGA5 infrequently highlighted the basal layer of the physiological gland, was absent in primary adenocarcinoma, but was expressed with ITGAV exclusively in bone metastases (71%). Conclusions: We conclude that ITGAV expression is aberrantly expressed in high frequency in high-grade prostatic adenocarcinomas in patterns suggestive of recapitulated basal cell functions, consistent with a stem-regulatory role that has been proposed. Co-expression and enrichment of alpha v and alpha 5 in osseous metastases supports their proposed collaborative role in colonization of the bone microenvironment and as candidate targets for therapy.