Importance of Lipopolysaccharide and Cyclic β-1,2-Glucans in Brucella-Mammalian Infections

Figure 1

The Brucella-macrophage interaction. The preferred cells infected by Brucella are macrophages. Brucella strains with smooth LPS (S-LPS) enter the cell through interaction with lipid rafts and are then encompassed in a membrane bound compartment called Brucella containing vacuole (BCV). This vacuole retains some lipid raft markers, targeting the BCV to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Brucella fuses with the ER, thus acquiring ER markers to avoid fusion with the lysosome before beginning to replicate. Rough LPS mutants do not enter the macrophage through lipid rafts and are rapidly targeted to the lysosome and killed. Mutants in the CβG biosynthesis pathway (Δcgs and Δcgt) do not fuse with the ER but are targeted to the lysosome.