Deletion of the transcriptional regulator GntR affects apoptosis and autophagy in Brucella abortus-infected RAW 264.7 cells

Abstract Background: Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by the pathogen Brucella. Regulating apoptosis and autophagy is the prerequisite for the intracellular survival of Brucella. GntR is an important transcriptional regulator of Brucella that can regulate the expression of many target genes, and then play a regulatory role in many cell processes, including regulation apoptosis and autophagy. Therefore, understanding the relationship between GntR and apoptosis and autophagy is crucial to comprehending the pathogenic mechanism of Brucella. Methods: In the present study, we described the influence of GntR on apoptosis and autophagy after the infection of RAW 264.7 cells with Brucella. We constructed the GntR mutant strain (2308ΔGntR) of Brucella abortus 2308 (S2308). Following the infection of the RAW 264.7 cells with S2308 and 2308ΔGntR, apoptosis and autophagy were detected. Results: Western blot analysis and flow cytometry analysis indicated that the apoptosis rate of the 2308ΔGntR-infected group was remarkably higher than that of the S2308-infected group. Confocal laser microscopy experiments indicated the presence of the P62 protein as punctate aggregates in the 2308ΔGntR group. Conclusion: These results showed that 2308ΔGntR promoted apoptosis and inhibited autophagy in the RAW 264.7 cells during Brucella infection.