RNA sequencing to profile transcriptomes in murine bone-marrow-derived macrophages upon infection with Leptospira spp.

Leptospirosis is a re-emerging zoonosis, a globally important infectious disease, caused by an infection with the genus Leptospira. Leptospirosis is associated with acute kidney injury and progress to CKD due to sustained tubulointerstitial inflammation. Macrophages play a critical role in controlling the bacterial burden and tissue inflammation during the spirochete infections. To understand the molecular mechanisms of leptospia-induced macrophage activation and its role in the inflammatory process, we performed the transcriptome profiles of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages infected with pathogenic and non-pathogenuc Leptospira spp.at a multiplicity of infection of 100 for 2 and 24 hrs, respectively. Overall design: Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) infected with Leptospira spp. at different times after infection. The control group (n=3 per each group), non-infected BMDMs at the 2- and 24-hour time-points, respectively; the L. interrogans-infected BMDMs (n=3 per each group), BMDMs infected with pathogenic L. interrogans serovar Copenhageni Fiocruz L1-130 at the 2- and 24-hour time-points, respectively; the L. biflexa-infected BMDMs (n=3 per each group), BMDMs infected with non-pathogenic L. biflexa serovar Patoc at the 2- and 24-hour time-points, respectively.