

Chair: Paula Barrionuevo, PhD
Independent investigator – CONICET
Email: pbarrion2004@yahoo.com.ar, pbarrion2009@gmail.com
- Bárbara Rearte, PhD. Associated investigator – CONICET.
- María Ayelén Milillo, PhD. Assistent investigator – CONICET.
- Florencia Todero, MSc. Doctoral student – CONICET. Dir: Bárbara Rearte, PhD.
- Agustina Serafino, MSc. Doctoral student – ANPCyT. Dir: Paula Barrionuevo, PhD.
The general objective of Dr. Barrionuevo’s teamwork is to study the evasion strategies and mechanisms used by B. abortus on monocytes/macrophages and T lymphocytes to evade immunological surveillance and persist chronically in the host. Their second line of work also studies the platelet disorders observed during the disease. Moreover, we are now also evaluating the implications of MHC-I down-modulation in the context of other infectious processes and tumor evasion. On the other hand, within our workgroup, Dr. Bárbara Rearte investigates the strategies that allow reversing the immunosuppression induced by SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrom), especially by bacterial endotoxins (LPS), as a more rational way of approaching the problem of sepsis induced by Gram-negative bacteria- LPS carriers which may eventually allow the recovery of immune function and result in more appropriate therapeutic strategies for these patients.
- Pineda GE, Rearte B, Todero MF, Bruballa AC, Bernal AM, Fernández-Brando RJ, Isturiz MA, Zotta E, Dirney Alba-Soto C, Palermo MS, Ramos MV. Absence of interleuquin-10 reduces progression of shiga toxin-induced hemolytic uremic syndrome. Clin Sci (Lond), 135(3): 575-588, 2021. doi: 10.1042/CS20200468.
- Ledesma M, Todero MF, Maceira L, Prieto M, Vay C, Galas M, López B, Yokobori N, Rearte B. Plasma mass spectrometry fingerprints induced by bacterial endotoxins in murine models as markers of pathophysiological evolution in sepsis. En Revisión CCMED-D-21-01262. Preprint. bioRixiv 2020.12.29.424724; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/12.29.424724.
- Barbero AM, Trotta A, Genoula M, Hernández Del Pino RE, Estermann MA, Celano J, Fuentes F, García VE, Balboa L, Barrionuevo P, Pasquinelli V. SLAMF1 signaling induces Mycobacterium tuberculosis uptake leading to endolysosomal maturation in human macrophages. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2020. doi: 10.1002/JLB.4MA0820-655RR.
- Genoula M, Marín Franco JL, Maio M, Dolotowicz B, Ferreyra M, Milillo MA, Mascarau R, Moraña EJ, Palmero D, Matteo M, Fuentes F, López B, Barrionuevo P, Neyrolles O, Cougoule C, Lugo-Villarino G, Vérollet C, Sasiain MC, Balboa L. Fatty acid oxidation of alternatively activated macrophages prevents foam cell formation, but Mycobacterium tuberculosis counteracts this process via HIF-1α activation. PLoS Pathogens, 16(10): e1008929, 2020. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008929.
- Rodriguez AM*, Trotta A*, Melnyczajko AP, Miraglia MC, Kim KS, Delpino MV, Barrionuevo P**, Giambartolomei GH**. Brucella abortus-stimulated platelets activate brain microvascular endothelial cells increasing cell transmigration through the Erk1/2 pathway. Pathogens, 9(9): E708, 2020. *These authors have contributed equally to this work. ** These authors share senior authorship. doi: 10.3390/pathogens9090708.
- Trotta A, Milillo MA, Serafino A, Castillo LA, Birnberg Weiss F, Delpino MV, Giambartolomei GH, Fernández GC, Barrionuevo P. Brucella abortus-infected platelets modulate the activation of neutrophils. Immunology and Cell Biology, 98(9): 743-756, 2020. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12373.
- Montagna D, Duarte A, Todero MF, Ruggiero R, Isturiz M, Rearte B. Meta-tyrosine modulate the immune response and immunosuppression induced by bacterial endotoxins. Immunobiology, 225(1), 151856, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.imbio.2019.10.005.
- Yokobori N, Monteserin J, Rearte B, Paul R, Símboli N, López B, Ritacco V, Sasiain MC. Survival of an epidemic MDR strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its non-prosperous variant within activated macrophages. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 73, 248–254, 2019.
- Milillo MA, Trotta A, Serafino A, Marinho FV, Alcain J, Genoula M, Balboa L, Oliveira SC, Giambartolomei GH*, Barrionuevo P*. Brucella abortus RNA contributes to the down-modulation of MHC-II expression on monocytes/macrophages diminishing CD4+ T cell responses. Frontiers in Immunology, 10: 2181, 2019. *These authors contributed equally to this work. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02181.
- Barrionuevo P and Giambartolomei GH. Inhibition of antigen presentation by Brucella: many more than many ways. Review. Microbes and Infection, pii: S1286-4579(19)30002-4, 2019.
- Córdoba-Moreno MO, Todero MF, Fontanals A, Pineda G, Ramos MV, Isturiz MA, Rearte B. Consequences of the lack of IL-10 in different endotoxin effects and its relationship with glucocorticoids. SHOCK, 52 (2): 264–273, 2018.
- Miraglia MC, Rodriguez AM, Barrionuevo P, Rodriguez J, Kim KS, Dennis VA, Delpino MV, Giambartolomei GH. Brucella abortus traverses brain microvascular endothelial cells using infected monocytes as a trojan horse. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8: 200, 2018. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00200.
- Trotta A, Velásquez LN*, Milillo MA*, Delpino MV, Rodríguez AM, Landoni VI, Giambartolomei GH, Pozner RG, Barrionuevo P. Platelets promote Brucella abortus monocyte invasion by establishing complexes with monocytes. Frontiers in Immunology, 9: 1000, 2018. *These authors contributed equally to this work. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01000.
- Genoula M, Marín Franco JL, Dupont M, Kviatcovsky D, Milillo A, Schierloh P, Moraña EJ, Poggi S, Palmero D, Mata-Espinosa D, González-Domínguez E, León Contreras JC, Barrionuevo P, Rearte B, Córdoba Moreno MO, Fontanals A, Crotta Asis A, Gago G, Cougoule C, Neyrolles O, Maridonneau-Parini I, Sánchez-Torres C, Hernández-Pando R, Vérollet C, Lugo-Villarino G, Sasiain MC, Balboa L. Formation of foamy macrophages by tuberculous pleural effusions is triggered by the Interleukin-10/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 axis through ACAT upregulation. Frontiers in Immunology, 9: 459, 2018. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00459.
- Milillo MA, Velásquez LN, Trotta A, Delpino MV, Marinho FV, Balboa L, Vermeulen M, Espindola S, Rodriguez-Rodrigues N, Fernández GC, Oliveira SC, Giambartolomei GH, Barrionuevo P. B. abortus RNA is the component involved in the down-modulation of MHC-I expression on human monocytes via TLR8 and the EGFR pathway. PLoS Pathogens, 13(8): e1006527, 2017.
- Rodriguez-Rodrigues N, Castillo L, Landoni VI, Martire-Greco D, Milillo MA, Barrionuevo P, Fernández GC. Prokaryotic RNA associated to bacterial viability induces polymorphonuclear neutrophil activation. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 7: 306, 2017.
- Rodriguez AM, Delpino MV, Miraglia MC, Costa Franco MM, Barrionuevo P, Dennis VA, Oliveira SC, Giambartolomei GH. Brucella abortus-activated microglia induce neuronal death through primary phagocytosis. Glia, 65(7): 1137-1151, 2017.
- Velásquez LN*, Milillo MA*, Delpino MV, Trotta A, Mercogliano MF, Pozner RG, Schillaci R, Elizalde PV, Giambartolomei GH, Barrionuevo P. Inhibition of MHC-I by Brucella abortus is an early event during infection and involves EGFR pathway. Immunology and Cell Biology, 95(4): 388-398, 2017. *These authors contributed equally to this work.
- Velásquez LN, Milillo MA, Delpino MV, Trotta A, Fernández P, Pozner RG, Lang R, Balboa L, Giambartolomei GH, Barrionuevo P. Brucella abortus down-regulates MHC class II by the IL-6-dependent inhibition of CIITA through the down-modulation of IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1). Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 101(3): 759-773, 2017.
- Coria LM, Ibañez AE, Tkach M, Sabbione F, Bruno L, Carabajal MV, Berguer PM, Barrionuevo P, Schillaci R, Trevani AS, Giambartolomei GH, Pasquevich KA, Cassataro J. A Brucella spp. protease inhibitor limits antigen lysosomal proteolysis, increases cross-presentation, and enhances CD8+ T cell responses. Journal of Immunology, 196(10): 4014-29, 2016.
- Miraglia MC, Costa Franco MM, Rodriguez AM, Bellozi PM, Ferrari CC, Farias MI, Dennis VA, Barrionuevo P, de Oliveira AC, Pitossi F, Kim KS, Delpino MV, Oliveira SC, Giambartolomei GH. Glial cell-elicited activation of brain microvasculature in response to Brucella abortus infection requires ASC inflammasome-dependent IL-1β production. Journal of Immunology, 196(9): 3794-805, 2016.