Glutamine from plasma-like medium fuels nitrogen metabolism and influences proliferation in Leptospira interrogans.

Glutamine is a major nitrogen source for Leptospira interrogans, supporting growth and proliferation in a human-like medium, and can be targeted to impair bacterial growth.

• Why it matters: Understanding the metabolic mechanisms that support Leptospira infection is crucial for developing effective treatments for leptospirosis, especially since current options are limited.
• What they did: Researchers developed a physiologically relevant culture medium, sHPLM, and used metabolomics and stable isotope tracing to show that glutamine provides significant nitrogen for L. interrogans growth, with proliferation inhibited by a glutamine utilization inhibitor.
• The result: Findings suggest glutamine influences Leptospira physiology and infection potential, highlighting nitrogen assimilation as a promising target for therapeutic intervention.