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Hallas-Mølle M, Burow M, Henrissat B, Johansen KS. Cryptococcus neoformans: plant-microbe interactions and ecology. Trends Microbiol 2024:S0966-842X(24)00059-3. [PMID: 38519353 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
While the opportunistic human pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are often isolated from plants and plant-related material, evidence suggests that these Cryptococcus species do not directly infect plants. Studies find that plants are important for Cryptococcus mating and dispersal. However, these studies have not provided enough detail about how plants and these fungi interact, especially in ways that could show the fungi are capable of causing disease. This review synthesizes recent findings from studies utilizing different plant models associated with the ecology of C. neoformans and C. gattii. Unanswered questions about their environmental role are highlighted. Overall, current research indicates that Cryptococcus utilizes plants as a substrate rather than harming them, arguing against Cryptococcus as a genuine plant pathogen. We hypothesize that plants represent reservoirs that aid dispersal, not hosts vulnerable to infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magnus Hallas-Mølle
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Meike Burow
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads 224, 2800 Kgs, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Katja Salomon Johansen
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
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2
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Hommel B, Sturny-Leclère A, Alanio A. In Vitro Titan Cell Generation in Cryptococcus neoformans and Automated Cell Size Measurements. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2775:385-391. [PMID: 38758332 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3722-7_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
A special feature of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is its morphological changes triggered by the interaction with the host. During infection, a specific increase in cell size is observed, particularly in lung tissue, from a typical cell size of 5-7 μm cells to cells larger than 10 μm, dubbed titan cells (TCs). However, the study of this specific cell subpopulation was, until now, only possible via recovery of TCs from lungs of mice during experimental infections where stable and reproducible generation of TCs occurs.The protocol described here generates TCs using in vitro conditions and measures cell size using a rapid, automated method. TC generation in vitro is robust and reproducible, generating yeast cells harboring the same characteristics of TCs generated in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hommel
- Translational Mycology Research Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Aude Sturny-Leclère
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité,National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Translational Mycology Research Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire de parasitologie-mycologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
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3
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Saidykhan L, Onyishi CU, May RC. The Cryptococcus gattii species complex: Unique pathogenic yeasts with understudied virulence mechanisms. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010916. [PMID: 36520688 PMCID: PMC9754292 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of Cryptococcus gattii/neoformans species complex are the etiological agents of the potentially fatal human fungal infection cryptococcosis. C. gattii and its sister species cause disease in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts, while the closely related species C. neoformans and C. deneoformans predominantly infect immunocompromised hosts. To date, most studies have focused on similarities in pathogenesis between these two groups, but over recent years, important differences have become apparent. In this review paper, we highlight some of the major phenotypic differences between the C. gattii and neoformans species complexes and justify the need to study the virulence and pathogenicity of the C. gattii species complex as a distinct cryptococcal group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamin Saidykhan
- Institute of Microbiology & Infection and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Division of Physical and Natural Science, University of The Gambia, Brikama Campus, West Coast Region, The Gambia
| | - Chinaemerem U. Onyishi
- Institute of Microbiology & Infection and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Robin C. May
- Institute of Microbiology & Infection and School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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4
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Maliehe M, Ntoi MA, Lahiri S, Folorunso OS, Ogundeji AO, Pohl CH, Sebolai OM. Environmental Factors That Contribute to the Maintenance of Cryptococcus neoformans Pathogenesis. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8020180. [PMID: 32012843 PMCID: PMC7074686 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8020180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of microorganisms to colonise and display an intracellular lifestyle within a host body increases their fitness to survive and avoid extinction. This host–pathogen association drives microbial evolution, as such organisms are under selective pressure and can become more pathogenic. Some of these microorganisms can quickly spread through the environment via transmission. The non-transmittable fungal pathogens, such as Cryptococcus, probably return into the environment upon decomposition of the infected host. This review analyses whether re-entry of the pathogen into the environment causes restoration of its non-pathogenic state or whether environmental factors and parameters assist them in maintaining pathogenesis. Cryptococcus (C.) neoformans is therefore used as a model organism to evaluate the impact of environmental stress factors that aid the survival and pathogenesis of C. neoformans intracellularly and extracellularly.
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5
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Chrissian C, Camacho E, Fu MS, Prados-Rosales R, Chatterjee S, Cordero RJB, Lodge JK, Casadevall A, Stark RE. Melanin deposition in two Cryptococcus species depends on cell-wall composition and flexibility. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:1815-1828. [PMID: 31896575 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.011949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are two species complexes in the large fungal genus Cryptococcus and are responsible for potentially lethal disseminated infections. These two complexes share several phenotypic traits, such as production of the protective compound melanin. In C. neoformans, the pigment associates with key cellular constituents that are essential for melanin deposition within the cell wall. Consequently, melanization is modulated by changes in cell-wall composition or ultrastructure. However, whether similar factors influence melanization in C. gattii is unknown. Herein, we used transmission EM, biochemical assays, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy of representative isolates and "leaky melanin" mutant strains from each species complex to examine the compositional and structural factors governing cell-wall pigment deposition in C. neoformans and C. gattii. The principal findings were the following. 1) C. gattii R265 had an exceptionally high chitosan content compared with C. neoformans H99; a rich chitosan composition promoted homogeneous melanin distribution throughout the cell wall but did not increase the propensity of pigment deposition. 2) Strains from both species manifesting the leaky melanin phenotype had reduced chitosan content, which was compensated for by the production of lipids and other nonpolysaccharide constituents that depended on the species or mutation. 3) Changes in the relative rigidity of cell-wall chitin were associated with aberrant pigment retention, implicating cell-wall flexibility as an independent variable in cryptococcal melanin assembly. Overall, our results indicate that cell-wall composition and molecular architecture are critical factors for the anchoring and arrangement of melanin pigments in both C. neoformans and C. gattii species complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Chrissian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, New York, New York 10031; Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10016
| | - Emma Camacho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Man Shun Fu
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Rafael Prados-Rosales
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York 10033; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Microbiology, Autonoma University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Subhasish Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, New York, New York 10031
| | - Radames J B Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Jennifer K Lodge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Ruth E Stark
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, New York, New York 10031; Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10016; Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, New York 10016.
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6
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Gerstein AC, Jackson KM, McDonald TR, Wang Y, Lueck BD, Bohjanen S, Smith KD, Akampurira A, Meya DB, Xue C, Boulware DR, Nielsen K. Identification of Pathogen Genomic Differences That Impact Human Immune Response and Disease during Cryptococcus neoformans Infection. mBio 2019; 10:e01440-19. [PMID: 31311883 PMCID: PMC6635531 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01440-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Patient outcomes during infection are due to a complex interplay between the quality of medical care, host immunity factors, and the infecting pathogen's characteristics. To probe the influence of pathogen genotype on human survival, immune response, and other parameters of disease, we examined Cryptococcus neoformans isolates collected during the Cryptococcal Optimal Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Timing (COAT) Trial in Uganda. We measured human participants' survival, meningitis disease parameters, immunologic phenotypes, and pathogen in vitro growth characteristics. We compared those clinical data to whole-genome sequences from 38 C. neoformans isolates of the most frequently observed sequence type (ST), ST93, in our Ugandan participant population and to sequences from an additional 18 strains of 9 other sequence types representing the known genetic diversity within the Ugandan Cryptococcus clinical isolates. We focused our analyses on 652 polymorphisms that were variable among the ST93 genomes, were not in centromeres or extreme telomeres, and were predicted to have a fitness effect. Logistic regression and principal component analysis identified 40 candidate Cryptococcus genes and 3 hypothetical RNAs associated with human survival, immunologic response, or clinical parameters. We infected mice with 17 available KN99α gene deletion strains for these candidate genes and found that 35% (6/17) directly influenced murine survival. Four of the six gene deletions that impacted murine survival were novel. Such bedside-to-bench translational research identifies important candidate genes for future studies on virulence-associated traits in human Cryptococcus infections.IMPORTANCE Even with the best available care, mortality rates in cryptococcal meningitis range from 20% to 60%. Disease is often due to infection by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans and involves a complex interaction between the human host and the fungal pathogen. Although previous studies have suggested genetic differences in the pathogen impact human disease, it has proven quite difficult to identify the specific C. neoformans genes that impact the outcome of the human infection. Here, we take advantage of a Ugandan patient cohort infected with closely related C. neoformans strains to examine the role of pathogen genetic variants on several human disease characteristics. Using a pathogen whole-genome sequencing approach, we showed that 40 C. neoformans genes are associated with human disease. Surprisingly, many of these genes are specific to Cryptococcus and have unknown functions. We also show deletion of some of these genes alters disease in a mouse model of infection, confirming their role in disease. These findings are particularly important because they are the first to identify C. neoformans genes associated with human cryptococcal meningitis and lay the foundation for future studies that may lead to new treatment strategies aimed at reducing patient mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleeza C Gerstein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Katrina M Jackson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tami R McDonald
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Yina Wang
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Benjamin D Lueck
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Sara Bohjanen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kyle D Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew Akampurira
- Infectious Diseases Institute and School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David B Meya
- Infectious Diseases Institute and School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - David R Boulware
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kirsten Nielsen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Wang D, Li H, Ma X, Tang Y, Tang H, Hu X, Liu Z. Small RNA AvrA Regulates IscR to Increase the Stress Tolerances in SmpB Deficiency of Aeromonas veronii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:142. [PMID: 31192158 PMCID: PMC6517841 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The superbacteria Aeromonas veronii displays not only a strong pathogenicity but also the resistance to nine kinds of antibiotics, resulting in the economic losses and health hazards. Small Protein B (SmpB) plays an important role in protein quality control, virulence, and stress reactions. Transcriptomic data revealed that expressions of the type IV pilus assembly and type VI secretion system (T6SS) proteins were downregulated in SmpB deficiency, indicating that the virulence of A. veronii might be attenuated. Although SmpB deletion decreased colonization in the mouse spleen and liver, LD50 of the smpB mutant was not altered as expected, compared with the wild type. Further, the transcriptomic and quantitative RT-PCR analyses showed that the combination of the downregulated AvrA and the upregulated iron-sulfur protein activator IscR, mediated the oxidative tolerance in smpB deletion. Next a reporter plasmid was constructed in which the promoter of iscR was applied to control the expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene. When the reporter plasmid was co-expressed with the AvrA expression into E. coli, the relative fluorescence intensity was decreased significantly, suggesting that AvrA bound to iscR mRNA by base pairing, which in turn relieved the inhibition of iscR and intensified the downstream iron-sulfur proteins. Collectively, the smpB mutant exhibited an attenuated virulence in mice and enhanced tolerances to oxidative stress. This study demonstrates the complexity of gene regulation networks mediated by sRNA in systems biology, and also reflects the strong adaptability of superbacteria A. veronii in the process of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hong Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yanqiong Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Hongqian Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xinwen Hu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Zhu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
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8
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Bensasson D, Dicks J, Ludwig JM, Bond CJ, Elliston A, Roberts IN, James SA. Diverse Lineages of Candida albicans Live on Old Oaks. Genetics 2019; 211:277-288. [PMID: 30463870 PMCID: PMC6325710 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The human pathogen Candida albicans is considered an obligate commensal of animals, yet it is occasionally isolated from trees, shrubs, and grass. We generated genome sequence data for three strains of C. albicans that we isolated from oak trees in an ancient wood pasture, and compared these to the genomes of over 200 clinical strains. C. albicans strains from oak are similar to clinical C. albicans in that they are predominantly diploid and can become homozygous at the mating locus through whole-chromosome loss of heterozygosity. Oak strains differed from clinical strains in showing slightly higher levels of heterozygosity genome-wide. Using phylogenomic analyses and in silico chromosome painting, we show that each oak strain is more closely related to strains from humans and other animals than to strains from other oaks. The high genetic diversity of C. albicans from old oaks shows that they can live in this environment for extended periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douda Bensasson
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Jo Dicks
- National Collection of Yeast Cultures, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - John M Ludwig
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602
| | - Christopher J Bond
- National Collection of Yeast Cultures, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Adam Elliston
- National Collection of Yeast Cultures, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Ian N Roberts
- National Collection of Yeast Cultures, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
| | - Stephen A James
- National Collection of Yeast Cultures, Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
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9
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Hommel B, Mukaremera L, Cordero RJB, Coelho C, Desjardins CA, Sturny-Leclère A, Janbon G, Perfect JR, Fraser JA, Casadevall A, Cuomo CA, Dromer F, Nielsen K, Alanio A. Titan cells formation in Cryptococcus neoformans is finely tuned by environmental conditions and modulated by positive and negative genetic regulators. PLoS Pathog 2018; 14:e1006982. [PMID: 29775480 PMCID: PMC5959062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans exhibits morphological changes in cell size during lung infection, producing both typical size 5 to 7 μm cells and large titan cells (> 10 μm and up to 100 μm). We found and optimized in vitro conditions that produce titan cells in order to identify the ancestry of titan cells, the environmental determinants, and the key gene regulators of titan cell formation. Titan cells generated in vitro harbor the main characteristics of titan cells produced in vivo including their large cell size (>10 μm), polyploidy with a single nucleus, large vacuole, dense capsule, and thick cell wall. Here we show titan cells derived from the enlargement of progenitor cells in the population independent of yeast growth rate. Change in the incubation medium, hypoxia, nutrient starvation and low pH were the main factors that trigger titan cell formation, while quorum sensing factors like the initial inoculum concentration, pantothenic acid, and the quorum sensing peptide Qsp1p also impacted titan cell formation. Inhibition of ergosterol, protein and nucleic acid biosynthesis altered titan cell formation, as did serum, phospholipids and anti-capsular antibodies in our settings. We explored genetic factors important for titan cell formation using three approaches. Using H99-derivative strains with natural genetic differences, we showed that titan cell formation was dependent on LMP1 and SGF29 genes. By screening a gene deletion collection, we also confirmed that GPR4/5-RIM101, and CAC1 genes were required to generate titan cells and that the PKR1, TSP2, USV101 genes negatively regulated titan cell formation. Furthermore, analysis of spontaneous Pkr1 loss-of-function clinical isolates confirmed the important role of the Pkr1 protein as a negative regulator of titan cell formation. Through development of a standardized and robust in vitro assay, our results provide new insights into titan cell biogenesis with the identification of multiple important factors/pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hommel
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Mycology Unit, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR2000, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière, Saint-Louis, Fernand Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Liliane Mukaremera
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Radames J. B. Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD., United States of America
| | - Carolina Coelho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD., United States of America
| | | | - Aude Sturny-Leclère
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Mycology Unit, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR2000, Paris, France
| | - Guilhem Janbon
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - John R. Perfect
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - James A. Fraser
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD., United States of America
| | - Christina A. Cuomo
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Françoise Dromer
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Mycology Unit, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR2000, Paris, France
| | - Kirsten Nielsen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Institut Pasteur, Molecular Mycology Unit, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR2000, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Groupe Hospitalier Lariboisière, Saint-Louis, Fernand Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD., United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Camacho E, Chrissian C, Cordero RJB, Liporagi-Lopes L, Stark RE, Casadevall A. N-acetylglucosamine affects Cryptococcus neoformans cell-wall composition and melanin architecture. MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2017; 163:1540-1556. [PMID: 29043954 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmental fungus that belongs to the phylum Basidiomycetes and is a major pathogen in immunocompromised patients. The ability of C. neoformans to produce melanin pigments represents its second most important virulence factor, after the presence of a polysaccharide capsule. Both the capsule and melanin are closely associated with the fungal cell wall, a complex structure that is essential for maintaining cell morphology and viability under conditions of stress. The amino sugar N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) is a key constituent of the cell-wall chitin and is used for both N-linked glycosylation and GPI anchor synthesis. Recent studies have suggested additional roles for GlcNAc as an activator and mediator of cellular signalling in fungal and plant cells. Furthermore, chitin and chitosan polysaccharides interact with melanin pigments in the cell wall and have been found to be essential for melanization. Despite the importance of melanin, its molecular structure remains unresolved; however, we previously obtained critical insights using advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and imaging techniques. In this study, we investigated the effect of GlcNAc supplementation on cryptococcal cell-wall composition and melanization. C. neoformans was able to metabolize GlcNAc as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen, indicating a capacity to use a component of a highly abundant polymer in the biospherenutritionally. C. neoformans cells grown with GlcNAc manifested changes in the chitosan cell-wall content, cell-wall thickness and capsule size. Supplementing cultures with isotopically 15N-labelled GlcNAc demonstrated that the exogenous monomer serves as a building block for chitin/chitosan and is incorporated into the cell wall. The altered chitin-to-chitosan ratio had no negative effects on the mother-daughter cell separation; growth with GlcNAc affected the fungal cell-wall scaffold, resulting in increased melanin deposition and assembly. In summary, GlcNAc supplementation had pleiotropic effects on cell-wall and melanin architectures, and thus established its capacity to perturb these structures, a property that could prove useful for metabolic tracking studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Camacho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christine Chrissian
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, The City College of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Radames J B Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Livia Liporagi-Lopes
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ruth E Stark
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, The City College of New York, New York, NY, USA.,PhD Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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11
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Brilhante RSN, España JDA, de Alencar LP, Pereira VS, Castelo-Branco DDSCM, Pereira-Neto WDA, Cordeiro RDA, Sidrim JJC, Rocha MFG. An alternative method for the analysis of melanin production inCryptococcus neoformans sensu latoandCryptococcus gattii sensu lato. Mycoses 2017; 60:697-702. [DOI: 10.1111/myc.12650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raimunda S. N. Brilhante
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Jaime D. A. España
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Lucas P. de Alencar
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Vandbergue S. Pereira
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Débora de S. C. M. Castelo-Branco
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Waldemiro de A. Pereira-Neto
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Rossana de A. Cordeiro
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - José J. C. Sidrim
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
| | - Marcos F. G. Rocha
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine; School of Medicine; Specialized Medical Mycology Center; Postgraduate Program in Medical Microbiology; Federal University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
- School of Veterinary Medicine; Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Sciences; State University of Ceará; Fortaleza CE Brazil
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