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Pereira ED, Moreira TR, Cruz-Leite VRM, Tomazett MV, Souza Silva LO, Graziani D, Martins JA, Amaral AC, Weber SS, Parente-Rocha JA, Soares CMDA, Borges CL. Paracoccidioides lutzii Infects Galleria mellonella Employing Formamidase as a Virulence Factor. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012452. [PMID: 39226308 PMCID: PMC11398694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The formamidase (FMD) enzyme plays an important role in fungal thriving by releasing a secondary nitrogen source as a product of its activity. In Paracoccidioides species, previous studies have demonstrated the upregulation of this enzyme in a wide range of starvation and infective-like conditions. However, Paracoccidioides lutzii formamidase has not yet been defined as a virulence factor. Here, by employing in vivo infections using an fmd-silenced strain in Galleria mellonella larvae model, we demonstrate the influence of formamidase in P. lutzii's immune stimulation and pathogenicity. The formamidase silencing resulted in improper arrangement of the nodules, poor melanogenesis and decreased fungal burden. Thus, we suggest that formamidase may be a piece composing the process of molecular recognition by Galleria immune cells. Furthermore, formamidase silencing doubled the observed survival rate of the larvae, demonstrating its importance in fungal virulence in vivo. Therefore, our findings indicate that formamidase contributes to Galleria's immune incitement and establishes the role of this enzyme as a P. lutzii virulence factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Dias Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Thalison Rodrigues Moreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Vieira Tomazett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Lana O'Hara Souza Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Daniel Graziani
- Multiuser Laboratory for the Evaluation of Molecules, Cells and Tissues, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Juliana Assis Martins
- Laboratory of Nano&Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - André Corrêa Amaral
- Laboratory of Nano&Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alves Parente-Rocha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
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Cruz-Leite VRM, Moreira ALE, Silva LOS, Inácio MM, Parente-Rocha JA, Ruiz OH, Weber SS, Soares CMDA, Borges CL. Proteomics of Paracoccidioides lutzii: Overview of Changes Triggered by Nitrogen Catabolite Repression. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1102. [PMID: 37998907 PMCID: PMC10672198 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the Paracoccidioides complex are the causative agents of Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a human systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. Upon initial contact with the host, the pathogen needs to uptake micronutrients. Nitrogen is an essential source for biosynthetic pathways. Adaptation to nutritional stress is a key feature of fungi in host tissues. Fungi utilize nitrogen sources through Nitrogen Catabolite Repression (NCR). NCR ensures the scavenging, uptake and catabolism of alternative nitrogen sources, when preferential ones, such as glutamine or ammonium, are unavailable. The NanoUPLC-MSE proteomic approach was used to investigate the NCR response of Paracoccidioides lutzii after growth on proline or glutamine as a nitrogen source. A total of 338 differentially expressed proteins were identified. P. lutzii demonstrated that gluconeogenesis, β-oxidation, glyoxylate cycle, adhesin-like proteins, stress response and cell wall remodeling were triggered in NCR-proline conditions. In addition, within macrophages, yeast cells trained under NCR-proline conditions showed an increased ability to survive. In general, this study allows a comprehensive understanding of the NCR response employed by the fungus to overcome nutritional starvation, which in the human host is represented by nutritional immunity. In turn, the pathogen requires rapid adaptation to the changing microenvironment induced by macrophages to achieve successful infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Rafaela Milhomem Cruz-Leite
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - André Luís Elias Moreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Lana O’Hara Souza Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Moises Morais Inácio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
- Estácio de Goiás University Center—FESGO, Goiânia 74063-010, GO, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alves Parente-Rocha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- MICROBA Research Group, Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Microbiology, School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79304-902, MS, Brazil;
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
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Silva LOS, Moreira TR, Gonçales RA, Tomazett MV, Parente-Rocha JA, Mattos K, Paccez JD, Ruiz OH, Pereira M, Soares CMDA, Weber SS, Cruz-Leite VRM, Borges CL. Paracoccidioides lutzii Formamidase Contributes to Fungal Survival in Macrophages. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10102011. [PMID: 36296287 PMCID: PMC9608497 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10102011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for microorganisms that compose essential biomolecules. However, hosts limit this nutrient as a strategy to counter infections, therefore, pathogens use adaptive mechanisms to uptake nitrogen from alternative sources. In fungi, nitrogen catabolite repression (NCR) activates transcription factors to acquire nitrogen from alternative sources when preferential sources are absent. Formamidase has been related to nitrogen depletion in Aspergillus nidulans through formamide degradation to use the released ammonia as a nitrogen source. In Paracoccidioides spp., formamidase is highly expressed in transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Here, we aim to investigate the importance of formamidase to Paracoccidioides lutzii. Thereby, we developed a P. lutzii silenced strain of fmd gene (AsFmd) by antisense RNA technology using Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT). The AsFmd strain led to increased urease expression, an enzyme related to nitrogen assimilation in other fungi, suggesting that P. lutzii might explore urease as an alternative route for ammonia metabolism as a nitrogen source. Moreover, formamidase was important for fungal survival inside macrophages, as fungal recovery after macrophage infection was lower in AsFmd compared to wild-type (WT) strain. Our findings suggest potential alternatives of nitrogen acquisition regulation in P. lutzii, evidencing formamidase influence in fungal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana O’Hara Souza Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Thalison Rodrigues Moreira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Relber Aguiar Gonçales
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4700-000 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, 4800-000 Braga, Portugal
| | - Mariana Vieira Tomazett
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alves Parente-Rocha
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Karine Mattos
- Bioscience Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Juliano Domiraci Paccez
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- MICROBA Research Group—Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit—CIB, School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Bioscience Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Rafaela Milhomem Cruz-Leite
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (V.R.M.C.-L.); (C.L.B.); Tel.: +55-62-3521-1110 (C.L.B.)
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (V.R.M.C.-L.); (C.L.B.); Tel.: +55-62-3521-1110 (C.L.B.)
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Shankar J. Insight into the metabolic changes during germination of Aspergillus niger conidia using nLC-qTOF. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01115-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Beyond Melanin: Proteomics Reveals Virulence-Related Proteins in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii Yeast Cells Grown in the Presence of L-Dihydroxyphenylalanine. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040328. [PMID: 33271902 PMCID: PMC7711940 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Species of the genus Paracoccidioides cause a systemic infection in human patients. Yeast cells of Paracoccidioides spp. produce melanin in the presence of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine and during infection, which may impact the pathogen’s survival in the host. To better understand the metabolic changes that occur in melanized Paracoccidioides spp. cells, a proteomic approach was performed to compare melanized and non-melanized Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii yeast cells. Melanization was induced using L-dihydroxyphenylalanine as a precursor, and quantitative proteomics were performed using reversed-phase nano-chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry. When comparing melanized versus non-melanized cells, 1006 and 582 differentially abundant/detected proteins were identified for P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii, respectively. Functional enrichment and comparative analysis revealed 30 important KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways in melanized P. brasiliensis and 18 in P. lutzii, while differentially abundant proteins from non-melanized cells from these species were involved in 21 and 25 enriched pathways, respectively. Melanized cells presented an abundance of additional virulence-associated proteins, such as phospholipase, proteases, superoxide dis-mutases, heat-shock proteins, adhesins, and proteins related to vesicular transport. The results suggest that L-dihydroxyphenylalanine increases the virulence of Paracoccidioides spp. through complex mechanisms involving not only melanin but other virulence factors as well.
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