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Zou Q, Wu Y, Zhang S, Li S, Li S, Su Y, Zhang L, Li Q, Zou H, Zhang X, Wang T, Liang S, Yang J, Li C. Escherichia coli and HPV16 coinfection may contribute to the development of cervical cancer. Virulence 2024; 15:2319962. [PMID: 38380669 PMCID: PMC10883084 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2024.2319962] [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] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Persistent human papillomavirus HPV infection is a necessary but insufficient condition for cervical cancer. Microorganisms are crucial environmental factors in cancers susceptibility and progression, recently attracting considerable attention. This study aimed to determine the infection status and relationship between high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and lower genital tract infectious pathogens in cervical cancer and its precursors. From a retrospective and a prospective cohort analysis, Escherichia coli (E. coli) dominated the pathogens isolated from cervical discharges, and an isolation rate uptrend has been shown recently. HPV16 and E. coli's coinfection rate gradually increased with the severity of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The adhesion and invasion abilities of the isolated E. coli to HPV16-positive SiHa cells were evaluated in vitro. The TCGA database and cervical tissues samples analysis showed that IL-10 was upregulated in cervical cancer. IL-10 expression levels increased in tissue samples with the severity of cervical cancer and its precursors with HPV16 and E. coli coinfection. Although no significant changes in IL-10 production were observed in the co-culture supernatant, we hypothesized that Treg immune cells in the tumour microenvironment might be responsible for the local IL-10 upregulation, according to our data showing Foxp3 upregulation and an upward trend with the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grading to cancer and tumours with E. coli and HPV16 coinfection. Our data provide insights into the possible role of E. coli in cervical cancer progression and suggest that the application of HPV and E. coli screening programs may be an effective strategy to relieve the burden of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Yingying Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - ShuaiShuai Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Shu Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Siyue Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Su
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Hua Zou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinyuan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Teng Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shuang Liang
- Department of Pathology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Chunli Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
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2
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Mills KAM, Aufiero MA, Hohl TM. Epithelial responses to fungal pathogens. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 80:102508. [PMID: 38986398 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial cells orchestrate immune responses against fungal pathogens. This review highlights advances in integrating epithelial cells in immune responses against inhaled molds and dimorphic fungi, and against Candida species that colonize mucosal surfaces. In the lung, epithelial cells respond to interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interferon signaling to regulate effector cell influx and fungal killing. In the alimentary and vulvovaginal tracts, epithelial cells modulate fungal commensalism, invasive growth, and local immune tone, in part by responding to damage caused by candidalysin, a C. albicans peptide toxin, and through IL-17-dependent release of antimicrobial peptides that contribute to Candida colonization resistance. Understanding fungal-epithelial interactions in mammalian models of disease is critical to predict vulnerabilities and to identify opportunities for immune-based strategies to treat fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen A M Mills
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariano A Aufiero
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tobias M Hohl
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA; Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Dalabehera M, Rathore C, Rathee A, Lal UR. From plants to particles: herbal solutions and nanotechnology combating resistant vulvovaginal candidiasis. Ther Deliv 2024; 15:371-392. [PMID: 38651887 PMCID: PMC11221605 DOI: 10.4155/tde-2023-0133] [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: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite having current advanced therapy, vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) remains a common yet debated healthcare-associated topic worldwide due to multi-drug resistance Candida species. In our review, we outlined and highlighted upcoming values with scope of existing and emerging information regarding the possibility of using various natural molecules combined with modern technology that shows promising anti-candida activity in VVC. Furthermore, in this review, we compiled herbal drug molecules and their nanocarriers approach for enhancing the efficacy and stability of herbal molecules. We have also summarized the patent literature available on herbal drug molecules and their nanoformulation techniques that could alternatively become a new innovative era to combat resistance VVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Dalabehera
- University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Ajitgarh, Punjab, India
| | - Charul Rathore
- University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Ajitgarh, Punjab, India
| | - Ankit Rathee
- University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Ajitgarh, Punjab, India
| | - Uma Ranjan Lal
- Department of Natural Products, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Punjab 160062 Mohali, India
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4
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Valentine M, Rudolph P, Dietschmann A, Tsavou A, Mogavero S, Lee S, Priest EL, Zhurgenbayeva G, Jablonowski N, Timme S, Eggeling C, Allert S, Dolk E, Naglik JR, Figge MT, Gresnigt MS, Hube B. Nanobody-mediated neutralization of candidalysin prevents epithelial damage and inflammatory responses that drive vulvovaginal candidiasis pathogenesis. mBio 2024; 15:e0340923. [PMID: 38349176 PMCID: PMC10936171 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03409-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans can cause mucosal infections in humans. This includes oropharyngeal candidiasis, which is commonly observed in human immunodeficiency virus infected patients, and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), which is the most frequent manifestation of candidiasis. Epithelial cell invasion by C. albicans hyphae is accompanied by the secretion of candidalysin, a peptide toxin that causes epithelial cell cytotoxicity. During vaginal infections, candidalysin-driven tissue damage triggers epithelial signaling pathways, leading to hyperinflammatory responses and immunopathology, a hallmark of VVC. Therefore, we proposed blocking candidalysin activity using nanobodies to reduce epithelial damage and inflammation as a therapeutic strategy for VVC. Anti-candidalysin nanobodies were confirmed to localize around epithelial-invading C. albicans hyphae, even within the invasion pocket where candidalysin is secreted. The nanobodies reduced candidalysin-induced damage to epithelial cells and downstream proinflammatory responses. Accordingly, the nanobodies also decreased neutrophil activation and recruitment. In silico mathematical modeling enabled the quantification of epithelial damage caused by candidalysin under various nanobody dosing strategies. Thus, nanobody-mediated neutralization of candidalysin offers a novel therapeutic approach to block immunopathogenic events during VVC and alleviate symptoms.IMPORTANCEWorldwide, vaginal infections caused by Candida albicans (VVC) annually affect millions of women, with symptoms significantly impacting quality of life. Current treatments are based on anti-fungals and probiotics that target the fungus. However, in some cases, infections are recurrent, called recurrent VVC, which often fails to respond to treatment. Vaginal mucosal tissue damage caused by the C. albicans peptide toxin candidalysin is a key driver in the induction of hyperinflammatory responses that fail to clear the infection and contribute to immunopathology and disease severity. In this pre-clinical evaluation, we show that nanobody-mediated candidalysin neutralization reduces tissue damage and thereby limits inflammation. Implementation of candidalysin-neutralizing nanobodies may prove an attractive strategy to alleviate symptoms in complicated VVC cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Valentine
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Paul Rudolph
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel Dietschmann
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Antzela Tsavou
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Selene Mogavero
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sejeong Lee
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Emily L. Priest
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Gaukhar Zhurgenbayeva
- Institute of Applied Optics and Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Nadja Jablonowski
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sandra Timme
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Eggeling
- Institute of Applied Optics and Biophysics, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Biophysical Imaging, Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Jena, Germany
- Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Jena, Germany
| | - Stefanie Allert
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Julian R. Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Marc T. Figge
- Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
| | - Mark S. Gresnigt
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology–Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
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5
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Müller R, König A, Groth S, Zarnowski R, Visser C, Handrianz T, Maufrais C, Krüger T, Himmel M, Lee S, Priest EL, Yildirim D, Richardson JP, Blango MG, Bougnoux ME, Kniemeyer O, d'Enfert C, Brakhage AA, Andes DR, Trümper V, Nehls C, Kasper L, Mogavero S, Gutsmann T, Naglik JR, Allert S, Hube B. Secretion of the fungal toxin candidalysin is dependent on conserved precursor peptide sequences. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:669-683. [PMID: 38388771 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01606-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans damages host cells via its peptide toxin, candidalysin. Before secretion, candidalysin is embedded in a precursor protein, Ece1, which consists of a signal peptide, the precursor of candidalysin and seven non-candidalysin Ece1 peptides (NCEPs), and is found to be conserved in clinical isolates. Here we show that the Ece1 polyprotein does not resemble the usual precursor structure of peptide toxins. C. albicans cells are not susceptible to their own toxin, and single NCEPs adjacent to candidalysin are sufficient to prevent host cell toxicity. Using a series of Ece1 mutants, mass spectrometry and anti-candidalysin nanobodies, we show that NCEPs play a role in intracellular Ece1 folding and candidalysin secretion. Removal of single NCEPs or modifications of peptide sequences cause an unfolded protein response (UPR), which in turn inhibits hypha formation and pathogenicity in vitro. Our data indicate that the Ece1 precursor is not required to block premature pore-forming toxicity, but rather to prevent intracellular auto-aggregation of candidalysin sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Müller
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Annika König
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Sabrina Groth
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Robert Zarnowski
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Corissa Visser
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Tom Handrianz
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Maximilian Himmel
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Sejeong Lee
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily L Priest
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Deniz Yildirim
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Jonathan P Richardson
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew G Blango
- RNA Biology of Fungal Infections, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
- Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Service de Microbiologie Clinique, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Paris, France
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - David R Andes
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Verena Trümper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Christian Nehls
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
- Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science KiNSIS, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Selene Mogavero
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Gutsmann
- Division of Biophysics, Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
- Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science KiNSIS, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Stefanie Allert
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
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6
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Sprague JL, Schille TB, Allert S, Trümper V, Lier A, Großmann P, Priest EL, Tsavou A, Panagiotou G, Naglik JR, Wilson D, Schäuble S, Kasper L, Hube B. Candida albicans translocation through the intestinal epithelial barrier is promoted by fungal zinc acquisition and limited by NFκB-mediated barrier protection. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012031. [PMID: 38427950 PMCID: PMC10907035 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans thrives on human mucosal surfaces as a harmless commensal, but frequently causes infections under certain predisposing conditions. Translocation across the intestinal barrier into the bloodstream by intestine-colonizing C. albicans cells serves as the main source of disseminated candidiasis. However, the host and microbial mechanisms behind this process remain unclear. In this study we identified fungal and host factors specifically involved in infection of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) using dual-RNA sequencing. Our data suggest that host-cell damage mediated by the peptide toxin candidalysin-encoding gene ECE1 facilitates fungal zinc acquisition. This in turn is crucial for the full virulence potential of C. albicans during infection. IECs in turn exhibit a filamentation- and damage-specific response to C. albicans infection, including NFκB, MAPK, and TNF signaling. NFκB activation by IECs limits candidalysin-mediated host-cell damage and mediates maintenance of the intestinal barrier and cell-cell junctions to further restrict fungal translocation. This is the first study to show that candidalysin-mediated damage is necessary for C. albicans nutrient acquisition during infection and to explain how IECs counteract damage and limit fungal translocation via NFκB-mediated maintenance of the intestinal barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob L. Sprague
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Tim B. Schille
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefanie Allert
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Verena Trümper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Adrian Lier
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Großmann
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Emily L. Priest
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antzela Tsavou
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Julian R. Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Duncan Wilson
- Medical Research Council, Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Sascha Schäuble
- Department of Microbiome Dynamics, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
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7
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Brown Harding H, Kwaku GN, Reardon CM, Khan NS, Zamith-Miranda D, Zarnowski R, Tam JM, Bohaen CK, Richey L, Mosallanejad K, Crossen AJ, Reedy JL, Ward RA, Vargas-Blanco DA, Basham KJ, Bhattacharyya RP, Nett JE, Mansour MK, van de Veerdonk FL, Kumar V, Kagan JC, Andes DR, Nosanchuk JD, Vyas JM. Candida albicans extracellular vesicles trigger type I IFN signalling via cGAS and STING. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:95-107. [PMID: 38168615 PMCID: PMC10959075 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01546-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The host type I interferon (IFN) pathway is a major signature of inflammation induced by the human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. However, the molecular mechanism for activating this pathway in the host defence against C. albicans remains unknown. Here we reveal that mice lacking cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of IFN genes (STING) pathway components had improved survival following an intravenous challenge by C. albicans. Biofilm-associated C. albicans DNA packaged in extracellular vesicles triggers the cGAS-STING pathway as determined by induction of interferon-stimulated genes, IFNβ production, and phosphorylation of IFN regulatory factor 3 and TANK-binding kinase 1. Extracellular vesicle-induced activation of type I IFNs was independent of the Dectin-1/Card9 pathway and did not require toll-like receptor 9. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in cGAS and STING potently altered inflammatory cytokine production in human monocytes challenged by C. albicans. These studies provide insights into the early innate immune response induced by a clinically significant fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Brown Harding
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Geneva N Kwaku
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M Reardon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nida S Khan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Robert Zarnowski
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jenny M Tam
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Collins K Bohaen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lauren Richey
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenta Mosallanejad
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arianne J Crossen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Reedy
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Ward
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diego A Vargas-Blanco
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyle J Basham
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roby P Bhattacharyya
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeniel E Nett
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael K Mansour
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frank L van de Veerdonk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research, Medical Sciences Complex, Mangaluru, India
| | - Jonathan C Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David R Andes
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jatin M Vyas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Schikora-Tamarit MÀ, Gabaldón T. Recent gene selection and drug resistance underscore clinical adaptation across Candida species. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:284-307. [PMID: 38177305 PMCID: PMC10769879 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01547-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Understanding how microbial pathogens adapt to treatments, humans and clinical environments is key to infer mechanisms of virulence, transmission and drug resistance. This may help improve therapies and diagnostics for infections with a poor prognosis, such as those caused by fungal pathogens, including Candida. Here we analysed genomic variants across approximately 2,000 isolates from six Candida species (C. glabrata, C. auris, C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis) and identified genes under recent selection, suggesting a highly complex clinical adaptation. These involve species-specific and convergently affected adaptive mechanisms, such as adhesion. Using convergence-based genome-wide association studies we identified known drivers of drug resistance alongside potentially novel players. Finally, our analyses reveal an important role of structural variants and suggest an unexpected involvement of (para)sexual recombination in the spread of resistance. Our results provide insights on how opportunistic pathogens adapt to human-related environments and unearth candidate genes that deserve future attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Àngel Schikora-Tamarit
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain.
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain.
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro Investigación Biomédica En Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain.
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9
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Wu M, Xu X, Hu R, Chen Q, Chen L, Yuan Y, Li J, Zhou L, Feng S, Wang L, Chen S, Gu M. A Membrane-Targeted Photosensitizer Prevents Drug Resistance and Induces Immune Response in Treating Candidiasis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2207736. [PMID: 37875397 PMCID: PMC10724446 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans (C. albicans), a ubiquitous polymorphic fungus in humans, causes different types of candidiasis, including oral candidiasis (OC) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), which are physically and mentally concerning and financially costly. Thus, developing alternative antifungals that prevent drug resistance and induce immunity to eliminate Candida biofilms is crucial. Herein, a novel membrane-targeted aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer (PS), TBTCP-QY, is developed for highly efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT) of candidiasis. TBTCP-QY has a high molar absorption coefficient and an excellent ability to generate 1 O2 and •OH, entering the interior of biofilms due to its high permeability. Furthermore, TBTCP-QY can efficiently inhibit biofilm formation by suppressing the expression of genes related to the adhesion (ALS3, EAP1, and HWP1), invasion (SAP1 and SAP2), and drug resistance (MDR1) of C. albicans, which is also advantageous for eliminating potential fungal resistance to treat clinical infectious diseases. TBTCP-QY-mediated PDT efficiently targets OC and VVC in vivo in a mouse model, induces immune response, relieves inflammation, and accelerates the healing of mucosal defects to combat infections caused by clinically isolated fluconazole-resistant strains. Moreover, TBTCP-QY demonstrates excellent biocompatibility, suggesting its potential applications in the clinical treatment of OC and VVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming‐Yu Wu
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural DrugsSchool of Life Science and EngineeringSouthwest Jiaotong UniversityChengduSichuan610031China
| | - Xiaoyu Xu
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Rui Hu
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
- Department of Respiratory DiseasesThe Research and Application Center of Precision MedicineThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450014China
| | - Qingrong Chen
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Luojia Chen
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Yuncong Yuan
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Medical Intensive Care UnitMaternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei ProvinceTongji Medical CollegeHuazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanHubei430070China
| | - Li Zhou
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Shun Feng
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural DrugsSchool of Life Science and EngineeringSouthwest Jiaotong UniversityChengduSichuan610031China
| | - Lianrong Wang
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
- Department of Respiratory DiseasesThe Research and Application Center of Precision MedicineThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450014China
| | - Shi Chen
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
| | - Meijia Gu
- Department of GastroenterologyMinistry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug DiscoveryTaiKang Center for Life and Medical SciencesZhongnan Hospital of Wuhan UniversitySchool of Pharmaceutical SciencesWuhan UniversityWuhan430071China
- Department of Respiratory DiseasesThe Research and Application Center of Precision MedicineThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhou450014China
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10
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Arastehfar A, Daneshnia F, Hovhannisyan H, Fuentes D, Cabrera N, Quinteros C, Ilkit M, Ünal N, Hilmioğlu-Polat S, Jabeen K, Zaka S, Desai JV, Lass-Flörl C, Shor E, Gabaldon T, Perlin DS. Overlooked Candida glabrata petites are echinocandin tolerant, induce host inflammatory responses, and display poor in vivo fitness. mBio 2023; 14:e0118023. [PMID: 37772846 PMCID: PMC10653939 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01180-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Candida glabrata is a major fungal pathogen, which is able to lose mitochondria and form small and slow-growing colonies, called "petite." This attenuated growth rate has created controversies and questioned the clinical importance of petiteness. Herein, we have employed multiple omics technologies and in vivo mouse models to critically assess the clinical importance of petite phenotype. Our WGS identifies multiple genes potentially underpinning petite phenotype. Interestingly, petite C. glabrata cells engulfed by macrophages are dormant and, therefore, are not killed by the frontline antifungal drugs. Interestingly, macrophages infected with petite cells mount distinct transcriptomic responses. Consistent with our ex vivo observations, mitochondrial-proficient parental strains outcompete petites during systemic and gut colonization. Retrospective examination of C. glabrata isolates identified petite prevalence a rare entity, which can significantly vary from country to country. Collectively, our study overcomes the existing controversies and provides novel insights regarding the clinical relevance of petite C. glabrata isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Farnaz Daneshnia
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hrant Hovhannisyan
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Fuentes
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nathaly Cabrera
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | - Nevzat Ünal
- Division of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | | | - Kauser Jabeen
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sadaf Zaka
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jigar V. Desai
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Erika Shor
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - Toni Gabaldon
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - David S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC, USA
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11
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Santos FP, Carvalhos CA, Figueiredo-Dias M. New Insights into Photobiomodulation of the Vaginal Microbiome-A Critical Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13507. [PMID: 37686314 PMCID: PMC10487748 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241713507] [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] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of new technologies such as sequencing has greatly enhanced our understanding of the human microbiome. The interactions between the human microbiome and the development of several diseases have been the subject of recent research. In-depth knowledge about the vaginal microbiome (VMB) has shown that dysbiosis is closely related to the development of gynecologic and obstetric disorders. To date, the progress in treating or modulating the VMB has lagged far behind research efforts. Photobiomodulation (PBM) uses low levels of light, usually red or near-infrared, to treat a diversity of conditions. Several studies have demonstrated that PBM can control the microbiome and improve the activity of the immune system. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the microbiome, mostly to the gut microbiome and its connections with many diseases, such as metabolic disorders, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, autoimmunity, and neurological disorders. The applicability of PBM therapeutics to treat gut dysbiosis has been studied, with promising results. The possible cellular and molecular effects of PBM on the vaginal microbiome constitute a theoretical and promising field that is starting to take its first steps. In this review, we will discuss the potential mechanisms and effects of photobiomodulation in the VMB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda P. Santos
- Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology University Clinic, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (C.A.C.); (M.F.-D.)
- Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
- Gynecology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Area of Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3001-301 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlota A. Carvalhos
- Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology University Clinic, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (C.A.C.); (M.F.-D.)
- Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
- Gynecology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Margarida Figueiredo-Dias
- Faculty of Medicine, Gynecology University Clinic, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; (C.A.C.); (M.F.-D.)
- Clinical and Academic Centre of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal
- Gynecology Department, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Area of Environment, Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3001-301 Coimbra, Portugal
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12
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Chen X, Wang J, Chen J, Wang G, Zhang R, Qiu J. Vaginal homeostasis features of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis through vaginal metabolic profiling. Med Mycol 2023; 61:myad085. [PMID: 37573133 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myad085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is an inflammatory disease primarily infected by Candida albicans. The condition has good short-term treatment effects, high recurrence, and seriously affects the quality of life of women. Metabolomics has been applied to research a variety of inflammatory diseases. In the present study, the vaginal metabolic profiles of VVC patients and healthy populations (Cnotrol (CTL)) were explored by a non-targeted metabolomics approach. In total, 211 differential metabolites were identified, with the VVC group having 128 over-expressed and 83 under-expressed metabolites compared with healthy individuals. Functional analysis showed that these metabolites were mainly involved in amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. In addition, network software analysis indicated that the differential metabolites were associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and NF-κB signaling. Further molecular docking suggested that linoleic acid can bind to the acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) protein, which has been shown to be associated with multiple inflammatory diseases and is an upstream regulator of the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways that mediate inflammation. Therefore, our preliminary analysis results suggest that VVC has a unique metabolic profile. Linoleic acid, a significantly elevated unsaturated fatty acid in the VVC group, may promote VVC development through the ACSL1/MAPK and ACSL1/NF-κB signaling pathways. This study's findings contribute to further exploring the mechanism of VVC infection and providing new perspectives for the treatment of Candida albicans vaginal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Chen
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinbo Wang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Guanghua Wang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Runjie Zhang
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Qiu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Tongren Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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13
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Arastehfar A, Daneshnia F, Hovhannisyan H, Fuentes D, Cabrera N, Quintin C, Ilkit M, Ünal N, Hilmioğlu-Polat S, Jabeen K, Zaka S, Desai JV, Lass-Flörl C, Shor E, Gabaldon T, Perlin DS. Overlooked Candida glabrata petites are echinocandin tolerant, induce host inflammatory responses, and display poor in vivo fitness. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.15.545195. [PMID: 37398397 PMCID: PMC10312775 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.15.545195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Small colony variants (SCVs) are relatively common among some bacterial species and are associated with poor prognosis and recalcitrant infections. Similarly, Candida glabrata - a major intracellular fungal pathogen - produces small and slow-growing respiratory-deficient colonies, termed "petite." Despite reports of clinical petite C . glabrata strains, our understanding of petite behavior in the host remains obscure. Moreover, controversies exist regarding in-host petite fitness and its clinical relevance. Herein, we employed whole-genome sequencing (WGS), dual-RNAseq, and extensive ex vivo and in vivo studies to fill this knowledge gap. WGS identified multiple petite-specific mutations in nuclear and mitochondrially-encoded genes. Consistent with dual-RNAseq data, petite C . glabrata cells did not replicate inside host macrophages and were outcompeted by their non-petite parents in macrophages and in gut colonization and systemic infection mouse models. The intracellular petites showed hallmarks of drug tolerance and were relatively insensitive to the fungicidal activity of echinocandin drugs. Petite-infected macrophages exhibited a pro-inflammatory and type I IFN-skewed transcriptional program. Interrogation of international C . glabrata blood isolates ( n =1000) showed that petite prevalence varies by country, albeit at an overall low prevalence (0-3.5%). Collectively, our study sheds new light on the genetic basis, drug susceptibility, clinical prevalence, and host-pathogen responses of a clinically overlooked phenotype in a major fungal pathogen. Importance Candida glabrata is a major fungal pathogen, which is able to lose mitochondria and form small and slow-growing colonies, called "petite". This attenuated growth rate has created controversies and questioned the clinical importance of petiteness. Herein, we have employed multiple omicstechnologies and in vivo mouse models to critically assess the clinical importance of petite phenotype. Our WGS identifies multiple genes potentially underpinning petite phenotype. Interestingly, petite C. glabrata cells engulfed by macrophages are dormant and therefore are not killed by the frontline antifungal drugs. Interestingly, macrophages infected with petite cells mount distinct transcriptomic responses. Consistent with our ex-vivo observations, mitochondrial-proficient parental strains outcompete petites during systemic and gut colonization. Retrospective examination of C. glabrata isolates identified petite prevalence a rare entity, can significantly vary from country to country. Collectively, our study overcomes the existing controversies and provides novel insights regarding the clinical relevance of petite C. glabrata isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Farnaz Daneshnia
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114 USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam1012 WX, The Netherlands
| | - Hrant Hovhannisyan
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Diego Fuentes
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nathaly Cabrera
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | | | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | - Nevzat Ünal
- Division of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey
| | | | - Kauser Jabeen
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sadaf Zaka
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jigar V. Desai
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | | | - Erika Shor
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - Toni Gabaldon
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - David S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington DC 20057, USA
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14
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Wu H, Wang L, Wang W, Shao Z, Jia X, Xiao H, Chen J. The secretory Candida effector Sce1 licenses fungal virulence by masking the immunogenic β-1,3-glucan and promoting apoptosis of the host cells. MLIFE 2023; 2:159-177. [PMID: 38817625 PMCID: PMC10989805 DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.12066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Candida albicans deploys a variety of mechanisms such as morphological switch and elicitor release to promote virulence. However, the intricate interactions between the fungus and the host remain poorly understood, and a comprehensive inventory of fungal virulence factors has yet to be established. In this study, we identified a C. albicans secretory effector protein Sce1, whose induction and secretion are associated with vagina-simulative conditions and chlamydospore formation. Sequence alignment showed that Sce1 belongs to a Pir family in C. albicans, which is conserved across several fungi and primarily characterized as a β-glucan binding protein in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mechanically, Sce1 is primarily localized to the cell wall in a cleaved form as an alkali-labile β-1,3-glucan binding protein and plays a role in masking β-glucan in acidic environments and chlamydospores, a feature that might underline C. albicans' ability to evade host immunity. Further, a cleaved short form of Sce1 protein could be released into extracellular compartments and presented in bone marrow-derived macrophages infected with chlamydospores. This cleaved short form of Sce1 also demonstrated a unique ability to trigger the caspases-8/9-dependent apoptosis in various host cells. Correspondingly, genetic deletion of SCE1 led to dampened vaginal colonization of C. albicans and diminished fungal virulence during systemic infection. The discovery of Sce1 as a versatile virulence effector that executes at various compartments sheds light on the fungus-host interactions and C. albicans pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Li Wang
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- Clinical Medicine Scientific and Technical Innovation Center, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Wenjuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Zhugui Shao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity of Shandong Province and Department of Immunology, School of Biomedical SciencesShandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Xin‐Ming Jia
- Clinical Medicine Scientific and Technical Innovation Center, Shanghai Tenth People's HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Hui Xiao
- The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
| | - Jiangye Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of SciencesUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghaiChina
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15
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Gaziano R, Sabbatini S, Monari C. The Interplay between Candida albicans, Vaginal Mucosa, Host Immunity and Resident Microbiota in Health and Disease: An Overview and Future Perspectives. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1211. [PMID: 37317186 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), which is primarily caused by Candida albicans, is an infection that affects up to 75% of all reproductive-age women worldwide. Recurrent VVC (RVVC) is defined as >3 episodes per year and affects nearly 8% of women globally. At mucosal sites of the vagina, a delicate and complex balance exists between Candida spp., host immunity and local microbial communities. In fact, both immune response and microbiota composition play a central role in counteracting overgrowth of the fungus and maintaining homeostasis in the host. If this balance is perturbed, the conditions may favor C. albicans overgrowth and the yeast-to-hyphal transition, predisposing the host to VVC. To date, the factors that affect the equilibrium between Candida spp. and the host and drive the transition from C. albicans commensalism to pathogenicity are not yet fully understood. Understanding the host- and fungus-related factors that drive VVC pathogenesis is of paramount importance for the development of adequate therapeutic interventions to combat this common genital infection. This review focuses on the latest advances in the pathogenic mechanisms implicated in the onset of VVC and also discusses novel potential strategies, with a special focus on the use of probiotics and vaginal microbiota transplantation in the treatment and/or prevention of recurrent VVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Gaziano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Samuele Sabbatini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Medical Microbiology Section, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Claudia Monari
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Medical Microbiology Section, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
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16
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Sala A, Ardizzoni A, Spaggiari L, Vaidya N, van der Schaaf J, Rizzato C, Cermelli C, Mogavero S, Krüger T, Himmel M, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA, King BL, Lupetti A, Comar M, de Seta F, Tavanti A, Blasi E, Wheeler RT, Pericolini E. A New Phenotype in Candida-Epithelial Cell Interaction Distinguishes Colonization- versus Vulvovaginal Candidiasis-Associated Strains. mBio 2023; 14:e0010723. [PMID: 36856418 PMCID: PMC10128025 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00107-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects nearly 3/4 of women during their lifetime, and its symptoms seriously reduce quality of life. Although Candida albicans is a common commensal, it is unknown if VVC results from a switch from a commensal to pathogenic state, if only some strains can cause VVC, and/or if there is displacement of commensal strains with more pathogenic strains. We studied a set of VVC and colonizing C. albicans strains to identify consistent in vitro phenotypes associated with one group or the other. We find that the strains do not differ in overall genetic profile or behavior in culture media (i.e., multilocus sequence type [MLST] profile, rate of growth, and filamentation), but they show strikingly different behaviors during their interactions with vaginal epithelial cells. Epithelial infections with VVC-derived strains yielded stronger fungal proliferation and shedding of fungi and epithelial cells. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of representative epithelial cell infections with selected pathogenic or commensal isolates identified several differentially activated epithelial signaling pathways, including the integrin, ferroptosis, and type I interferon pathways; the latter has been implicated in damage protection. Strikingly, inhibition of type I interferon signaling selectively increases fungal shedding of strains in the colonizing cohort, suggesting that increased shedding correlates with lower interferon pathway activation. These data suggest that VVC strains may intrinsically have enhanced pathogenic potential via differential elicitation of epithelial responses, including the type I interferon pathway. Therefore, it may eventually be possible to evaluate pathogenic potential in vitro to refine VVC diagnosis. IMPORTANCE Despite a high incidence of VVC, we still have a poor understanding of this female-specific disease whose negative impact on women's quality of life has become a public health issue. It is not yet possible to determine by genotype or laboratory phenotype if a given Candida albicans strain is more or less likely to cause VVC. Here, we show that Candida strains causing VVC induce more fungal shedding from epithelial cells than strains from healthy women. This effect is also accompanied by increased epithelial cell detachment and differential activation of the type I interferon pathway. These distinguishing phenotypes suggest it may be possible to evaluate the VVC pathogenic potential of fungal isolates. This would permit more targeted antifungal treatments to spare commensals and could allow for displacement of pathogenic strains with nonpathogenic colonizers. We expect these new assays to provide a more targeted tool for identifying fungal virulence factors and epithelial responses that control fungal vaginitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Sala
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Andrea Ardizzoni
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Luca Spaggiari
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Nikhil Vaidya
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Jane van der Schaaf
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Cosmeri Rizzato
- Department of Translational Research and of New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudio Cermelli
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Selene Mogavero
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Maximilian Himmel
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Benjamin L. King
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Antonella Lupetti
- Department of Translational Research and of New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Manola Comar
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Francesco de Seta
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Elisabetta Blasi
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Robert T. Wheeler
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Eva Pericolini
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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Waguia Kontchou C, Häcker G. Role of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization during bacterial infection. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 374:83-127. [PMID: 36858657 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2022.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Beyond the initial 'powerhouse' view, mitochondria have numerous functions in their mammalian cell and contribute to many physiological processes, and many of these we understand only partially. The control of apoptosis by mitochondria is firmly established. Many questions remain however how this function is embedded into physiology, and how other signaling pathways regulate mitochondrial apoptosis; the interplay of bacteria with the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway is one such example. The outer mitochondrial membrane regulates both import into mitochondria and the release of intermembrane, and in some situations also matrix components from mitochondria, and these mitochondrial components can have signaling function in the cytosol. One function is the induction of apoptotic cell death. An exciting, more recently discovered function is the regulation of inflammation. Mitochondrial molecules, both proteins and nucleic acids, have inflammatory activity when released from mitochondria, an activity whose regulation is intertwined with the activation of apoptotic caspases. Bacterial infection can have more general effects on mitochondrial apoptosis-regulation, through effects on host transcription and other pathways, such as signals controlled by pattern recognition. Some specialized bacteria have products that more specifically regulate signaling to the outer mitochondrial membrane, and to apoptosis; both pro- and anti-apoptotic mechanisms have been reported. Among the intriguing recent findings in this area are signaling contributions of porins and the sub-lethal release of intermembrane constituents. We will here review the literature and place the new developments into the established context of mitochondrial signaling during the contact of bacterial pathogens with human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collins Waguia Kontchou
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Georg Häcker
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg, Germany; BIOSS Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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18
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Lange T, Kasper L, Gresnigt MS, Brunke S, Hube B. "Under Pressure" - How fungi evade, exploit, and modulate cells of the innate immune system. Semin Immunol 2023; 66:101738. [PMID: 36878023 PMCID: PMC10109127 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
The human immune system uses an arsenal of effector mechanisms to prevent and counteract infections. Yet, some fungal species are extremely successful as human pathogens, which can be attributed to a wide variety of strategies by which these fungi evade, exploit, and modulate the immune system. These fungal pathogens normally are either harmless commensals or environmental fungi. In this review we discuss how commensalism, but also life in an environmental niche without human contact, can drive the evolution of diverse and specialized immune evasion mechanisms. Correspondingly, we discuss the mechanisms contributing to the ability of these fungi to cause superficial to life-threatening infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Lange
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Mark S Gresnigt
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
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19
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Hovhannisyan H, Rodríguez A, Saus E, Vaneechoutte M, Gabaldón T. Multiplexed target enrichment of coding and non-coding transcriptomes enables studying Candida spp. infections from human derived samples. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1093178. [PMID: 36761895 PMCID: PMC9902369 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1093178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of transcriptomic interactions between host and pathogens in in vivo conditions is challenged by the low relative amounts of the pathogen RNA. Yeast opportunistic pathogens of the genus Candida can cause life-threatening systemic infections in immunocompromised patients, and are of growing medical concern. Four phylogenetically diverse species account for over 90% of Candida infections, and their specific interactions with various human tissues are still poorly understood. To enable in vivo transcriptomic analysis in these species, we designed and validated pan-Candida target capture probes to enrich protein-coding and non-coding transcriptomes. The probe-based enrichment approach outperformed enrichment based on differential lysis of host cells, and showed similar enrichment performance as an existing capture design, yet achieving better fidelity of expression levels, enabling species multiplexing and capturing of lncRNAs. In addition, we show that our probe-based enrichment strategy allows robust genotype-based identification of the infecting strain present in the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hrant Hovhannisyan
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain,Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ester Saus
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain,Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mario Vaneechoutte
- Laboratory Bacteriology Research, Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain,Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain,Department of Biomedicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain,*Correspondence: Toni Gabaldón,
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20
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Ilacqua N, Anastasia I, Aloshyn D, Ghandehari-Alavijeh R, Peluso EA, Brearley-Sholto MC, Pellegrini LV, Raimondi A, de Aguiar Vallim TQ, Pellegrini L. Expression of Synj2bp in mouse liver regulates the extent of wrappER-mitochondria contact to maintain hepatic lipid homeostasis. Biol Direct 2022; 17:37. [PMID: 36457006 PMCID: PMC9717519 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-022-00344-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In mouse liver hepatocytes, nearly half of the surface area of every mitochondrion is covered by wrappER, a wrapping-type of ER that is rich in fatty acids and synthesizes lipoproteins (VLDL) (Anastasia et al. in Cell Rep 34:108873, 2021; Hurtley in Science (80- ) 372:142-143, 2021; Ilacqua et al. in J Cell Sci 135:1-11, 2021). A disruption of the ultrastructure of the wrappER-mitochondria contact results in altered fatty acid flux, leading to hepatic dyslipidemia (Anastasia et al. 2021). The molecular mechanism that regulates the extent of wrappER-mitochondria contacts is unknown. METHODS We evaluated the expression level of the mitochondrial protein Synj2bp in the liver of normal and obese (ob/ob) mice. In addition, we silenced its expression in the liver using an AAV8 vector. We coupled quantitative EM morphometric analysis to proteomics and lipid analyses on these livers. RESULTS The expression level of Synj2bp in the liver positively correlates with the extent of wrappER-mitochondria contacts. A 50% reduction in wrappER-mitochondria contacts causes hepatic dyslipidemia, characterized by a gross accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver, an increased hepatic secretion of VLDL and triglycerides, a curtailed ApoE expression, and an increased capacity of mitochondrial fatty acid respiration. CONCLUSION Synj2bp regulates the extent of wrappER-mitochondria contacts in the liver, thus contributing to the control of hepatic lipid flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolò Ilacqua
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada.,Mitochondria Biology Laboratory, Brain Research Center, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Irene Anastasia
- Mitochondria Biology Laboratory, Brain Research Center, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Danylo Aloshyn
- Mitochondria Biology Laboratory, Brain Research Center, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Emily Ann Peluso
- Departments of Medicine/Cardiology and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Leonardo V Pellegrini
- Mitochondria Biology Laboratory, Brain Research Center, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Andrea Raimondi
- Experimental Imaging Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Thomas Q de Aguiar Vallim
- Departments of Medicine/Cardiology and Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Luca Pellegrini
- Mitochondria Biology Laboratory, Brain Research Center, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada. .,Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec, QC, Canada.
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21
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Progranulin aggravates lethal Candida albicans sepsis by regulating inflammatory response and antifungal immunity. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010873. [PMID: 36121866 PMCID: PMC9521894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most frequent pathogen of fungal sepsis associated with substantial mortality in critically ill patients and those who are immunocompromised. Identification of novel immune-based therapeutic targets from a better understanding of its molecular pathogenesis is required. Here, we reported that the production of progranulin (PGRN) levels was significantly increased in mice after invasive C.albicans infection. Mice that lacked PGRN exhibited attenuated kidney injury and increased survival upon a lethal systemic infection with C. albicans. In mice, PGRN deficiency protected against systemic candidiasis by decreasing aberrant inflammatory reactions that led to renal immune cell apoptosis and kidney injury, and by enhancing antifungal capacity of macrophages and neutrophils that limited fungal burden in the kidneys. PGRN in hematopoietic cell compartment was important for this effect. Moreover, anti-PGRN antibody treatment limited renal inflammation and fungal burden and prolonged survival after invasive C. albicans infection. In vitro, PGRN loss increased phagocytosis, phagosome formation, reactive oxygen species production, neutrophil extracellular traps release, and killing activity in macrophages or neutrophils. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that PGRN loss up-regulated Dectin-2 expression, and enhanced spleen tyrosine kinase phosphorylation and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation in macrophages and neutrophils. In summary, we identified PGRN as a critical factor that contributes to the immunopathology of invasive C.albicans infection, suggesting that targeting PGRN might serve as a novel treatment for fungal infection.
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22
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Daneshnia F, de Almeida Júnior JN, Arastehfar A, Lombardi L, Shor E, Moreno L, Mendes AV, Barberino MG, Yamamoto DT, Butler G, Perlin DS, Colombo AL. Determinants of fluconazole resistance and echinocandin tolerance in C. parapsilosis isolates causing a large clonal candidemia outbreak among COVID-19 patients in a Brazilian ICU. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:2264-2274. [PMID: 36066554 PMCID: PMC9542950 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2117093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Patients presenting with severe COVID-19 are predisposed to acquire secondary fungal infections such as COVID-19-associated candidemia (CAC), which are associated with poor clinical outcomes despite antifungal treatment. The extreme burden imposed on clinical facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a permissive environment for the emergence of clonal outbreaks of multiple Candida species, including C. auris and C. parapsilosis. Here we report the largest clonal CAC outbreak to date caused by fluconazole resistant (FLZR) and echinocandin tolerant (ECT) C. parapsilosis. Sixty C. parapsilosis strains were obtained from 57 patients at a tertiary care hospital in Brazil, 90% of them were FLZR and ECT. Although only 35.8% of FLZR isolates contained an ERG11 mutation, all of them contained the TAC1L518F mutation and significantly overexpressed CDR1. Introduction of TAC1L518F into a susceptible background increased the MIC of fluconazole and voriconazole 8-fold and resulted in significant basal overexpression of CDR1. Additionally, FLZR isolates exclusively harbored E1939G outside of Fks1 hotspot-2, which did not confer echinocandin resistance, but significantly increased ECT. Multilocus microsatellite typing showed that 51/60 (85%) of the FLZR isolates belonged to the same cluster, while the susceptible isolates each represented a distinct lineage. Finally, biofilm production in FLZR isolates was significantly lower than in susceptible counterparts Suggesting that it may not be an outbreak determinant. In summary, we show that TAC1L518F and FKS1E1393G confer FLZR and ECT, respectively, in CAC-associated C. parapsilosis. Our study underscores the importance of antifungal stewardship and effective infection control strategies to mitigate clonal C. parapsilosis outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Daneshnia
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - João N de Almeida Júnior
- Special Mycology Laboratory, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.,Clinical Laboratory, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amir Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA
| | - Lisa Lombardi
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Erika Shor
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA.,Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley NJ 07710, USA
| | - Lis Moreno
- Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil.,Instituto D'OR de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR)
| | - Ana Verena Mendes
- Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Brazil.,Instituto D'OR de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR)
| | | | | | - Geraldine Butler
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David S Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ 07110, USA.,Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley NJ 07710, USA.,Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington DC 20057, USA
| | - Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
- Special Mycology Laboratory, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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23
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Matzaraki V, Beno A, Jaeger M, Gresnigt MS, Keur N, Boahen C, Cunha C, Gonçalves SM, Leite L, Lacerda JF, Campos A, van de Veerdonk FL, Joosten L, Netea MG, Carvalho A, Kumar V. Genetic determinants of fungi-induced ROS production are associated with the risk of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Redox Biol 2022; 55:102391. [PMID: 35834984 PMCID: PMC9283926 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are an essential component of the host defense against fungal infections. However, little is known about how common genetic variation affects ROS-mediated antifungal host defense. In the present study, we investigated the genetic factors that regulate ROS production capacity in response to the two human fungal pathogens: Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. We investigated fungal-stimulated ROS production by immune cells isolated from a population-based cohort of approximately 200 healthy individuals (200FG cohort), and mapped ROS-quantitative trait loci (QTLs). We identified several genetic loci that regulate ROS levels (P < 9.99 × 10-6), with some of these loci being pathogen-specific, and others shared between the two fungi. These ROS-QTLs were investigated for their influence on the risk of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in a disease relevant context. We stratified hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) recipients based on the donor's SNP genotype and tested their impact on the risk of IPA. We identified rs4685368 as a ROS-QTL locus that was significantly associated with an increased risk of IPA after controlling for patient age and sex, hematological malignancy, type of transplantation, conditioning regimen, acute graft-versus-host-disease grades III-IV, and antifungal prophylaxis. Collectively, this data provides evidence that common genetic variation can influence ROS production capacity, and, importantly, the risk of developing IPA among HSCT recipients. This evidence warrants further research for patient stratification based on the genetic profiling that would allow the identifications of patients at high-risk for an invasive fungal infection, and who would benefit the most from a preventive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Matzaraki
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands.
| | - Alexandra Beno
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Martin Jaeger
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Mark S Gresnigt
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Nick Keur
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Collins Boahen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - Samuel M Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - Luis Leite
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea (STMO), Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - João F Lacerda
- Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António Campos
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea (STMO), Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Frank L van de Veerdonk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Leo Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands; Department for Genomics & Immunoregulation, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, 6525 HP, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Genetics, Groningen, 9700RB, the Netherlands; Nitte (Deemed to be University), Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research (NUCSER), Medical Sciences Complex, Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575018, India
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24
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Liu NN, Zhao X, Tan JC, Liu S, Li BW, Xu WX, Peng L, Gu P, Li W, Shapiro R, Zheng X, Zhao W, Jiang YG, Chen D, Xu D, Wang H. Mycobiome Dysbiosis in Women with Intrauterine Adhesions. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0132422. [PMID: 35730962 PMCID: PMC9431258 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01324-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The vaginal microbiota dysbiosis is closely associated with the development of reproductive diseases. However, the contribution of mycobiome to intrauterine adhesion (IUA) disease remains unknown. Harnessing 16S and ITS2 rDNA sequencing analysis, we investigate both bacterial and fungal microbiota compositions across 174 samples taken from both cervical canal (CC) and middle vagina (MV) sites of IUA patients. Overall, there is no significant difference in microbial diversity between healthy subjects (HS) and IUA patients. However, we observe the IUA-specific bacterial alterations such as increased Dialister and decreased Bifidobacterium and enriched fungal genera like increased Filobasidium and Exophiala. Moreover, site-specific fungal-bacterial correlation networks are discovered in both CC and MV samples of IUA patients. Mechanistic investigation shows that Candida parapsilosis, other than Candida albicans and Candida maltosa, prevents the exacerbation of inflammatory activities and fibrosis, and modulates bacterial microbiota during IUA progression in a rat model of IUA. Our study thus highlights the importance of mycobiota in IUA progression, which may facilitate the development of therapeutic target for IUA prevention. IMPORTANCE Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) often leads to hypomenorrhea, amenorrhea, repeat miscarriages, and infertility. It has been prevalent over the last few decades in up to 13% of women who experience pregnancy termination during the first trimester, and 30% of women undergo dilation and curettage after a late, spontaneous abortion. However, the pathogenesis of IUA remains unclear. Despite reports of microbiota dysbiosis during IUA progression, there is little information on the effect of fungal microbiota on the development of IUA. This study not only enhances our understanding of the mycobiome in IUA patients but also provides potential intervention strategies for prevention of IUA by targeting mycobiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning-Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingping Zhao
- Department of Gynecology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing-Cong Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Sheng Liu
- School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bo-Wen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wan-Xing Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Peng
- National Engineering and Research Center of Human Stem Cell, Guangxiu Hospital Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Pan Gu
- Department of Gynecology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Waixing Li
- Department of Gynecology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Rebecca Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoqi Zheng
- Department of Mathematics, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi-Guo Jiang
- The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dan Chen
- The Third Hospital Affiliated to the Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dabao Xu
- Department of Gynecology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Center for Single-Cell Omics, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Type I interferons during host–fungus interactions: Is antifungal immunity going viral? PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010740. [PMID: 36006878 PMCID: PMC9409562 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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26
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Daneshnia F, Hilmioğlu Polat S, Ilkit M, Shor E, de Almeida Júnior JN, Favarello LM, Colombo AL, Arastehfar A, Perlin DS. Determinants of fluconazole resistance and the efficacy of fluconazole and milbemycin oxim combination against Candida parapsilosis clinical isolates from Brazil and Turkey. FRONTIERS IN FUNGAL BIOLOGY 2022; 3:906681. [PMID: 37746198 PMCID: PMC10512262 DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.906681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Fluconazole-resistant Candida parapsilosis (FLZR-CP) outbreaks are a growing public health concern and have been reported in numerous countries. Patients infected with FLZR-CP isolates show fluconazole therapeutic failure and have a significantly increased mortality rate. Because fluconazole is the most widely used antifungal agent in most regions with outbreaks, it is paramount to restore its antifungal activity. Milbemycin oxim (MOX), a well-known canine endectocide, is a potent efflux pump inhibitor that significantly potentiates the activity of fluconazole against FLZR C. glabrata and C. albicans. However, the FLZ-MOX combination has not been tested against FLZR-CP isolates, nor is it known whether MOX may also potentiate the activity of echinocandins, a different class of antifungal drugs. Furthermore, the extent of involvement of efflux pumps CDR1 and MDR1 and ergosterol biosynthesis enzyme ERG11 and their link with gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in their transcription regulators (TAC1, MRR1, and UPC2) are poorly characterized among FLZR-CP isolates. We analyzed 25 C. parapsilosis isolates collected from outbreaks in Turkey and Brazil by determining the expression levels of CDR1, MDR1, and ERG11, examining the presence of potential GOF mutations in their transcriptional regulators, and assessing the antifungal activity of FLZ-MOX and micafungin-MOX against FLZR and multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. parapsilosis isolates. ERG11 was found to be universally induced by fluconazole in all isolates, while expression of MDR1 was unchanged. Whereas mutations in MRR1 and UPC2 were not detected, CDR1 was overexpressed in three Brazilian FLZR-CP isolates, which also carried a novel TAC1L518F mutation. Of these three isolates, one showed increased basal expression of CDR1, while the other two overexpressed CDR1 only in the presence of fluconazole. Interestingly, MOX showed promising antifungal activity against FLZR isolates, reducing the FLZ MIC 8- to 32-fold. However, the MOX and micafungin combination did not exert activity against an MDR C. parapsilosis isolate. Collectively, our study documents that the mechanisms underpinning FLZR are region specific, where ERG11 mutations were the sole mechanism of FLZR in Turkish FLZR-CP isolates, while simultaneous overexpression of CDR1 was observed in some Brazilian counterparts. Moreover, MOX and fluconazole showed potent synergistic activity, while the MOX-micafungin combination showed no synergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Daneshnia
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, United States
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Macit Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Erika Shor
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, United States
- Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ, United States
| | - João Nobrega de Almeida Júnior
- Laboratorio de Micologia Medica (LIM 53), Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratório Central (LIM 03), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa M. Favarello
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Amir Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, United States
| | - David S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, United States
- Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, NJ, United States
- Georgetown University Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC, United States
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27
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Schrevens S, Durandau E, Tran VDT, Sanglard D. Using in vivo transcriptomics and RNA enrichment to identify genes involved in virulence of Candida glabrata. Virulence 2022; 13:1285-1303. [PMID: 35795910 PMCID: PMC9348041 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2095716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida species are the most commonly isolated opportunistic fungal pathogens in humans. Candida albicans causes most of the diagnosed infections, closely followed by Candida glabrata. C. albicans is well studied, and many genes have been shown to be important for infection and colonization of the host. It is however less clear how C. glabrata infects the host. With the help of fungal RNA enrichment, we here investigated for the first time the transcriptomic profile of C. glabrata during urinary tract infection (UTI) in mice. In the UTI model, bladders and kidneys are major target organs and therefore fungal transcriptomes were addressed in these organs. Our results showed that, next to adhesins and proteases, nitrogen metabolism and regulation play a vital role during C. glabrata UTI. Genes involved in nitrogen metabolism were upregulated and among them we show that DUR1,2 (urea amidolyase) and GAP1 (amino acid permease) were important for virulence. Furthermore, we confirmed the importance of the glyoxylate cycle in the host and identified MLS1 (malate synthase) as an important gene necessary for C. glabrata virulence. In conclusion, our study shows with the support of in vivo transcriptomics how C. glabrata adapts to host conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Schrevens
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eric Durandau
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Van Du T Tran
- Vital-IT Group, SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Sanglard
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, CH-1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
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28
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Zhang J, Peng J, Li D, Mei H, Yu Y, Li X, She X, Liu W. Divergent EGFR/MAPK-Mediated Immune Responses to Clinical Candida Pathogens in Vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:894069. [PMID: 35720274 PMCID: PMC9204526 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.894069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is characterized by symptomatic inflammatory responses in the vagina caused by Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida (NAC) species. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway has been linked to immune responses of oral mucosa after C. albicans exposure, but whether this pathway plays a similar response in vaginal epithelial cells is not known. Here, we observed that phosphorylation of EGFR and p38 was continuously activated in vaginal epithelial cells by C. albicans strain SC5314. This differs markedly from oral epithelial cells, which respond in a biphasic manner in order to properly discriminate the morphology of C. albicans. When compared with SC5314, a highly azole-resistant C. albicans isolate 1052 can induce a stronger phosphorylated signal of EGFR and p38, while clinically-isolated NAC strains including C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. auris trigger higher levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and c-Fos than C. albicans. Inhibition of EGFR significantly reduces inflammatory response and epithelial damage induced by C. albicans both in vitro and in vivo, while inhibition of p38 leads to significant repair of epithelial damage triggered by both C. albicans and NAC species. These results confirm the importance of the EGFR-MAPK signaling in VVC pathogenesis and highlight the remarkable immunogenic differences between C. albicans and NAC species in host-microbe interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyun Zhang
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingwen Peng
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Huan Mei
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China
| | - Yu Yu
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaofang Li
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaodong She
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China
| | - Weida Liu
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Nanjing, China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Nanjing, China.,Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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29
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Mohankumar B, Shandil R, Narayanan S, Krishnan UM. Vaginosis: Advances in new therapeutic development and microbiome restoration. Microb Pathog 2022; 168:105606. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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30
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Allert S, Schulz D, Kämmer P, Großmann P, Wolf T, Schäuble S, Panagiotou G, Brunke S, Hube B. From environmental adaptation to host survival: Attributes that mediate pathogenicity of Candida auris. Virulence 2022; 13:191-214. [PMID: 35142597 PMCID: PMC8837256 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2026037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida species are a major cause of invasive fungal infections. While Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis are the most dominant species causing life-threatening candidiasis, C. auris recently emerged as a new species causing invasive infections with high rates of clinical treatment failures. To mimic initial phases of systemic Candida infections with dissemination via the bloodstream and to elucidate the pathogenic potential of C. auris, we used an ex vivo whole blood infection model. Similar to other clinically relevant Candida spp., C. auris is efficiently killed in human blood, but showed characteristic patterns of immune cell association, survival rates, and cytokine induction. Dual-species transcriptional profiling of C. auris-infected blood revealed a unique C. auris gene expression program during infection, while the host response proofed similar and conserved compared to other Candida species. C. auris-specific responses included adaptation and survival strategies, such as counteracting oxidative burst of immune cells, but also expression of potential virulence factors, (drug) transporters, and cell surface-associated genes. Despite comparable pathogenicity to other Candida species in our model, C. auris-specific transcriptional adaptations as well as its increased stress resistance and long-term environmental survival, likely contribute to the high risk of contamination and distribution in a nosocomial setting. Moreover, infections of neutrophils with pre-starved C. auris cells suggest that environmental preconditioning can have modulatory effects on the early host interaction. In summary, we present novel insights into C. auris pathogenicity, revealing adaptations to human blood and environmental niches distinctive from other Candida species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Allert
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Daniela Schulz
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Philipp Kämmer
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Großmann
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolf
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Schäuble
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics Unit, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany
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31
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Role of Cellular Metabolism during Candida-Host Interactions. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020184. [PMID: 35215128 PMCID: PMC8875223 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Microscopic fungi are widely present in the environment and, more importantly, are also an essential part of the human healthy mycobiota. However, many species can become pathogenic under certain circumstances, with Candida spp. being the most clinically relevant fungi. In recent years, the importance of metabolism and nutrient availability for fungi-host interactions have been highlighted. Upon activation, immune and other host cells reshape their metabolism to fulfil the energy-demanding process of generating an immune response. This includes macrophage upregulation of glucose uptake and processing via aerobic glycolysis. On the other side, Candida modulates its metabolic pathways to adapt to the usually hostile environment in the host, such as the lumen of phagolysosomes. Further understanding on metabolic interactions between host and fungal cells would potentially lead to novel/enhanced antifungal therapies to fight these infections. Therefore, this review paper focuses on how cellular metabolism, of both host cells and Candida, and the nutritional environment impact on the interplay between host and fungal cells.
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32
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Emergence and evolution of virulence in human pathogenic fungi. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:693-704. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Abstract
Candida albicans is a commensal yeast fungus of the human oral, gastrointestinal, and genital mucosal surfaces, and skin. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis, iatrogenic immunosuppression, and/or medical interventions that impair the integrity of the mucocutaneous barrier and/or perturb protective host defense mechanisms enable C. albicans to become an opportunistic pathogen and cause debilitating mucocutaneous disease and/or life-threatening systemic infections. In this review, we synthesize our current knowledge of the tissue-specific determinants of C. albicans pathogenicity and host immune defense mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Pedro Lopes
- From the Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michail S Lionakis
- From the Fungal Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Bethesda, MD, USA
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Host Lung Environment Limits Aspergillus fumigatus Germination through an SskA-Dependent Signaling Response. mSphere 2021; 6:e0092221. [PMID: 34878292 PMCID: PMC8653827 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00922-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus isolates display significant heterogeneity in growth, virulence, pathology, and inflammatory potential in multiple murine models of invasive aspergillosis. Previous studies have linked the initial germination of a fungal isolate in the airways to the inflammatory and pathological potential, but the mechanism(s) regulating A. fumigatus germination in the airways is unresolved. To explore the genetic basis for divergent germination phenotypes, we utilized a serial passaging strategy in which we cultured a slow germinating strain (AF293) in a murine-lung-based medium for multiple generations. Through this serial passaging approach, a strain emerged with an increased germination rate that induces more inflammation than the parental strain (herein named LH-EVOL for lung homogenate evolved). We identified a potential loss-of-function allele of Afu5g08390 (sskA) in the LH-EVOL strain. The LH-EVOL strain had a decreased ability to induce the SakA-dependent stress pathway, similar to AF293 ΔsskA and CEA10. In support of the whole-genome variant analyses, sskA, sakA, or mpkC loss-of-function strains in the AF293 parental strain increased germination both in vitro and in vivo. Since the airway surface liquid of the lungs contains low glucose levels, the relationship of low glucose concentration on germination of these mutant AF293 strains was examined; interestingly, in low glucose conditions, the sakA pathway mutants exhibited an enhanced germination rate. In conclusion, A. fumigatus germination in the airways is regulated by SskA through the SakA mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and drives enhanced disease initiation and inflammation in the lungs. IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus is an important human fungal pathogen particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Initiation of growth by A. fumigatus in the lung is important for its pathogenicity in murine models. However, our understanding of what regulates fungal germination in the lung environment is lacking. Through a serial passage experiment using lung-based medium, we identified a new strain of A. fumigatus that has increased germination potential and inflammation in the lungs. Using this serially passaged strain, we found it had a decreased ability to mediate signaling through the osmotic stress response pathway. This finding was confirmed using genetic null mutants demonstrating that the osmotic stress response pathway is critical for regulating growth in the murine lungs. Our results contribute to the understanding of A. fumigatus adaptation and growth in the host lung environment.
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35
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The long non-coding RNA landscape of Candida yeast pathogens. Nat Commun 2021; 12:7317. [PMID: 34916523 PMCID: PMC8677757 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27635-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute a poorly studied class of transcripts with emerging roles in key cellular processes. Despite efforts to characterize lncRNAs across a wide range of species, these molecules remain largely unexplored in most eukaryotic microbes, including yeast pathogens of the Candida clade. Here, we analyze thousands of publicly available sequencing datasets to infer and characterize the lncRNA repertoires of five major Candida pathogens: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida auris and Candida glabrata. Our results indicate that genomes of these species encode hundreds of lncRNAs that show levels of evolutionary constraint intermediate between those of intergenic genomic regions and protein-coding genes. Despite their low sequence conservation across the studied species, some lncRNAs are syntenic and are enriched in shared sequence motifs. We find co-expression of lncRNAs with certain protein-coding transcripts, hinting at potential functional associations. Finally, we identify lncRNAs that are differentially expressed during infection of human epithelial cells for four of the studied species. Our comprehensive bioinformatic analyses of Candida lncRNAs pave the way for future functional characterization of these transcripts. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play roles in key cellular processes, but remain largely unexplored in fungal pathogens such as Candida. Here, Hovhannisyan and Gabaldón analyze thousands of sequencing datasets to infer and characterize the lncRNA repertoires of five Candida species, paving the way for their future functional characterization.
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36
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2021 in review. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:1467-1468. [PMID: 34819639 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-01016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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37
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Pekmezovic M, Kaune AK, Austermeier S, Hitzler SUJ, Mogavero S, Hovhannisyan H, Gabaldón T, Gresnigt MS, Hube B. Human albumin enhances the pathogenic potential of Candida glabrata on vaginal epithelial cells. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010037. [PMID: 34710198 PMCID: PMC8577789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Candida glabrata is the second most frequent causative agent of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), a disease that affects 70–75% of women at least once during their life. However, C. glabrata is almost avirulent in mice and normally incapable of inflicting damage to vaginal epithelial cells in vitro. We thus proposed that host factors present in vivo may influence C. glabrata pathogenicity. We, therefore, analyzed the impact of albumin, one of the most abundant proteins of the vaginal fluid. The presence of human, but not murine, albumin dramatically increased the potential of C. glabrata to damage vaginal epithelial cells. This effect depended on macropinocytosis-mediated epithelial uptake of albumin and subsequent proteolytic processing. The enhanced pathogenicity of C. glabrata can be explained by a combination of beneficial effects for the fungus, which includes an increased access to iron, accelerated growth, and increased adhesion. Screening of C. glabrata deletion mutants revealed that Hap5, a key regulator of iron homeostasis, is essential for the albumin-augmented damage potential. The albumin-augmented pathogenicity was reversed by the addition of iron chelators and a similar increase in pathogenicity was shown by increasing the iron availability, confirming a key role of iron. Accelerated growth not only led to higher cell numbers, but also to increased fungal metabolic activity and oxidative stress resistance. Finally, the albumin-driven enhanced damage potential was associated with the expression of distinct C. glabrata virulence genes. Transcriptional responses of the epithelial cells suggested an unfolded protein response (UPR) and ER-stress responses combined with glucose starvation induced by fast growing C. glabrata cells as potential mechanisms by which cytotoxicity is mediated.Collectively, we demonstrate that albumin augments the pathogenic potential of C. glabrata during interaction with vaginal epithelial cells. This suggests a role for albumin as a key player in the pathogenesis of VVC. Candida glabrata is the overall second causative species of candidiasis in humans, but little is known about the pathogenicity mechanisms of this yeast. C. glabrata is capable of causing lethal systemic candidiasis mostly in elderly immunocompromised patients, but is also a frequent cause of vulvovaginal candidiasis. These clinical insights suggest that C. glabrata has a high virulence potential, yet little pathogenicity is observed in both in vitro and in vivo infection models. The finding that human albumin, the most abundant protein in the human body, is boosting C. glabrata pathogenicity in vitro provides novel insights into C. glabrata pathogenicity mechanisms and shows that the presence of distinct human factors can have a significant influence on the virulence potential of a pathogenic microbe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Pekmezovic
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristin Kaune
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sophie Austermeier
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sophia U. J. Hitzler
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Selene Mogavero
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Hrant Hovhannisyan
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Department, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark S. Gresnigt
- Junior Research Group Adaptive Pathogenicity Strategies, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail: (MSG); (BH)
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- * E-mail: (MSG); (BH)
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Abstract
While extremely prevalent, painful, and difficult to treat, vulvovaginal candidiasis remains largely understudied in the field of women's health. In a recent issue of mSystems, McKloud et al. (E. McKloud, C. Delaney, L. Sherry, R. Kean, et al., mSystems 6:e00622-21, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00622-21) shed light on a pivotal role of a complex Candida-Lactobacillus interplay that may regulate the pathophysiology of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC). This advancement not only gives new insight into the molecular mechanisms governing interkingdom interactions modulating RVVC disease, but also provides evidence that probiotic Lactobacillus-based therapeutic approaches could be efficient for fighting these problematical fungal infections.
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39
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The network interplay of interferon and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways in the anti-Candida immune response. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20281. [PMID: 34645905 PMCID: PMC8514550 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99838-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections represent a major global health problem affecting over a billion people that kills more than 1.5 million annually. In this study, we employed an integrative approach to reveal the landscape of the human immune responses to Candida spp. through meta-analysis of microarray, bulk, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data for the blood transcriptome. We identified across these different studies a consistent interconnected network interplay of signaling molecules involved in both Toll-like receptor (TLR) and interferon (IFN) signaling cascades that is activated in response to different Candida species (C. albicans, C. auris, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis, and C. tropicalis). Among these molecules are several types I IFN, indicating an overlap with antiviral immune responses. scRNA-seq data confirmed that genes commonly identified by the three transcriptomic methods show cell type-specific expression patterns in various innate and adaptive immune cells. These findings shed new light on the anti-Candida immune response, providing putative molecular pathways for therapeutic intervention.
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40
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Osman M, Papon N. Smoking-aggravated oral candidiasis: Nrf2 pathway dampens NLRP3 inflammasome. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:9473-9475. [PMID: 34486221 PMCID: PMC8500950 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While cigarette smoke compounds are known to have immunosuppressive effects on the oral mucosa, the relationship between in vivo immune dysfunction caused by smoking and the development of oral Candida infections remains largely unexplored. In a recent issue of The Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Ye and colleagues provide evidence that smoking increases oral mucosa susceptibility to Candida albicans infection via the activation of the Nrf2 pathway, which in turn negatively regulates the NLRP3 inflammasome. This opens new perspective in considering Nrf2 as a relevant target for smoking‐induced C. albicans‐related oral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Osman
- Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon.,Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Nicolas Papon
- GEIHP, SFR ICAT, University of Brest, University of Angers, Angers, France
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41
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Candida vaginitis: the importance of mitochondria and type I interferon signalling. Mucosal Immunol 2021; 14:975-977. [PMID: 34148070 DOI: 10.1038/s41385-021-00424-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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42
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Abstract
Despite the strikingly high worldwide prevalence of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), treatment options for recurrent VVC (RVVC) remain limited, with many women experiencing failed clinical treatment with frontline azoles. Further, the cause of onset and recurrence of disease is largely unknown, with few studies identifying potential mechanisms of treatment failure. This study aimed to assess a panel of clinical samples from healthy women and those with RVVC to investigate the influence of Candida, the vaginal microbiome, and how their interaction influences disease pathology. 16S rRNA sequencing characterized disease by a reduction in specific health-associated Lactobacillus species, such as Lactobacillus crispatus, coupled with an increase in Lactobacillus iners. In vitro analysis showed that Candida albicans clinical isolates are capable of heterogeneous biofilm formation, and we found the presence of hyphae and C. albicans aggregates in vaginal lavage fluid. Additionally, the ability of Lactobacillus to inhibit C. albicans biofilm formation and biofilm-related gene expression was demonstrated. Using RNA sequencing technology, we were able to identify a possible mechanism by which L. crispatus may contribute to re-establishing a healthy vaginal environment through amino acid acquisition from C. albicans. This study highlights the potential formation and impact of Candida biofilms in RVVC. Additionally, it suggests that RVVC is not entirely due to an arbitrary switch in C. albicans from commensal to pathogen and that understanding interactions between this yeast and vaginal Lactobacillus species may be crucial to elucidating the cause of RVVC and developing appropriate therapies. IMPORTANCE RVVC is a significant burden, both economically and for women's health, but its prevalence is poorly documented globally due to the levels of self-treatment. Identifying triggers for development and recurrence of VVC and the pathogenesis of the microbes involved could considerably improve prevention and treatment options for women with recurrent, azole-resistant cases. This study therefore aimed to examine the interkingdom dynamics from healthy women and those with RVVC using next-generation sequencing techniques and to further investigate the molecular interactions between C. albicans and L. crispatus in a relevant biofilm coculture system.
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43
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Ardizzoni A, Wheeler RT, Pericolini E. It Takes Two to Tango: How a Dysregulation of the Innate Immunity, Coupled With Candida Virulence, Triggers VVC Onset. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:692491. [PMID: 34163460 PMCID: PMC8215348 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.692491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is a symptomatic inflammation of the vagina mainly caused by C. albicans. Other species, such as C. parapsilosis, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei, are mainly associated to the recurrent form of the disease (RVVC), although with a lower frequency. In its yeast form, C. albicans is tolerated by the vaginal epithelium, but switching to the invasive hyphal form, co-regulated with the expression of genes encoding virulence factors such as secreted aspartyl proteases (Sap) and candidalysin, allows for tissue damage. Vaginal epithelial cells play an important role by impairing C. albicans tissue invasion through several mechanisms such as epithelial shedding, secretion of mucin and strong interepithelial cell connections. However, morphotype switching coupled to increasing of the fungal burden can overcome the tolerance threshold and trigger an intense inflammatory response. Pathological inflammation is believed to be facilitated by an altered vaginal microbiome, i.e., Lactobacillus dysbiosis. Notwithstanding the damage caused by the fungus itself, the host response to the fungus plays an important role in the onset of VVC, exacerbating fungal-mediated damage. This response can be triggered by host PRR-fungal PAMP interaction and other more complex mechanisms (i.e., Sap-mediated NLRP3 activation and candidalysin), ultimately leading to strong neutrophil recruitment. However, recruited neutrophils appear to be ineffective at reducing fungal burden and invasion; therefore, they seem to contribute more to the symptoms associated with vaginitis than to protection against the disease. Recently, two aspects of the vulvovaginal environment have been found to associate with VVC and induce neutrophil anergy in vitro: perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (pANCA) and heparan sulfate. Interestingly, CAGTA antibodies have also been found with higher frequency in VVC as compared to asymptomatic colonized women. This review highlights and discusses recent advances on understanding the VVC pathogenesis mechanisms as well as the role of host defenses during the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Ardizzoni
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Robert T Wheeler
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States.,Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States
| | - Eva Pericolini
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Dental and Morphological Sciences with Interest in Transplant, Oncological and Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Graduate School of Microbiology and Virology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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44
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Blagojevic M, Camilli G, Maxson M, Hube B, Moyes DL, Richardson JP, Naglik JR. Candidalysin triggers epithelial cellular stresses that induce necrotic death. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13371. [PMID: 34085369 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is a common opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes a wide range of infections from superficial mucosal to hematogenously disseminated candidiasis. The hyphal form plays an important role in the pathogenic process by invading epithelial cells and causing tissue damage. Notably, the secretion of the hyphal toxin candidalysin is essential for both epithelial cell damage and activation of mucosal immune responses. However, the mechanism of candidalysin-induced cell death remains unclear. Here, we examined the induction of cell death by candidalysin in oral epithelial cells. Fluorescent imaging using healthy/apoptotic/necrotic cell markers revealed that candidalysin causes a rapid and marked increase in the population of necrotic rather than apoptotic cells in a concentration dependent manner. Activation of a necrosis-like pathway was confirmed since C. albicans and candidalysin failed to activate caspase-8 and -3, or the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Furthermore, oral epithelial cells treated with candidalysin showed rapid production of reactive oxygen species, disruption of mitochondria activity and mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP depletion and cytochrome c release. Collectively, these data demonstrate that oral epithelial cells respond to the secreted fungal toxin candidalysin by triggering numerous cellular stress responses that induce necrotic death. TAKE AWAYS: Candidalysin secreted from Candida albicans causes epithelial cell stress. Candidalysin induces calcium influx and oxidative stress in host cells. Candidalysin induces mitochondrial dysfunction, ATP depletion and epithelial necrosis. The toxicity of candidalysin is mediated from the epithelial cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Blagojevic
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Giorgio Camilli
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Michelle Maxson
- Program in Cell Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - David L Moyes
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan P Richardson
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
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