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Diehl C, Pinzan CF, de Castro PA, Delbaje E, García Carnero LC, Sánchez-León E, Bhalla K, Kronstad JW, Kim DG, Doering TL, Alkhazraji S, Mishra NN, Ibrahim AS, Yoshimura M, Vega Isuhuaylas LA, Pham LTK, Yashiroda Y, Boone C, Dos Reis TF, Goldman GH. Brilacidin, a novel antifungal agent against Cryptococcus neoformans. mBio 2024:e0103124. [PMID: 38916308 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01031-24] [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: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcosis, one of the most prevalent fungal diseases, generally characterized by meningitis. There is a limited and not very effective number of drugs available to combat this disease. In this manuscript, we show the host defense peptide mimetic brilacidin (BRI) as a promising antifungal drug against C. neoformans. BRI can affect the organization of the cell membrane, increasing the fungal cell permeability. We also investigated the effects of BRI against the model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae by analyzing libraries of mutants grown in the presence of BRI. In S. cerevisiae, BRI also affects the cell membrane organization, but in addition the cell wall integrity pathway and calcium metabolism. In vivo experiments show BRI significantly reduces C. neoformans survival inside macrophages and partially clears C. neoformans lung infection in an immunocompetent murine model of invasive pulmonary cryptococcosis. We also observed that BRI interacts with caspofungin (CAS) and amphotericin (AmB), potentiating their mechanism of action against C. neoformans. BRI + CAS affects endocytic movement, calcineurin, and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Our results indicate that BRI is a novel antifungal drug against cryptococcosis. IMPORTANCE Invasive fungal infections have a high mortality rate causing more deaths annually than tuberculosis or malaria. Cryptococcosis, one of the most prevalent fungal diseases, is generally characterized by meningitis and is mainly caused by two closely related species of basidiomycetous yeasts, Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. There are few therapeutic options for treating cryptococcosis, and searching for new antifungal agents against this disease is very important. Here, we present brilacidin (BRI) as a potential antifungal agent against C. neoformans. BRI is a small molecule host defense peptide mimetic that has previously exhibited broad-spectrum immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory activity against bacteria and viruses. BRI alone was shown to inhibit the growth of C. neoformans, acting as a fungicidal drug, but surprisingly also potentiated the activity of caspofungin (CAS) against this species. We investigated the mechanism of action of BRI and BRI + CAS against C. neoformans. We propose BRI as a new antifungal agent against cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Diehl
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Camila Figueiredo Pinzan
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Alves de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Endrews Delbaje
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Laura C García Carnero
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Eddy Sánchez-León
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kabir Bhalla
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James W Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dong-Gyu Kim
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tamara L Doering
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Sondus Alkhazraji
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - Nagendra N Mishra
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ashraf S Ibrahim
- Division of Infectious Diseases, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mami Yoshimura
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | | | | | - Yoko Yashiroda
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Charles Boone
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thaila Fernanda Dos Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology in Human Pathogenic Fungi, São Paulo, Brazil
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Norris AC, Mansueto AJ, Jimenez M, Yazlovitskaya EM, Jain BK, Graham TR. Flipping the script: Advances in understanding how and why P4-ATPases flip lipid across membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2024; 1871:119700. [PMID: 38382846 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2024.119700] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Type IV P-type ATPases (P4-ATPases) are a family of transmembrane enzymes that translocate lipid substrates from the outer to the inner leaflet of biological membranes and thus create an asymmetrical distribution of lipids within membranes. On the cellular level, this asymmetry is essential for maintaining the integrity and functionality of biological membranes, creating platforms for signaling events and facilitating vesicular trafficking. On the organismal level, this asymmetry has been shown to be important in maintaining blood homeostasis, liver metabolism, neural development, and the immune response. Indeed, dysregulation of P4-ATPases has been linked to several diseases; including anemia, cholestasis, neurological disease, and several cancers. This review will discuss the evolutionary transition of P4-ATPases from cation pumps to lipid flippases, the new lipid substrates that have been discovered, the significant advances that have been achieved in recent years regarding the structural mechanisms underlying the recognition and flipping of specific lipids across biological membranes, and the consequences of P4-ATPase dysfunction on cellular and physiological functions. Additionally, we emphasize the requirement for additional research to comprehensively understand the involvement of flippases in cellular physiology and disease and to explore their potential as targets for therapeutics in treating a variety of illnesses. The discussion in this review will primarily focus on the budding yeast, C. elegans, and mammalian P4-ATPases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana C Norris
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Mariana Jimenez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Bhawik K Jain
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Todd R Graham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Aguiar TK, Costa AC, Neto NA, Brito DM, Freitas CD, Neto JM, Mesquita FP, Souza PF. Rise and fall of Caspofungin: the current status of Caspofungin as a treatment for Cryptococcus neoformans infection. Future Microbiol 2024; 19:621-630. [PMID: 38497911 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2023-0236] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Antifungal infections are becoming a major concern to human health due to antimicrobial resistance. Echinocandins have been promising agents against resistant fungal infections, primarily caspofungin, which has a more effective mechanism of action than azoles and polyenes. However, fungi such as Cryptococcus neoformans appear to be inheritably resistant to these drugs, which is concerning due to the high clinical importance of C. neoformans. In this review, we review the history of C. neoformans and the treatments used to treat antifungals over the years, focusing on caspofungin, while highlighting the C. neoformans problem and possible explanations for its inherent resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawanny Kb Aguiar
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60451-970, Brazil
| | - Ana Cm Costa
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60451-970, Brazil
| | - Nilton As Neto
- University of Brasília, Post-Graduation in Molecular Pathology, Darcy Ribeiro Campus, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Daiane Ms Brito
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60451-970, Brazil
- Drug Research & Development Center, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Cleverson Dt Freitas
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60451-970, Brazil
| | - João Mm Neto
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60451-970, Brazil
| | - Felipe P Mesquita
- Drug Research & Development Center, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Pedro Fn Souza
- Drug Research & Development Center, Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
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Dong Y, Du J, Deng Y, Cheng M, Shi Z, Zhu H, Sun H, Yu Q, Li M. Reduction of histone proteins dosages increases CFW sensitivity and attenuates virulence of Candida albicans. Microbiol Res 2024; 279:127552. [PMID: 38000336 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127552] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Histone proteins are important components of nucleosomes, which play an important role in regulating the accessibility of DNA and the function of genomes. However, the effect of histone proteins dosages on physiological processes is not clear in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. In this study, we found that the deletion of the histone protein H3 coding gene HHT21 and the histone protein H4 coding gene HHF1 resulted in a significant decrease in the expression dosage of the histone proteins H3 and H4, which had a significant impact on the localization of the histone protein H2A and plasmid maintenance. Stress sensitivity experiments showed that the mutants hht21Δ/Δ, hhf1Δ/Δ and hht21Δ/Δhhf1Δ/Δ were more sensitive to cell wall stress induced by Calcofluor White (CFW) than the wild-type strain. Further studies showed that the decrease in the dosage of the histone proteins H3 and H4 led to the change of cell wall components, increased chitin contents, and down-regulated expression of the SAP9, KAR2, and CRH11 genes involved in the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway. Overexpression of SAP9 could rescue the sensitivity of the mutants to CFW. Moreover, the decrease in the histone protein s dosages affected the FAD-catalyzed oxidation of Ero1 protein, resulting in the obstruction of protein folding in the ER, and thus reduced resistance to CFW. It was also found that CFW induced a large amount of ROS accumulation in the mutants, and the addition of ROS scavengers could restore the growth of the mutants under CFW treatment. In addition, the reduction of the histone proteins dosages greatly weakened systemic infection and kidney fungal burden in mice, and hyphal development was significantly impaired in the mutants under macrophage treatment, indicating that the histone proteins dosages is very important for the virulence of C. albicans. This study revealed that histone proteins dosages play a key role in the cell wall stress response and pathogenicity in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Dong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Jiawen Du
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Ying Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Mengjuan Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Zhishang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Hangqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qilin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Mingchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
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Ristow LC, Jezewski AJ, Chadwick BJ, Stamnes MA, Lin X, Krysan DJ. Cryptococcus neoformans adapts to the host environment through TOR-mediated remodeling of phospholipid asymmetry. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6587. [PMID: 37852972 PMCID: PMC10584969 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42318-y] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus spp. are environmental fungi that first must adapt to the host environment before they can cause life-threatening meningitis in immunocompromised patients. Host CO2 concentrations are 100-fold higher than the external environment and strains unable to grow at host CO2 concentrations are not pathogenic. Using a genetic screening and transcriptional profiling approach, we report that the TOR pathway is critical for C. neoformans adaptation to host CO2 partly through Ypk1-dependent remodeling of phosphatidylserine asymmetry at the plasma membrane. We also describe a C. neoformans ABC/PDR transporter (PDR9) that is highly expressed in CO2-sensitive environmental strains, suppresses CO2-induced phosphatidylserine/phospholipid remodeling, and increases susceptibility to host concentrations of CO2. Interestingly, regulation of plasma membrane lipid asymmetry by the TOR-Ypk1 axis is distinct in C. neoformans compared to S. cerevisiae. Finally, host CO2 concentrations suppress the C. neoformans pathways that respond to host temperature (Mpk1) and pH (Rim101), indicating that host adaptation requires a stringent balance among distinct stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Ristow
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Andrew J Jezewski
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | | | - Mark A Stamnes
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Caver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Damian J Krysan
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Caver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
- Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
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6
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Chen KZ, Wang LL, Liu JY, Zhao JT, Huang SJ, Xiang MJ. P4-ATPase subunit Cdc50 plays a role in yeast budding and cell wall integrity in Candida glabrata. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:99. [PMID: 37046215 PMCID: PMC10100066 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02810-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As highly-conserved types of lipid flippases among fungi, P4-ATPases play a significant role in various cellular processes. Cdc50 acts as the regulatory subunit of flippases, forming heterodimers with Drs2 to translocate aminophospholipids. Cdc50 homologs have been reported to be implicated in protein trafficking, drug susceptibility, and virulence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. It is likely that Cdc50 has an extensive influence on fungal cellular processes. The present study aimed to determine the function of Cdc50 in Candida glabrata by constructing a Δcdc50 null mutant and its complemented strain. RESULTS In Candida glabrata, the loss of Cdc50 led to difficulty in yeast budding, probably caused by actin depolarization. The Δcdc50 mutant also showed hypersensitivity to azoles, caspofungin, and cell wall stressors. Further experiments indicated hyperactivation of the cell wall integrity pathway in the Δcdc50 mutant, which elevated the major cell wall contents. An increase in exposure of β-(1,3)-glucan and chitin on the cell surface was also observed through flow cytometry. Interestingly, we observed a decrease in the phagocytosis rate when the Δcdc50 mutant was co-incubated with THP-1 macrophages. The Δcdc50 mutant also exhibited weakened virulence in nematode survival tests. CONCLUSION The results suggested that the lipid flippase subunit Cdc50 is implicated in yeast budding and cell wall integrity in C. glabrata, and thus have a broad influence on drug susceptibility and virulence. This work highlights the importance of lipid flippase, and offers potential targets for new drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Zhi Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu-Ling Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Yan Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun-Tao Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Si-Jia Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming-Jie Xiang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital Luwan Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Zhao Y, Ye L, Zhao F, Zhang L, Lu Z, Chu T, Wang S, Liu Z, Sun Y, Chen M, Liao G, Ding C, Xu Y, Liao W, Wang L. Cryptococcus neoformans, a global threat to human health. Infect Dis Poverty 2023; 12:20. [PMID: 36932414 PMCID: PMC10020775 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-023-01073-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging fungal pathogens pose important threats to global public health. The World Health Organization has responded to the rising threat of traditionally neglected fungal infections by developing a Fungal Priority Pathogens List (FPPL). Taking the highest-ranked fungal pathogen in the FPPL, Cryptococcus neoformans, as a paradigm, we review progress made over the past two decades on its global burden, its clinical manifestation and management of cryptococcal infection, and its antifungal resistance. The purpose of this review is to drive research efforts to improve future diagnoses, therapies, and interventions associated with fungal infections. METHODS We first reviewed trends in the global burden of HIV-associated cryptococcal infection, mainly based on a series of systematic studies. We next conducted scoping reviews in accordance with the guidelines described in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews using PubMed and ScienceDirect with the keyword Cryptococcus neoformans to identify case reports of cryptococcal infections published since 2000. We then reviewed recent updates on the diagnosis and antifungal treatment of cryptococcal infections. Finally, we summarized knowledge regarding the resistance and tolerance of C. neoformans to approved antifungal drugs. RESULTS There has been a general reduction in the estimated global burden of HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis since 2009, probably due to improvements in highly active antiretroviral therapies. However, cryptococcal meningitis still accounts for 19% of AIDS-related deaths annually. The incidences of CM in Europe and North America and the Latin America region have increased by approximately two-fold since 2009, while other regions showed either reduced or stable numbers of cases. Unfortunately, diagnostic and treatment options for cryptococcal infections are limited, and emerging antifungal resistance exacerbates the public health burden. CONCLUSION The rising threat of C. neoformans is compounded by accumulating evidence for its ability to infect immunocompetent individuals and the emergence of antifungal-resistant variants. Emphasis should be placed on further understanding the mechanisms of pathogenicity and of antifungal resistance and tolerance. The development of novel management strategies through the identification of new drug targets and the discovery and optimization of new and existing diagnostics and therapeutics are key to reducing the health burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youbao Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China.
| | - Leixin Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Fujie Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Lanyue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Zhenguo Lu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Tianxin Chu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Zhanxiang Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Yukai Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, Henan, China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - Guojian Liao
- The Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Chen Ding
- College of Life and Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, Liaoning, China
| | - Yingchun Xu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, and Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Wanqing Liao
- Department of Dermatology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Medical Mycology, Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - Linqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, China.
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8
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Yang D, Shi H, Zhang K, Liu X, Ma L. The antifungal potential of the chelating agent EDTA against postharvest plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 388:110089. [PMID: 36682298 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110089] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea is a phytopathogenic fungus that causes gray mold, a major postharvest disease of fruits and vegetables. Chemical fungicides remain the main solution to control Botrytis disease, but concerns have raised about their safety to environment and human health, and there is an increasing need for development of more effective and less toxic treatments. In this study the divalent cation chelating agent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) exhibited marked antifungal activity against B. cinerea, including inhibition of spore germination, mycelial growth, infection cushion formation, stimulation of cell death, and impairment of fungal virulence. These adverse effects of EDTA could be reversed by the addition of calcium ion, implying that metal ion chelation is involved in the fungicidal mechanism. Bean leaf and tomato fruit protection assay indicated that EDTA treatment led to a significant reduction of infection by B. cinerea. Furthermore, the antifungal activity of EDTA was significantly enhanced when used in combination with fenhexamid. These findings suggest that EDTA could be a promising tool to control B. cinerea, and application of EDTA may reduce the use of conventional chemical fungicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danting Yang
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, PR China
| | - Haojie Shi
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, PR China
| | - Ke Zhang
- Yunnan Tobacco Quality Inspection & Supervision Station, Kunming 650106, PR China
| | - Xunyue Liu
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, PR China
| | - Liang Ma
- College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Lin'an, Hangzhou 311300, PR China.
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9
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Deng H, Song J, Huang Y, Yang C, Zang X, Zhou Y, Li H, Dai B, Xue X. Combating increased antifungal drug resistance in Cryptococcus, what should we do in the future? Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2023; 55:540-547. [PMID: 36815374 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Few therapeutic drugs and increased drug resistance have aggravated the current treatment difficulties of Cryptococcus in recent years. To better understand the antifungal drug resistance mechanism and treatment strategy of cryptococcosis. In this review, by combining the fundamental features of Cryptococcus reproduction leading to changes in its genome, we review recent research into the mechanism of four current anti-cryptococcal agents, coupled with new therapeutic strategies and the application of advanced technologies WGS and CRISPR-Cas9 in this field, hoping to provide a broad idea for the future clinical therapy of cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hengyu Deng
- Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Jialin Song
- Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Yemei Huang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Xuelei Zang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Yangyu Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Hongli Li
- Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Bin Dai
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Xinying Xue
- Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China.,Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University; Peking University Ninth School of Clinical Medicine, Beijing 100089, China
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10
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11
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Functional Analysis of the P-Type ATPases Apt2-4 from Cryptococcus neoformans by Heterologous Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020202. [PMID: 36836316 PMCID: PMC9966271 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020202] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid flippases of the P4-ATPase family actively transport phospholipids across cell membranes, an activity essential for key cellular processes such as vesicle budding and membrane trafficking. Members of this transporter family have also been implicated in the development of drug resistance in fungi. The encapsulated fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans contains four P4-ATPases, among which Apt2-4p are poorly characterized. Using heterologous expression in the flippase-deficient S. cerevisiae strain dnf1Δdnf2Δdrs2Δ, we tested their lipid flippase activity in comparison to Apt1p using complementation tests and fluorescent lipid uptake assays. Apt2p and Apt3p required the co-expression of the C. neoformans Cdc50 protein for activity. Apt2p/Cdc50p displayed a narrow substrate specificity, limited to phosphatidylethanolamine and -choline. Despite its inability to transport fluorescent lipids, the Apt3p/Cdc50p complex still rescued the cold-sensitive phenotype of dnf1Δdnf2Δdrs2Δ, suggesting a functional role for the flippase in the secretory pathway. Apt4p, the closest homolog to Saccharomyces Neo1p, which does not require a Cdc50 protein, was unable to complement several flippase-deficient mutant phenotypes, neither in the presence nor absence of a β-subunit. These results identify C. neoformans Cdc50 as an essential subunit for Apt1-3p and provide a first insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying their physiological functions.
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Tezcan EF, Demirtas Y, Cakar ZP, Ulgen KO. Comprehensive genome-scale metabolic model of the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans: A platform for understanding pathogen metabolism and identifying new drug targets. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 3:1121409. [PMID: 36714093 PMCID: PMC9880062 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2023.1121409] [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: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The fungal priority pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals and leads to hundreds of thousands of deaths per year. The undesirable side effects of existing treatments, the need for long application times to prevent the disease from recurring, the lack of resources for these treatment methods to spread over all continents necessitate the search for new treatment methods. Methods: Genome-scale models have been shown to be valuable in studying the metabolism of many organisms. Here we present the first genome-scale metabolic model for C. neoformans, iCryptococcus. This comprehensive model consists of 1,270 reactions, 1,143 metabolites, 649 genes, and eight compartments. The model was validated, proving accurate when predicting the capability of utilizing different carbon and nitrogen sources and growth rate in comparison to experimental data. Results and Discussion: The compatibility of the in silico Cryptococcus metabolism under infection conditions was assessed. The steroid and amino acid metabolisms found in the essentiality analyses have the potential to be drug targets for the therapeutic strategies to be developed against Cryptococcus species. iCryptococcus model can be applied to explore new targets for antifungal drugs along with essential gene, metabolite and reaction analyses and provides a promising platform for elucidation of pathogen metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enes Fahri Tezcan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yigit Demirtas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Zeynep Petek Cakar
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kutlu O. Ulgen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey,*Correspondence: Kutlu O. Ulgen,
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Yang L, Zhu H, Li M, Yu Q. The Tricalbin-Family Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Tethering Proteins Attenuate ROS-Involved Caspofungin Sensitivity in Candida albicans. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0207922. [PMID: 36445092 PMCID: PMC9769562 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02079-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane (ER-PM) contacts are one kind of important membrane contact structures in eukaryotic cells, which mediate material and message exchange between the ER and the PM. However, the specific types and functions of ER-PM tethering proteins are poorly understood in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. In this study, we observed that the two tricalbin-family proteins, i.e., Tcb1 and Tcb3, were colocalized with the ER-PM contacts in C. albicans. Deletion of the tricalbin-encoding genes TCB1 and TCB3 remarkably reduced ER-PM contacts, suggesting that tricalbins are ER-PM tethering proteins of C. albicans. Stress sensitivity assays showed that the TCB-deleted strains, including tcb1Δ/Δ, tcb3Δ/Δ, and tcb1Δ/Δ tcb3Δ/Δ, exhibited hypersensitivity to cell wall stress induced by caspofungin. Further investigation revealed that caspofungin induced drastic reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the mutants, which was attributed to enhanced oxidation of Ero1 in the ER lumen. Removal of intracellular ROS by the ROS scavenger vitamin C rescued the growth of the mutants under caspofungin treatment, indicating that Ero1 oxidation-related ROS accumulation was involved in caspofungin hypersensitivity of the mutants. Moreover, deletion of the TCB genes decreased secretion of extracellular aspartyl proteinases, reduced transport of the cell wall protein Hwp1 from the cytoplasm to the cell wall, and attenuated virulence of the fungal pathogen. This study sheds a light on the role of ER-PM tethering proteins in maintenance of cell wall integrity and virulence in fungal pathogens. IMPORTANCE The endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contacts are important membrane contact structures in eukaryotic cells, functioning in material and message exchange between the ER and the PM. We observed that the two tricalbin-family endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact proteins are required for tolerance to caspofungin-induced cell wall stress in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. The tricalbin mutants exhibited hypersensitivity to cell wall stress induced by caspofungin. Further investigation revealed that Ero1 oxidation-related reactive species oxygen accumulation was involved in caspofungin hypersensitivity of the tricalbin mutants. Moreover, loss of tricalbins reduced secretion of extracellular aspartyl proteinases, decreased transport of the cell wall proteins from the cytoplasm to the cell wall, and attenuated virulence of the fungal pathogen. This study uncovers the role of ER-PM tethering proteins in sustaining protein secretion, maintenance of cell wall integrity and virulence in fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hangqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qilin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
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14
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Multiple F-Box Proteins Collectively Regulate Cell Development and Pathogenesis in the Human Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8121259. [PMID: 36547592 PMCID: PMC9781138 DOI: 10.3390/jof8121259] [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: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) mediates intracellular proteins degradation that influences various cellular functions in eukaryotic cells. The UPS is also involved in the development and virulence of pathogenic fungi. F-box proteins, which are part of the SCF (Skp1-Cullin-F-box protein) ligase, are a key component of UPS and are essential for the recognition of specific substrates. In this study, we identified 20 F-box proteins in C. neoformans and obtained deletion mutants for 19 of them. A comprehensive phenotypic analysis of these mutants revealed the diverse function of F-box proteins in stress response, cell size regulation, sexual reproduction, antifungal drug resistance, and fungal virulence in C. neoformans. The importance of three F-box proteins: Fbp4, Fbp8, and Fbp11, in these cellular functions were characterized in detail. This study provides an overall view of the F-box gene family in C. neoformans, which will lead to a better understanding of the function of fungal SCF E3 ligase-mediated UPS in fungal development and pathogenesis.
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15
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Jain BK, Wagner AS, Reynolds TB, Graham TR. Lipid Transport by Candida albicans Dnf2 Is Required for Hyphal Growth and Virulence. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0041622. [PMID: 36214556 PMCID: PMC9670988 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00416-22] [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: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a common cause of human mucosal yeast infections, and invasive candidiasis can be fatal. Antifungal medications are limited, but those targeting the pathogen cell wall or plasma membrane have been effective. Therefore, virulence factors controlling membrane biogenesis are potential targets for drug development. P4-ATPases contribute to membrane biogenesis by selecting and transporting specific lipids from the extracellular leaflet to the cytoplasmic leaflet of the bilayer to generate lipid asymmetry. A subset of heterodimeric P4-ATPases, including Dnf1-Lem3 and Dnf2-Lem3 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, transport phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and the sphingolipid glucosylceramide (GlcCer). GlcCer is a critical lipid for Candida albicans polarized growth and virulence, but the role of GlcCer transporters in virulence has not been explored. Here, we show that the Candida albicans Dnf2 (CaDnf2) requires association with CaLem3 to form a functional transporter and flip fluorescent derivatives of GlcCer, PC, and PE across the plasma membrane. Mutation of conserved substrate-selective residues in the membrane domain strongly abrogates GlcCer transport and partially disrupts PC transport by CaDnf2. Candida strains harboring dnf2-null alleles (dnf2ΔΔ) or point mutations that disrupt substrate recognition exhibit defects in yeast-to-hypha growth transition, filamentous growth, and virulence in systemically infected mice. The influence of CaDNF1 deletion on the morphological phenotypes is negligible, although the dnf1ΔΔ dnf2ΔΔ strain was less virulent than the dnf2ΔΔ strain. These results indicate that the transport of GlcCer and/or PC by plasma membrane P4-ATPases is important for the pathogenicity of Candida albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhawik K. Jain
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrew S. Wagner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Todd B. Reynolds
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Todd R. Graham
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Moreira-Walsh B, Ragsdale A, Lam W, Upadhya R, Xu E, Lodge JK, Donlin MJ. Membrane Integrity Contributes to Resistance of Cryptococcus neoformans to the Cell Wall Inhibitor Caspofungin. mSphere 2022; 7:e0013422. [PMID: 35758672 PMCID: PMC9429927 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00134-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans causes up to 278 000 infections each year globally, resulting in up to 180,000 deaths annually, mostly impacting immunocompromised people. Therapeutic options for C. neoformans infections are very limited. Caspofungin, a member of the echinocandin class of antifungals, is generally well tolerated but clinically ineffective against C. neoformans. We sought to identify biological processes that can be targeted to render the cell more susceptible to echinocandins by screening the available libraries of gene deletion mutants made in the KN99α background for caspofungin sensitivity. We adapted a Candida albicans fungal biofilm assay for the growth characteristics of C. neoformans and systematically screened 4,030 individual gene deletion mutants in triplicate plate assays. We identified 25 strains that showed caspofungin sensitivity. We followed up with a dose dependence assay, and 17 of the 25 were confirmed sensitive, 5 of which were also sensitive in an agar plate assay. We made new deletion mutant strains for four of these genes: CFT1, encoding an iron transporter; ERG4, encoding a sterol desaturase; MYO1, encoding a myosin heavy chain; and YSP2, encoding a sterol transporter. All were more sensitive to membrane stress and showed significantly increased sensitivity to caspofungin at higher temperatures. Surprisingly, none showed any obvious cell wall defects such as would be expected for caspofungin-sensitive strains. Our microscopy analyses suggested that loss of membrane integrity contributed to the caspofungin sensitivity, either by allowing more caspofungin to enter or remain in the cell or by altering the location or orientation of the enzyme target to render it more susceptible to inhibition. IMPORTANCE The intrinsic resistance of Cryptococcus neoformans to the cell wall inhibitor caspofungin limits the available therapies for treating cryptococcal infections. We screened a collection of more than 4,000 gene deletion strains for altered caspofungin sensitivity to identify biological processes that could be targeted to render the cell more susceptible to caspofungin. We identified multiple genes with an effect on caspofungin susceptibility and found that they were associated with altered membrane permeability rather than the expected cell wall defects. This suggests that targeting these genes or other genes affecting membrane permeability is a viable path for developing novel therapies for treating this global fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Moreira-Walsh
- Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Abigail Ragsdale
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Woei Lam
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Rajendra Upadhya
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Evan Xu
- Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jennifer K. Lodge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Maureen J. Donlin
- Edward A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Ramos-Martín F, D'Amelio N. Biomembrane lipids: When physics and chemistry join to shape biological activity. Biochimie 2022; 203:118-138. [PMID: 35926681 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Biomembranes constitute the first lines of defense of cells. While small molecules can often permeate cell walls in bacteria and plants, they are generally unable to penetrate the barrier constituted by the double layer of phospholipids, unless specific receptors or channels are present. Antimicrobial or cell-penetrating peptides are in fact highly specialized molecules able to bypass this barrier and even discriminate among different cell types. This capacity is made possible by the intrinsic properties of its phospholipids, their distribution between the internal and external leaflet, and their ability to mutually interact, modulating the membrane fluidity and the exposition of key headgroups. Although common phospholipids can be found in the membranes of most organisms, some are characteristic of specific cell types. Here, we review the properties of the most common lipids and describe how they interact with each other in biomembrane. We then discuss how their assembly in bilayers determines some key physical-chemical properties such as permeability, potential and phase status. Finally, we describe how the exposition of specific phospholipids determines the recognition of cell types by membrane-targeting molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ramos-Martín
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire UMR 7025 CNRS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, 80039, France.
| | - Nicola D'Amelio
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire UMR 7025 CNRS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, 80039, France.
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18
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Unique roles of aminophospholipid translocase Drs2p in governing efflux pump activity, ergosterol level, virulence traits, and host-pathogen interaction in Candida albicans. INTERNATIONAL MICROBIOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SPANISH SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 25:769-779. [PMID: 35788922 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-022-00262-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Infections caused by Candida albicans are rising due to increment in drug resistance and a limited arsenal of conventional antifungal drugs. Thus, elucidating the novel antifungal targets still represent an alternative that could overcome the problem of multidrug resistance (MDR). In this study, we have uncovered the distinctive effect of aminophospholipid translocase (Drs2p) deletion on major MDR mechanisms of C. albicans. We determined that efflux activity was diminished in Δdrs2 mutant as revealed by extracellular rhodamine 6G (R6G) efflux and flow cytometry. Moreover, we further unveiled that Δdrs2 mutant displayed decreased ergosterol content and increased membrane fluidity. Furthermore, Drs2p deletion affects the virulence attributes and led to inhibited hyphal growth and reduced biofilm formation. Additionally, THP-1 cell lines' mediated host-pathogen interaction studies revealed that Δdrs2 mutant displayed enhanced phagocytosis and altered cytokine production leading to increased IL-6 and decreased IL-10 production. Taken together, the present study demonstrates the relevance of Drs2p in C. albicans and consequently disrupting pathways known for mediating drug resistance and immune recognition. Comprehensive studies are further required to authenticate Drs2p as a novel antifungal drug target.
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Beattie SR, Jezewski AJ, Ristow LC, Wellington M, Krysan DJ. FKS1 Is Required for Cryptococcus neoformans Fitness In Vivo: Application of Copper-Regulated Gene Expression to Mouse Models of Cryptococcosis. mSphere 2022; 7:e0016322. [PMID: 35506343 PMCID: PMC9241531 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00163-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need for new antifungals to treat cryptococcal meningoencephalitis, a leading cause of mortality in people living with HIV/AIDS. An important aspect of antifungal drug development is the validation of targets to determine whether they are required for the survival of the organism in animal models of disease. In Cryptococcus neoformans, a copper-regulated promoter (pCTR4-2) has been used previously to modulate gene expression in vivo. The premise for these experiments is that copper concentrations differ depending on the host niche. Here, we directly test this premise and confirm that the expression of CTR4, the promoter used to regulate gene expression, is much lower in the mouse lung compared to the brain. To further explore this approach, we applied it to the gene encoding 1,3-β-glucan synthase, FKS1. In vitro, reduced expression of FKS1 has little effect on growth but does activate the cell wall integrity stress response and increase susceptibility to caspofungin, a direct inhibitor of Fks1. These data suggest that compensatory pathways that reduce C. neoformans resistance do so through posttranscriptional effects. In vivo, however, a less pronounced reduction in FKS1 expression leads to a much more significant reduction in lung fungal burden (~1 log10 CFU), indicating that the compensatory responses to a reduction in FKS1 expression are not as effective in vivo as they are in vitro. In summary, use of copper-regulated expression of putative drug targets in vitro and in vivo can provide insights into the biological consequences of reduced activity of the target during infection. IMPORTANCE Conditional expression systems are widely used to genetically validate antifungal drug targets in mouse models of infection. Copper-regulated expression using the promoter of the CTR4 gene has been sporadically used for this purpose in C. neoformans. Here, we show that CTR4 expression is low in the lung and high in the brain, establishing the basic premise behind this approach. We applied the approach to the study of FKS1, the gene encoding the target of the echinocandin class of 1,3-β-glucan synthase inhibitors. Our in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that C. neoformans tolerates extremely low levels of FKS1 expression. This observation provides a potential explanation for the poor activity of 1,3-β-glucan synthase inhibitors toward C. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R. Beattie
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Andrew J. Jezewski
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Laura C. Ristow
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Melanie Wellington
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Damian J. Krysan
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Tancer RJ, Wang Y, Pawar S, Xue C, Wiedman GR. Development of Antifungal Peptides against Cryptococcus neoformans; Leveraging Knowledge about the cdc50Δ Mutant Susceptibility for Lead Compound Development. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0043922. [PMID: 35377230 PMCID: PMC9045296 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00439-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a major fungal pathogen that often causes life-threatening meningitis in immunocompromised populations. This yeast pathogen is highly resistant to the echinocandin drug caspofungin. Previous studies showed that Cryptococcus lipid translocase (flippase) is required for the caspofungin resistance of that fungus. Mutants with a deleted subunit of lipid flippase, Cdc50, showed increased sensitivity to caspofungin. Here we designed an antifungal peptide targeting the P4-ATPase function. We synthesized stable peptides based on the Cdc50 loop region to identify peptides that can sensitize caspofungin by blocking flippase function and found that myristylated peptides based on the "AS15 sequence" was effective at high concentrations. A modified peptide, "AW9-Ma" showed a MIC of 64 μg/mL against H99 wild type and a fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) index value of 0.5 when used in combination with caspofungin. Most notably, in the presence of the AW9-Ma peptide, C. neoformans wild type was highly sensitive to caspofungin with a MIC of 4 μg/mL, the same as the cdc50Δ mutant. Further assays with flow cytometry showed inhibition of the lipid flippase enzyme activity and significant accumulation of phosphatidylserine on the cell membrane surface. Using a fluorescently labeled peptide, we confirmed that the peptide co-localized with mCherry-tagged P4-ATPase protein Apt1 in C. neoformans. Structure-activity relationship studies of the AW9 sequence showed that two lysine residues on the peptide are likely responsible for the interaction with the P4-ATPase, hence critical for its antifungal activity. IMPORTANCE The authors have developed a lead compound peptide antifungal drug targeting a protein from the organism Cryptococcus neoformans. Binding of the drug to the target fungal protein causes charged lipid molecules to be retained on the surface. This peptide works in synergy with the existing antifungal drug caspofungin. Echinocandin drugs like caspofungin are one of the few classes of existing antifungals. Due to the high concentrations needed, caspofungin is rarely used to treat C. neoformans infections. The authors believe that their new compound provides a way to lower the concentration of caspofungin needed to treat such infections, thus opening the possibility for greater utility of these antifungal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Tancer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, USA
| | - Yina Wang
- Public Health Research Institute, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Siddhi Pawar
- Public Health Research Institute, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Public Health Research Institute, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gregory R. Wiedman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, USA
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Wang Y, Pawar S, Dutta O, Wang K, Rivera A, Xue C. Macrophage Mediated Immunomodulation During Cryptococcus Pulmonary Infection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:859049. [PMID: 35402316 PMCID: PMC8987709 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.859049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophages are key cellular components of innate immunity, acting as the first line of defense against pathogens to modulate homeostatic and inflammatory responses. They help clear pathogens and shape the T-cell response through the production of cytokines and chemokines. The facultative intracellular fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans has developed a unique ability to interact with and manipulate host macrophages. These interactions dictate how Cryptococcus infection can remain latent or how dissemination within the host is achieved. In addition, differences in the activities of macrophages have been correlated with differential susceptibilities of hosts to Cryptococcus infection, highlighting the importance of macrophages in determining disease outcomes. There is now abundant information on the interaction between Cryptococcus and macrophages. In this review we discuss recent advances regarding macrophage origin, polarization, activation, and effector functions during Cryptococcus infection. The importance of these strategies in pathogenesis and the potential of immunotherapy for cryptococcosis treatment is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology , Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Siddhi Pawar
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Orchi Dutta
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Keyi Wang
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Amariliz Rivera
- Center for Immunity and Inflammation, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Public Health Research Institute, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, United States
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22
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Mpakosi A, Siopi M, Demetriou M, Falaina V, Theodoraki M, Meletiadis J. Fungemia due to Moesziomyces aphidis (Pseudozyma aphidis) in a premature neonate. Challenges of species identification and antifungal susceptibility testing of rare yeasts. J Mycol Med 2022; 32:101258. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2022.101258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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A Peptide from Budding Yeast GAPDH Serves as a Promising Antifungal against Cryptococcus neoformans. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0082621. [PMID: 35019693 PMCID: PMC8754130 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00826-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Infection of Cryptococcus neoformans is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly among immunocompromised patients. However, currently available drugs for the treatment of C. neoformans infection are minimal. Here, we report SP1, a peptide derived from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, efficiently kills C. neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. SP1 causes damages to the capsule. Unlike many antimicrobial peptides, SP1 does not form pores on the cell membrane of C. neoformans. It interacts with membrane ergosterol and enters vacuole possibly through membrane trafficking. C. neoformans treated with SP1 show the apoptotic phenotypes such as imbalance of calcium ion homeostasis, reactive oxygen increment, phosphatidylserine exposure, and nuclear fragmentation. Our data imply that SP1 has the potential to be developed into a treatment option for cryptococcosis. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii can cause cryptococcosis, which has a high mortality rate. To treat the disease, amphotericin B and fluconazole are often used in clinic. However, amphotericin B has rather high renal toxicity, and tolerance to these drugs are quicky developed. The peptide SP1 derived from baker's yeast GAPDH shows antifungal function to kill Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii efficiently with a high specificity, even for the drug-resistant strains. Our data demonstrate that SP1 induces the apoptosis-like death of Cryptococcus neoformans at low concentrations. The finding of this peptide may shed light on a new direction to treat cryptococcosis.
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24
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Characterization of the Candida glabrata Transcription Factor CgMar1: Role in Azole Susceptibility. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8010061. [PMID: 35050001 PMCID: PMC8779156 DOI: 10.3390/jof8010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of antifungal resistance in Candida glabrata, especially against azole drugs, results in difficult-to-treat and potentially life-threatening infections. Understanding the molecular basis of azole resistance in C. glabrata is crucial to designing more suitable therapeutic strategies. In this study, the role of the transcription factor encoded by ORF CAGL0B03421g, here denominated as CgMar1 (Multiple Azole Resistance 1), in azole susceptibility was explored. Using RNA-sequencing, CgMar1 was found to regulate 337 genes under fluconazole stress, including several related to lipid biosynthesis pathways. In this context, CgMar1 and its target CgRSB1, encoding a predicted sphingoid long-chain base efflux transporter, were found to contribute to plasma membrane sphingolipid incorporation and membrane permeability, decreasing fluconazole accumulation. CgMar1 was found to associate with the promoter of CgRSB1, which contains two instances of the CCCCTCC consensus, found to be required for CgRSB1 activation during fluconazole stress. Altogether, a regulatory pathway modulating azole susceptibility in C. glabrata is proposed, resulting from what appears to be a neofunctionalization of a Hap1-like transcription factor.
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25
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Stanchev LD, Rizzo J, Peschel R, Pazurek LA, Bredegaard L, Veit S, Laerbusch S, Rodrigues ML, López-Marqués RL, Günther Pomorski T. P-Type ATPase Apt1 of the Fungal Pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans Is a Lipid Flippase of Broad Substrate Specificity. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7100843. [PMID: 34682264 PMCID: PMC8537059 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipid flippases of the P4-ATPase family are ATP-driven transporters that translocate lipids from the exoplasmic to the cytosolic leaflet of biological membranes. In the encapsulated fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, the P4-ATPase Apt1p is an important regulator of polysaccharide secretion and pathogenesis, but its biochemical characterization is lacking. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Apt1p belongs to the subclade of P4A-ATPases characterized by the common requirement for a β-subunit. Using heterologous expression in S. cerevisiae, we demonstrate that Apt1p forms a heterodimeric complex with the C. neoformans Cdc50 protein. This association is required for both localization and activity of the transporter complex. Lipid flippase activity of the heterodimeric complex was assessed by complementation tests and uptake assays employing fluorescent lipids and revealed a broad substrate specificity, including several phospholipids, the alkylphospholipid miltefosine, and the glycolipids glucosyl- and galactosylceramide. Our results suggest that transbilayer lipid transport in C. neoformans is finely regulated to promote fungal virulence, which reinforces the potential of Apt1p as a target for antifungal drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyubomir Dimitrov Stanchev
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; (L.D.S.); (R.P.); (L.A.P.); (S.V.); (S.L.)
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (L.B.); (R.L.L.-M.)
| | - Juliana Rizzo
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (J.R.); (M.L.R.)
- Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Rebecca Peschel
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; (L.D.S.); (R.P.); (L.A.P.); (S.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Lilli A. Pazurek
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; (L.D.S.); (R.P.); (L.A.P.); (S.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Lasse Bredegaard
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (L.B.); (R.L.L.-M.)
| | - Sarina Veit
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; (L.D.S.); (R.P.); (L.A.P.); (S.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Sabine Laerbusch
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; (L.D.S.); (R.P.); (L.A.P.); (S.V.); (S.L.)
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil; (J.R.); (M.L.R.)
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz, Curitiba 81310-020, Brazil
| | - Rosa L. López-Marqués
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (L.B.); (R.L.L.-M.)
| | - Thomas Günther Pomorski
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; (L.D.S.); (R.P.); (L.A.P.); (S.V.); (S.L.)
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (L.B.); (R.L.L.-M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-234-32-24430
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26
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Cheng L, Niu MM, Yan T, Ma Z, Huang K, Yang L, Zhong X, Li C. Bioresponsive micro-to-nano albumin-based systems for targeted drug delivery against complex fungal infections. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:3220-3230. [PMID: 34729311 PMCID: PMC8546853 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As a typical human pathogenic fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans is a life-threatening invasive fungal pathogen with a worldwide distribution causing ∼700,000 deaths annually. Cryptococcosis is not just an infection with multi-organ involvement, intracellular survival and extracellular multiplication of the fungus also play important roles in the pathogenesis of C. neoformans infections. Because adequate accumulation of drugs at target organs and cells is still difficult to achieve, an effective delivery strategy is desperately required to treat these infections. Here, we report a bioresponsive micro-to-nano (MTN) system that effectively clears the C. neoformans in vivo. This strategy is based on our in-depth study of the overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) in infectious microenvironments (IMEs) and secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in several associated target cells. In this MTN system, bovine serum albumin (BSA, a natural ligand of SPARC) was used for the preparation of nanoparticles (NPs), and then microspheres were constructed by conjugation with a special linker, which mainly consisted of a BSA-binding peptide and an MMP-3-responsive peptide. This MTN system was mechanically captured by the smallest capillaries of the lungs after intravenous injection, and then hydrolyzed into BSA NPs by MMP-3 in the IMEs. The NPs further targeted the lung tissue, brain and infected macrophages based on the overexpression of SPARC, reaching multiple targets and achieving efficient treatment. We have developed a size-tunable strategy where microspheres "shrink" to NPs in IMEs, which effectively combines active and passive targeting and may be especially powerful in the fight against complex fungal infections.
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Key Words
- Albumin
- AmB, amphotericin B
- BBB, blood‒brain barrier
- BSA, bovine serum albumin
- Complex fungal infection
- DDS, drug delivery system
- IME, infectious microenvironment
- MMP-3
- MMP-3, matrix metalloproteinase 3
- MTN, micro-to-nano
- Microenvironment responsive
- NP, nanoparticle
- PEG, polyethylene glycol
- PMVECs, pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells
- RFP, red fluorescent protein
- SPARC
- SPARC, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine
- Size-tunable strategy
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Affiliation(s)
- Liting Cheng
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Miao-Miao Niu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education), China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tong Yan
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhongyi Ma
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Kexin Huang
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xin Zhong
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chong Li
- Medical Research Institute, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
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27
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Lamy A, Macarini-Bruzaferro E, Dieudonné T, Perálvarez-Marín A, Lenoir G, Montigny C, le Maire M, Vázquez-Ibar JL. ATP2, The essential P4-ATPase of malaria parasites, catalyzes lipid-stimulated ATP hydrolysis in complex with a Cdc50 β-subunit. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:132-147. [PMID: 33372863 PMCID: PMC7832587 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1870413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Gene targeting approaches have demonstrated the essential role for the malaria parasite of membrane transport proteins involved in lipid transport and in the maintenance of membrane lipid asymmetry, representing emerging oportunites for therapeutical intervention. This is the case of ATP2, a Plasmodium-encoded 4 P-type ATPase (P4-ATPase or lipid flippase), whose activity is completely irreplaceable during the asexual stages of the parasite. Moreover, a recent chemogenomic study has situated ATP2 as the possible target of two antimalarial drug candidates. In eukaryotes, P4-ATPases assure the asymmetric phospholipid distribution in membranes by translocating phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet. In this work, we have used a recombinantly-produced P. chabaudi ATP2 (PcATP2), to gain insights into the function and structural organization of this essential transporter. Our work demonstrates that PcATP2 associates with two of the three Plasmodium-encoded Cdc50 proteins: PcCdc50B and PcCdc50A. Purified PcATP2/PcCdc50B complex displays ATPase activity in the presence of either phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylethanolamine. In addition, this activity is upregulated by phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate. Overall, our work describes the first biochemical characterization of a Plasmodium lipid flippase, a first step towards the understanding of the essential physiological role of this transporter and towards its validation as a potential antimalarial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Lamy
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ewerton Macarini-Bruzaferro
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Department of Clinical Medicine (FMUSP), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thibaud Dieudonné
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,DANDRITE, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Alex Perálvarez-Marín
- Biophysics Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallés, Spain
| | - Guillaume Lenoir
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Cédric Montigny
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marc le Maire
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - José Luis Vázquez-Ibar
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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28
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Treatment strategies for cryptococcal infection: challenges, advances and future outlook. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:454-466. [PMID: 33558691 PMCID: PMC7868659 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00511-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus spp., in particular Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, have an enormous impact on human health worldwide. The global burden of cryptococcal meningitis is almost a quarter of a million cases and 181,000 deaths annually, with mortality rates of 100% if infections remain untreated. Despite these alarming statistics, treatment options for cryptococcosis remain limited, with only three major classes of drugs approved for clinical use. Exacerbating the public health burden is the fact that the only new class of antifungal drugs developed in decades, the echinocandins, displays negligible antifungal activity against Cryptococcus spp., and the efficacy of the remaining therapeutics is hampered by host toxicity and pathogen resistance. Here, we describe the current arsenal of antifungal agents and the treatment strategies employed to manage cryptococcal disease. We further elaborate on the recent advances in our understanding of the intrinsic and adaptive resistance mechanisms that are utilized by Cryptococcus spp. to evade therapeutic treatments. Finally, we review potential therapeutic strategies, including combination therapy, the targeting of virulence traits, impairing stress response pathways and modulating host immunity, to effectively treat infections caused by Cryptococcus spp. Overall, understanding of the mechanisms that regulate anti-cryptococcal drug resistance, coupled with advances in genomics technologies and high-throughput screening methodologies, will catalyse innovation and accelerate antifungal drug discovery.
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29
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Garcia-Effron G. Rezafungin-Mechanisms of Action, Susceptibility and Resistance: Similarities and Differences with the Other Echinocandins. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:E262. [PMID: 33139650 PMCID: PMC7711656 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Rezafungin (formerly CD101) is a new β-glucan synthase inhibitor that is chemically related with anidulafungin. It is considered the first molecule of the new generation of long-acting echinocandins. It has several advantages over the already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) echinocandins as it has better tissue penetration, better pharmacokinetic/phamacodynamic (PK/PD) pharmacometrics, and a good safety profile. It is much more stable in solution than the older echinocandins, making it more flexible in terms of dosing, storage, and manufacturing. These properties would allow rezafungin to be administered once-weekly (intravenous) and to be potentially administered topically and subcutaneously. In addition, higher dose regimens were tested with no evidence of toxic effect. This will eventually prevent (or reduce) the selection of resistant strains. Rezafungin also has several similarities with older echinocandins as they share the same in vitro behavior (very similar Minimum Inhibitory Concentration required to inhibit the growth of 50% of the isolates (MIC50) and half enzyme maximal inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50)) and spectrum, the same target, and the same mechanisms of resistance. The selection of FKS mutants occurred at similar frequency for rezafungin than for anidulafungin and caspofungin. In this review, rezafungin mechanism of action, target, mechanism of resistance, and in vitro data are described in a comparative manner with the already approved echinocandins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Garcia-Effron
- Laboratorio de Micología y Diagnóstico Molecular, Cátedra de Parasitología y Micología, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, C.P. 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina; or ; Tel.: +54-9342-4575209 (ext. 135)
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, C.P. 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
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30
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Jaber QZ, Bibi M, Ksiezopolska E, Gabaldon T, Berman J, Fridman M. Elevated Vacuolar Uptake of Fluorescently Labeled Antifungal Drug Caspofungin Predicts Echinocandin Resistance in Pathogenic Yeast. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:1698-1712. [PMID: 33145409 PMCID: PMC7596861 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Echinocandins are the newest class of antifungal drugs in clinical use. These agents inhibit β-glucan synthase, which catalyzes the synthesis of β-glucan, an essential component of the fungal cell wall, and have a high clinical efficacy and low toxicity. Echinocandin resistance is largely due to mutations in the gene encoding β-glucan synthase, but the mode of action is not fully understood. We developed fluorescent probes based on caspofungin, the first clinically approved echinocandin, and studied their cellular biology in Candida species, the most common cause of human fungal infections worldwide. Fluorescently labeled caspofungin probes, like the unlabeled drug, were most effective against metabolically active cells. The probes rapidly accumulated in Candida vacuoles, as shown by colocalization with vacuolar proteins and vacuole-specific stains. The uptake of fluorescent caspofungin is facilitated by endocytosis: The labeled drug formed vesicles similar to fluorescently labeled endocytic vesicles, the vacuolar accumulation of fluorescent caspofungin was energy-dependent, and inhibitors of endocytosis reduced its uptake. In a panel comprised of isogenic Candida strains carrying different β-glucan synthase mutations as well as clinical isolates, resistance correlated with increased fluorescent drug uptake into vacuoles. Fluorescent drug uptake also associated with elevated levels of chitin, a sugar polymer that increases cell-wall rigidity. Monitoring the intracellular uptake of fluorescent caspofungin provides a rapid and simple assay that can enable the prediction of echinocandin resistance, which is useful for research applications as well as for selecting the appropriate drugs for treatments of invasive fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qais Z. Jaber
- School
of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Maayan Bibi
- School
of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George Wise Faculty of
Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Ewa Ksiezopolska
- Barcelona
Supercomputing Centre (BSC−CNS) Jordi Girona, 29, Barcelona 08034, Spain
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona
Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldon
- Barcelona
Supercomputing Centre (BSC−CNS) Jordi Girona, 29, Barcelona 08034, Spain
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine, The Barcelona
Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Catalan
Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Judith Berman
- School
of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, George Wise Faculty of
Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Micha Fridman
- School
of Chemistry, Raymond & Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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31
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Kmeck A, Tancer RJ, Ventura CR, Wiedman GR. Synergies with and Resistance to Membrane-Active Peptides. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9090620. [PMID: 32961656 PMCID: PMC7559582 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9090620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane-active peptides (MAPs) have long been thought of as the key to defeating antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. Such peptides, however, may not be sufficient alone. In this review, we seek to highlight some of the common pathways for resistance, as well as some avenues for potential synergy. This discussion takes place considering resistance, and/or synergy in the extracellular space, at the membrane, and during interaction, and/or removal. Overall, this review shows that researchers require improved definitions of resistance and a more thorough understanding of MAP-resistance mechanisms. The solution to combating resistance may ultimately come from an understanding of how to harness the power of synergistic drug combinations.
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32
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Kischkel B, Rossi SA, Santos SR, Nosanchuk JD, Travassos LR, Taborda CP. Therapies and Vaccines Based on Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Systemic Fungal Infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:463. [PMID: 33014889 PMCID: PMC7502903 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment modalities for systemic mycoses are still limited. Currently, the main antifungal therapeutics include polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins. However, even in the setting of appropriate administration of antifungals, mortality rates remain unacceptably high. Moreover, antifungal therapy is expensive, treatment periods can range from weeks to years, and toxicity is also a serious concern. In recent years, the increased number of immunocompromised individuals has contributed to the high global incidence of systemic fungal infections. Given the high morbidity and mortality rates, the complexity of treatment strategies, drug toxicity, and the worldwide burden of disease, there is a need for new and efficient therapeutic means to combat invasive mycoses. One promising avenue that is actively being pursued is nanotechnology, to develop new antifungal therapies and efficient vaccines, since it allows for a targeted delivery of drugs and antigens, which can reduce toxicity and treatment costs. The goal of this review is to discuss studies using nanoparticles to develop new therapeutic options, including vaccination methods, to combat systemic mycoses caused by Candida sp., Cryptococcus sp., Paracoccidioides sp., Histoplasma sp., Coccidioides sp., and Aspergillus sp., in addition to providing important information on the use of different types of nanoparticles, nanocarriers and their corresponding mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Kischkel
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Suélen A Rossi
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samuel R Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine [Division of Infectious Diseases], Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Luiz R Travassos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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33
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Liu W, Yuan L, Wang S. Recent Progress in the Discovery of Antifungal Agents Targeting the Cell Wall. J Med Chem 2020; 63:12429-12459. [PMID: 32692166 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Due to the limit of available treatments and the emergence of drug resistance in the clinic, invasive fungal infections are an intractable problem with high morbidity and mortality. The cell wall, as a fungi-specific structure, is an appealing target for the discovery and development of novel and low-toxic antifungal agents. In an attempt to accelerate the discovery of novel cell wall targeted drugs, this Perspective will provide a comprehensive review of the progress made to date on the development of fungal cell wall inhibitors. Specifically, this review will focus on the targets, discovery process, chemical structures, antifungal activities, and structure-activity relationships. Although two types of cell wall antifungal agents are clinically available or in clinical trials, it is still a long way for the other cell wall targeted inhibitors to be translated into clinical applications. Future efforts should be focused on the identification of inhibitors against novel conserved cell wall targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Middle Road, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Yuan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xuefu Middle Road, Xi'an 710021, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengzheng Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, 169 Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, People's Republic of China
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A Mechanosensitive Channel Governs Lipid Flippase-Mediated Echinocandin Resistance in Cryptococcus neoformans. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.01952-19. [PMID: 31822582 PMCID: PMC6904872 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01952-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Echinocandins show fungicidal activity against common invasive mycoses but are ineffective against cryptococcosis. The underlying mechanism for echinocandin resistance in Cryptococcus neoformans remains poorly understood but has been shown to involve Cdc50, the regulatory subunit of lipid flippase. In a forward genetic screen for cdc50Δ suppressor mutations that are caspofungin resistant, we identified Crm1 (caspofungin resistant mutation 1), a homolog of mechanosensitive channel proteins, and showed that crm1Δ restored caspofungin resistance in cdc50Δ cells. Caspofungin-treated cdc50Δ cells exhibited abnormally high intracellular calcium levels ([Ca2+]c) and heightened activation of the calcineurin pathway. Deletion of CRM1 in the cdc50Δ background normalized the abnormally high [Ca2+]c. Cdc50 interacts with Crm1 to maintain cellular calcium homeostasis. Analysis of chitin/chitosan content showed that deleting CRM1 reversed the decreased chitosan production of cdc50Δ cells. Together, these results demonstrate that Cdc50 and Crm1 regulation of the calcineurin pathway and cytoplasmic calcium homeostasis may underlie caspofungin resistance in C. neoformans IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus neoformans is the leading cause of fungal meningitis, accounting for ∼15% of HIV/AIDS-related deaths, but treatment options for cryptococcosis are limited. Echinocandins are the newest fungicidal drug class introduced but are ineffective in treating cryptococcosis. Our previous study identified the lipid flippase subunit Cdc50 as a contributor to echinocandin resistance in C. neoformans Here, we further elucidated the mechanism of Cdc50-mediated caspofungin drug resistance. We discovered that Cdc50 interacts with the mechanosensitive calcium channel protein Crm1 to regulate calcium homeostasis and caspofungin resistance via calcium/calcineurin signaling. These results provide novel insights into echinocandin resistance in this pathogen, which may lead to new treatment options, as well as inform echinocandin resistance mechanisms in other fungal organisms and, hence, advance our understanding of modes of antifungal drug susceptibility and resistance.
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Rizzo J, Stanchev LD, da Silva VK, Nimrichter L, Pomorski TG, Rodrigues ML. Role of lipid transporters in fungal physiology and pathogenicity. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2019; 17:1278-1289. [PMID: 31921394 PMCID: PMC6944739 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungal cell wall and membrane are the most common targets of antifungal agents, but the potential of membrane lipid organization in regulating drug-target interactions has yet to be investigated. Energy-dependent lipid transporters have been recently associated with virulence and drug resistance in many pathogenic fungi. To illustrate this view, we discuss (i) the structural and biological aspects of ATP-driven lipid transporters, comprising P-type ATPases and ATP-binding cassette transporters, (ii) the role of these transporters in fungal physiology and virulence, and (iii) the potential of lipid transporters as targets for the development of novel antifungals. These recent observations indicate that the lipid-trafficking machinery in fungi is a promising target for studies on physiology, pathogenesis and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Rizzo
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lyubomir Dimitrov Stanchev
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 44780 Bochum, Germany
- Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C,Denmark
| | - Vanessa K.A. da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thomas Günther Pomorski
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 44780 Bochum, Germany
- Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C,Denmark
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
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Pianalto KM, Billmyre RB, Telzrow CL, Alspaugh JA. Roles for Stress Response and Cell Wall Biosynthesis Pathways in Caspofungin Tolerance in Cryptococcus neoformans. Genetics 2019; 213:213-227. [PMID: 31266771 PMCID: PMC6727808 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.119.302290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Limited antifungal diversity and availability are growing problems for the treatment of fungal infections in the face of increasing drug resistance. The echinocandins, one of the newest classes of antifungal drugs, inhibit production of a crucial cell wall component. However, these compounds do not effectively inhibit the growth of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, despite potent inhibition of the target enzyme in vitro Therefore, we performed a forward genetic screen to identify cellular processes that mediate the relative tolerance of this organism to the echinocandin drug caspofungin. Through these studies, we identified 14 genetic mutants that enhance caspofungin antifungal activity. Rather than directly affecting caspofungin antifungal activity, these mutations seem to prevent the activation of various stress-induced compensatory cellular processes. For example, the pfa4Δ mutant has defects in the palmitoylation and localization of many of its target proteins, including the Ras1 GTPase and the Chs3 chitin synthase, which are both required for caspofungin tolerance. Similarly, we have confirmed the link between caspofungin treatment and calcineurin signaling in this organism, but we suggest a deeper mechanism in which caspofungin tolerance is mediated by multiple pathways downstream of calcineurin function. In summary, we describe here several pathways in C. neoformans that contribute to the complex caspofungin tolerance phenotype in this organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaila M Pianalto
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - R Blake Billmyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Calla L Telzrow
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - J Andrew Alspaugh
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710
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Xu D, Zhang X, Zhang B, Zeng X, Mao H, Xu H, Jiang L, Li F. The lipid flippase subunit Cdc50 is required for antifungal drug resistance, endocytosis, hyphal development and virulence in Candida albicans. FEMS Yeast Res 2019; 19:5475645. [PMID: 31004489 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foz033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cdc50 is the non-catalytic subunit of the flippase that establishes phospholipid asymmetry in membranes and functions in vesicle-mediated trafficking in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we have identified the homologous gene CaCDC50 that encodes a protein of 396 amino acids with two conserved transmembrane domains in Candidaalbicans. Deletion of CaCDC50 results in C. albicans cells becoming sensitive to the antifungal drugs azoles, terbinafine and caspofungin, as well as to the membrane-perturbing agent sodium dodecyl sulfate. We also show that CaCDC50 is involved in both endocytosis and vacuolar function. CaCDC50 confers tolerance to high concentrations of cations, although it is not required for osmolar response. Moreover, deletion of CaCDC50 leads to severe defects in hyphal development of C. albicans cells and highly attenuated virulence in the mouse model of systemic infection. Therefore, CaCDC50 regulates cellular responses to antifungal drugs, cell membrane stress, endocytosis, filamentation and virulence in the human fungal pathogen C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dayong Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
| | - Xing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
| | - Biao Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
| | - Xin Zeng
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
| | - Hongchen Mao
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
| | - Haitao Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
| | - Linghuo Jiang
- Laboratory for Yeast Molecular and Cell Biology, The Research Center of Fermentation Technology, School of Agricultural Engineering and Food Science, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, Shandong, China
| | - Feng Li
- College of Life Sciences, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, Anhui, China
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Yu Y, Peng L, Liao G, Chen Z, Li C. Noncovalent Complexation of Amphotericin B with Poly(β-Amino Ester) Derivates for Treatment of C. Neoformans Infection. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:polym11020270. [PMID: 30960254 PMCID: PMC6419036 DOI: 10.3390/polym11020270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Our goal was to improve treatment outcomes for C. neoformans infection by designing nanocarriers that enhance drug-encapsulating capacity and stability. Thus, a noncovalent complex of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactide)-poly(β-amino ester) (MPEG-PLA-PAE) and amphotericin B (AMB) was developed and characterized. The MPEG-PLA-PAE copolymer was synthesized by a Michael-type addition reaction; the copolymer was then used to prepare the AMB-loaded nanocomplex. AMB was in a highly aggregated state within complex cores. A high encapsulation efficiency (>90%) and stability of the AMB-loaded nanocomplex were obtained via electrostatic interaction between AMB and PAE blocks. This nanocomplex retained drug activity against C. neoformans in vitro. Compared with micellar AMB, the AMB nanocomplex was more efficient in terms of reducing C. neoformans burden in lungs, liver, and spleen, based on its improved biodistribution. The AMB/MPEG-PLA-PAE complex with enhanced drug-loading capacity and stability can serve as a platform for effective treatment of C. neoformans infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Li Peng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Guojian Liao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Zhangbao Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Chong Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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39
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Schultzhaus Z, Cunningham GA, Mouriño-Pérez RR, Shaw BD. The phospholipid flippase DnfD localizes to late Golgi and is involved in asexual differentiation in Aspergillus nidulans. Mycologia 2019; 111:13-25. [PMID: 30699058 DOI: 10.1080/00275514.2018.1543927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The maintenance of cell shape requires finely tuned and robust vesicle trafficking in order to provide sufficient plasma membrane materials. The hyphal cells of filamentous fungi are an extreme example of cell shape maintenance due to their ability to grow rapidly and respond to the environment while keeping a relatively consistent shape. We have previously shown that two phospholipid flippases, which regulate the asymmetry of specific phospholipids within the plasma membrane, are important for hyphal growth in Aspergillus nidulans. Here, we examine the rest of the phospholipid flippases encoded by A. nidulans by obtaining single and double deletions of all four family members, dnfA, dnfB, dnfC, and dnfD. We find that deleting dnfC does not impart a noticeable phenotype, by itself or with other deletions, but that dnfD, the homolog of the essential yeast gene neo1, is important for conidiation. dnfD deletion mutants form misshapen conidiophore vesicles that are defective in metulae formation. We localize DnfD to late Golgi equivalents, where it appears just before dissociation of this organelle. We propose that DnfD functions in a trafficking process that is specifically required for the morphological changes that take place during conidiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Schultzhaus
- a Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology , Texas A&M University , 2132 TAMU , College Station , Texas 77845.,b Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering , Naval Research laboratory , Washington , District of Columbia 20375
| | - G A Cunningham
- a Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology , Texas A&M University , 2132 TAMU , College Station , Texas 77845
| | - R R Mouriño-Pérez
- c Departamento de Microbiología , Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada , Ensenada , Baja California , México
| | - B D Shaw
- a Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology , Texas A&M University , 2132 TAMU , College Station , Texas 77845
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40
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Konarzewska P, Wang Y, Han GS, Goh KJ, Gao YG, Carman GM, Xue C. Phosphatidylserine synthesis is essential for viability of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:2329-2339. [PMID: 30602568 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Phospholipids are an integral part of the cellular membrane structure and can be produced by a de novo biosynthetic pathway and, alternatively, by the Kennedy pathway. Studies in several yeast species have shown that the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) is synthesized from CDP-diacylglycerol and serine, a route that is different from its synthesis in mammalian cells, involving a base-exchange reaction from preexisting phospholipids. Fungal-specific PS synthesis has been shown to play an important role in fungal virulence and has been proposed as an attractive drug target. However, PS synthase, which catalyzes this reaction, has not been studied in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans Here, we identified and characterized the PS synthase homolog (Cn Cho1) in this fungus. Heterologous expression of Cn CHO1 in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cho1Δ mutant rescued the mutant's growth defect in the absence of ethanolamine supplementation. Moreover, an Sc cho1Δ mutant expressing Cn CHO1 had PS synthase activity, confirming that the Cn CHO1 encodes PS synthase. We also found that PS synthase in C. neoformans is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and that it is essential for mitochondrial function and cell viability. Of note, its deficiency could not be complemented by ethanolamine or choline supplementation for the synthesis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidylcholine (PC) via the Kennedy pathway. These findings improve our understanding of phospholipid synthesis in a pathogenic fungus and indicate that PS synthase may be a useful target for antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yina Wang
- From the Public Health Research Institute and
| | - Gil-Soo Han
- the Rutgers Center for Lipid Research and.,Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, and
| | - Kwok Jian Goh
- the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Yong-Gui Gao
- the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - George M Carman
- the Rutgers Center for Lipid Research and.,Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, and
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- From the Public Health Research Institute and .,the Rutgers Center for Lipid Research and.,Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07103
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41
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Hanadate Y, Saito-Nakano Y, Nakada-Tsukui K, Nozaki T. Identification and Characterization of the Entamoeba Histolytica Rab8a Binding Protein: A Cdc50 Homolog. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123831. [PMID: 30513690 PMCID: PMC6321534 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane traffic plays a pivotal role in virulence in the enteric protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica. EhRab8A small GTPase is a key regulator of membrane traffic at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of this protist and is involved in the transport of plasma membrane proteins. Here we identified the binding proteins of EhRab8A. The Cdc50 homolog, a non-catalytic subunit of lipid flippase, was identified as an EhRab8A binding protein candidate by affinity coimmunoprecipitation. Binding of EhRab8A to EhCdc50 was also confirmed by reciprocal immunoprecipitation and blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the latter of which revealed an 87 kDa complex. Indirect immunofluorescence imaging with and without Triton X100 showed that endogenous EhCdc50 localized on the surface in the absence of permeabilizing agent but was observed on the intracellular structures and overlapped with the ER marker Bip when Triton X100 was used. Overexpression of N-terminal HA-tagged EhCdc50 impaired its translocation to the plasma membrane and caused its accumulation in the ER. As reported previously in other organisms, overexpression and accumulation of Cdc50 in the ER likely inhibited surface transport and function of the plasma membrane lipid flippase P4-ATPase. Interestingly, HA-EhCdc50-expressing trophozoites gained resistance to miltefosine, which is consistent with the prediction that HA-EhCdc50 overexpression caused its accumulation in the ER and mislocalization of the unidentified lipid flippase. Similarly, EhRab8A gene silenced trophozoites showed increased resistance to miltefosine, supporting EhRab8A-dependent transport of EhCdc50. This study demonstrated for the first time that EhRab8A mediates the transport of EhCdc50 and lipid flippase P4-ATPase from the ER to the plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Hanadate
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
| | - Yumiko Saito-Nakano
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Kumiko Nakada-Tsukui
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Tomoyoshi Nozaki
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan.
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
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42
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Ksiezopolska E, Gabaldón T. Evolutionary Emergence of Drug Resistance in Candida Opportunistic Pathogens. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9090461. [PMID: 30235884 PMCID: PMC6162425 DOI: 10.3390/genes9090461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections, such as candidiasis caused by Candida, pose a problem of growing medical concern. In developed countries, the incidence of Candida infections is increasing due to the higher survival of susceptible populations, such as immunocompromised patients or the elderly. Existing treatment options are limited to few antifungal drug families with efficacies that vary depending on the infecting species. In this context, the emergence and spread of resistant Candida isolates are being increasingly reported. Understanding how resistance can evolve within naturally susceptible species is key to developing novel, more effective treatment strategies. However, in contrast to the situation of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, few studies have focused on the evolutionary mechanisms leading to drug resistance in fungal species. In this review, we will survey and discuss current knowledge on the genetic bases of resistance to antifungal drugs in Candida opportunistic pathogens. We will do so from an evolutionary genomics perspective, focusing on the possible evolutionary paths that may lead to the emergence and selection of the resistant phenotype. Finally, we will discuss the potential of future studies enabled by current developments in sequencing technologies, in vitro evolution approaches, and the analysis of serial clinical isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Ksiezopolska
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
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43
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Hori Y, Shibuya K. Role of FKS Gene in the Susceptibility of Pathogenic Fungi to Echinocandins. Med Mycol J 2018; 59:E31-E40. [PMID: 29848909 DOI: 10.3314/mmj.18.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Echinocandins are antifungal agents that specifically inhibit the biosynthesis of 1,3-β-D-glucan, a major structural component of fungal cell walls. Echinocandins are recommended as first-line or alternative/salvage therapy for candidiasis and aspergillosis in antifungal guidelines of various countries. Resistance to echinocandins has been reported in recent years. The mechanism of echinocandin resistance involves amino acid substitutions in hot spot regions of the FKS gene product, the catalytic subunit of 1,3-β-D-glucan synthase. This resistance mechanism contributes to not only acquired resistance in Candida spp., but also inherent resistance in some pathogenic fungi. An understanding of the echinocandin resistance mechanism is important to develop both effective diagnosis and treatment options for echinocandin-resistant fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Hori
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Toho University School of Medicine
| | - Kazutoshi Shibuya
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Toho University School of Medicine
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44
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Brown HE, Ost KS, Esher SK, Pianalto KM, Saelens JW, Guan Z, Andrew Alspaugh J. Identifying a novel connection between the fungal plasma membrane and pH-sensing. Mol Microbiol 2018; 109:474-493. [PMID: 29885030 PMCID: PMC6173979 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which micro-organisms sense and internalize extracellular pH signals are not completely understood. One example of a known external pH-sensing process is the fungal-specific Rim/Pal signal transduction pathway. Fungi, such as the opportunistic pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, use Rim signaling to sense and respond to changes in environmental pH. Mutations in this pathway result in strains that are attenuated for survival at alkaline pH, and often for survival within the host. Here, we used an insertional mutagenesis screen to identify novel genes required for C. neoformans growth at host pH. We discovered altered alkaline pH growth in several strains with specific defects in plasma membrane composition and maintenance of phospholipid assembly. Among these, loss of function of the Cdc50 lipid flippase regulatory subunit affected the temporal dynamics of Rim pathway activation. We defined distinct and overlapping cellular processes regulated by Rim101 and Cdc50 through analysis of the transcriptome in these mutant strains. We further explored how pH-induced membrane changes affect membrane-bound pH-sensing proteins, specifically the C-terminal domain of the Rra1 protein, an upstream Rim pathway activator and pH sensor. These results suggest both broadly applicable and phylum-specific molecular interactions that drive microbial environmental sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Brown
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology/Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kyla S Ost
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology/Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Shannon K Esher
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology/Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kaila M Pianalto
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology/Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph W Saelens
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology/Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - J Andrew Alspaugh
- Departments of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology/Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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45
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Revie NM, Iyer KR, Robbins N, Cowen LE. Antifungal drug resistance: evolution, mechanisms and impact. Curr Opin Microbiol 2018; 45:70-76. [PMID: 29547801 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Microorganisms have a remarkable capacity to evolve resistance to antimicrobial agents, threatening the efficacy of the limited arsenal of antimicrobials and becoming a dire public health crisis. This is of particular concern for fungal pathogens, which cause devastating invasive infections with treatment options limited to only three major classes of antifungal drugs. The paucity of antifungals with clinical utility is in part due to close evolutionary relationships between these eukaryotic pathogens and their human hosts, which limits the unique targets to be exploited therapeutically. This review highlights the mechanisms by which fungal pathogens of humans evolve resistance to antifungal drugs, which provide crucial insights to enable development of novel therapeutic strategies to thwart drug resistance and combat fungal infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Revie
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Kali R Iyer
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Nicole Robbins
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada.
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46
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Rizzo J, Colombo AC, Zamith-Miranda D, Silva VKA, Allegood JC, Casadevall A, Del Poeta M, Nosanchuk JD, Kronstad JW, Rodrigues ML. The putative flippase Apt1 is required for intracellular membrane architecture and biosynthesis of polysaccharide and lipids in Cryptococcus neoformans. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2018; 1865:532-541. [PMID: 29291962 PMCID: PMC6052768 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Flippases are responsible for the asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in biological membranes. In the encapsulated fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, the putative flippase Apt1 is an important regulator of polysaccharide secretion and pathogenesis in mice by unknown mechanisms. In this study, we analyzed the role of C. neoformans Apt1 in intracellular membrane architecture and synthesis of polysaccharide and lipids. Analysis of wild type (WT), apt1Δ (mutant) and apt1Δ::APT1 (complemented) strains by transmission electron microscopy revealed that deletion of APT1 resulted in the formation of irregular vacuoles. Disorganization of vacuolar membranes in apt1Δ cells was accompanied by a significant increase in the amounts of intra-vacuolar and pigment-containing vesicles. Quantitative immunogold labeling of C. neoformans cells with a monoclonal antibody raised to a major capsular component suggested impaired polysaccharide synthesis. APT1 deletion also affected synthesis of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, inositolphosphoryl ceramide, glucosylceramide and ergosterylglycoside. These results reveal novel functions of Apt1 and are in agreement with the notion that this putative flippase plays an important role in the physiology of C. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Rizzo
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde (CDTS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana C Colombo
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, New York, USA; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Química Biológica do Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Vanessa K A Silva
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde (CDTS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jeremy C Allegood
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, USA
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Maurizio Del Poeta
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University, New York, USA; Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Stony Brook University, New York, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - James W Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde (CDTS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Cassilly CD, Reynolds TB. PS, It's Complicated: The Roles of Phosphatidylserine and Phosphatidylethanolamine in the Pathogenesis of Candida albicans and Other Microbial Pathogens. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4010028. [PMID: 29461490 PMCID: PMC5872331 DOI: 10.3390/jof4010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The phospholipids phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) play important roles in the virulence of Candida albicans and loss of PS synthesis or synthesis of PE from PS (PS decarboxylase) severely compromises virulence in C. albicans in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. This review discusses synthesis of PE and PS in C. albicans and mechanisms by which these lipids impact virulence in this fungus. This is further compared to how PS and PE synthesis impact virulence in other fungi, parasites and bacteria. Furthermore, the impact of PS asymmetry on virulence and extracellular vesicle formation in several microbes is reviewed. Finally, the potential for PS and PE synthases as drug targets in these various kingdoms is also examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsi D Cassilly
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
| | - Todd B Reynolds
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
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48
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Morio F, Jensen RH, Le Pape P, Arendrup MC. Molecular basis of antifungal drug resistance in yeasts. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2017; 50:599-606. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2017.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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49
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Aghaei Gharehbolagh S, Nasimi M, Agha Kuchak Afshari S, Ghasemi Z, Rezaie S. First case of superficial infection due to Naganishia albida (formerly Cryptococcus albidus) in Iran: A review of the literature. Curr Med Mycol 2017. [PMID: 29354779 PMCID: PMC5763896 DOI: 10.29252/cmm.3.2.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Naganishia albida (formerly Cryptococcus albidus) is a non-neoformans cryptococcal species rarely isolated as a human pathogen. Case report: Herein, we present the case of a 26-year-old Iranian man with a superficial cutaneous lesion in the axilla. The initial treatment for pityriasis versicolor by clotrimazole was unsuccessful. We performed skin sampling based on the standard protocol and conducted further investigations by the conventional laboratory tests and molecular analysis of the skin samples. All the mentioned analyses revealed N.albida as the causative agent of infection. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) analysis was carried out for the isolated agent, and the patient was treated using 100 mg daily of oral itraconazole. Conclusion: N. albida can be the causative agent of some superficial infections. This is the first report on the successful detection and treatment of a superficial skin infection due to N. albida by oral itraconazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Aghaei Gharehbolagh
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - M Nasimi
- Department of Dermatology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - S Agha Kuchak Afshari
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Z Ghasemi
- Department of Medical Mycology, Razi Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - S Rezaie
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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50
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Toh-E A, Ohkusu M, Shimizu K, Yamaguchi M, Ishiwada N, Watanabe A, Kamei K. Creation, characterization and utilization of Cryptococcus neoformans mutants sensitive to micafungin. Curr Genet 2017; 63:1093-1104. [PMID: 28560585 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-017-0713-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We constructed deletion mutants of Cryptococcus neoformans var neoformans (serotype D) genes encoding late ergosterol biosynthetic pathway enzymes and found that the mutations enhanced susceptibility to various drugs including micafungin, one of the echinocandins, to which wild-type Cryptococcus strains show no susceptibility. Furthermore, through isolation of a mutant resistant to micafungin from a micafungin-sensitive erg mutant and genetic analysis of it, we found that the responsible mutation occurred in the hotspot 2 of FKS1 encoding β-1, 3-glucan synthase, indicating that micafungin inhibited the growth of the erg mutant via inhibiting Fks1 activity. Addition of ergosterol to the culture of the erg mutants recovered the resistance to micafungin, suggesting that the presence of ergosterol in membrane inhibits the accession of micafungin to its target. We found that a loss of one of genes encoding subunits of v-ATPase, VPH1, made Cryptococcus cells sensitive to micafungin. Our observation that the erg2 vph1 double mutant was more sensitive to micafungin than either single mutant suggests that these two genes act differently in becoming resistant to micafungin. The erg mutants allowed us to study the physiological significance of β-1, 3-glucan synthesis in C. neoformans; the inhibition of β-1, 3-glucan synthesis induced cell death and changes in cellular morphology. By observing the erg mutant cells recovering from the growth inhibition imposed by micafungin, we recognized β-1, 3-glucan synthesis would suppress filamentous growth in C. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akio Toh-E
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8673, Japan.
| | - Misako Ohkusu
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8673, Japan
| | - Kiminori Shimizu
- Tokyo University of Science, 6-3-1 Niijuku, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo, 125-8585, Japan
| | - Masashi Yamaguchi
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8673, Japan
| | - Naruhiko Ishiwada
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8673, Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8673, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Kamei
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba, 260-8673, Japan
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