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Nong Y, Wang F, Shuai F, Chen S. Morphology, Development, and Pigment Production of Talaromyces marneffei are Diversely Modulated Under Physiologically Relevant Growth Conditions. Curr Microbiol 2024; 81:119. [PMID: 38526674 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-024-03623-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Talaromyces marneffei is an opportunistic pathogenic fungus that mainly affects HIV-positive individuals endemic to Southeast Asia and China. Increasing efforts have been made in the pathogenic mechanism and host interactions understanding of this pathogen in the last two decades; however, there are still no conclusions on how T. marneffei was transmitted from the donor bamboo rats to humans. A perception that the failure of fungus isolation from soil was attributed to the low salt tolerance of T. marneffei. Therefore, the effect of environmental fluctuations in fungal growth and development is fundamental for the characterization of its origin and fungal biology understanding. Herein, we characterized high osmolarity, pH, metal ions, nutrients, and oxidative stress have versatile effects on T. marneffei hyphal or yeast growth, conidia generation, and pigment production. Among these, high pH, low glucose amounts, and the inorganic nitrogen ammonium tartrate stimulated the red pigment production, whereas high osmolarity, high pH, and the inorganic nitrogen sodium nitrate could significantly accelerate the conidia generation. Specifically, zinc starvation repressed conidia generation and prevented the wrinkled yeast colony formation, indicating the function of zinc regulators in pathogenicity regulation. Since conidia are recognized as the infectious propagules, the effects characterization of different environmental factors in T. marneffei morphology in this work will not only expand the growth and pathogenic biology understanding of the fungus but also provide more clues for the T. marneffei infection transmission origin investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Nong
- Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, 530200, Guangxi, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Intensive Care Unit, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology in Genomic Modification & Editing and Application, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, 518035, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Feifei Shuai
- Intensive Care Unit, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology in Genomic Modification & Editing and Application, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, 518035, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, 530200, Guangxi, China.
- Intensive Care Unit, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology in Genomic Modification & Editing and Application, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, 518035, Shenzhen, China.
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2
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Mannino MC, Davyt-Colo B, Huarte-Bonnet C, Diambra L, Pedrini N. Transcriptomic landscape of the interaction between the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana and its tolerant host Tribolium castaneum revealed by dual RNA-seq. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16506. [PMID: 37783781 PMCID: PMC10545715 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43889-y] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana are the only insect pathogens able to start the infection process by penetrating through the host cuticle. However, some insects try to avoid fungal infection by embedding their cuticle with antifungal compounds. This is the case of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, which generates economical loss of great significance in stored product environments worldwide. In this study, T. castaneum adults were fed during different time periods (from 3 to 72 h) on B. bassiana conidia-covered corn kernels. The progression of fungal infection was monitored using the dual RNA-seq technique to reconstruct the temporal transcriptomic profile and to perform gene enrichment analyses in both interacting organisms. After mapping the total reads with the B. bassiana genome, 904 genes were identified during this process. The more expressed fungal genes were related to carbon catabolite repression, cation binding, peptidase inhibition, redox processes, and stress response. Several immune-related genes from Toll, IMD, and JNK pathways, as well as genes related to chitin modification, were found to be differentially expressed in fungus-exposed T. castaneum. This study represents the first dual transcriptomic approach to help understand the interaction between the entomopathogenic fungus B. bassiana and its tolerant host T. castaneum.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Constanza Mannino
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT La Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Calles 60 y 120, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Belén Davyt-Colo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT La Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Calles 60 y 120, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Carla Huarte-Bonnet
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT La Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Calles 60 y 120, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Luis Diambra
- Centro Regional de Estudios Genómicos (CREG), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Boulevard 120 1459, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
- CONICET, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Pedrini
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de La Plata (INIBIOLP), CCT La Plata Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Calles 60 y 120, 1900, La Plata, Argentina.
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3
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Goldman G, Valero C, Pinzan C, de Castro P, van Rhijn N, Earle K, Liu H, Horta MA, Kniemeyer O, Kruger T, Pschibul A, Coemert D, Heinekamp T, Brakhage A, Steenwyk J, Mead M, Rokas A, Filler S, da Rosa-Garzon N, Delbaje E, Bromley M, Angeli C, Palmisano G, Ibrahim A, Gago S, Does Reis T. A phylogenetic approach to explore the Aspergillus fumigatus conidial surface-associated proteome and its role in pathogenesis. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3306535. [PMID: 37790311 PMCID: PMC10543367 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3306535/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus, an important pulmonary fungal pathogen causing several diseases collectively called aspergillosis, relies on asexual spores (conidia) for initiating host infection. Here, we used a phylogenomic approach to compare proteins in the conidial surface of A. fumigatus, two closely related non-pathogenic species, Aspergillus fischeri and Aspergillus oerlinghausenensis, and the cryptic pathogen Aspergillus lentulus. After identifying 62 proteins uniquely expressed on the A. fumigatus conidial surface, we assessed null mutants for 42 genes encoding conidial proteins. Deletion of 33 of these genes altered susceptibility to macrophage killing, penetration and damage to epithelial cells, and cytokine production. Notably, a gene that encodes glycosylasparaginase, which modulates levels of the host pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, is important for infection in an immunocompetent murine model of fungal disease. These results suggest that A. fumigatus conidial surface proteins and effectors are important for evasion and modulation of the immune response at the onset of fungal infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Bloco Q, Universidade de São Paulo
| | | | - Camila Pinzan
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Bloco Q, Universidade de São Paulo
| | - Patrícia de Castro
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo
| | | | - Kayleigh Earle
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
| | - Hong Liu
- The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation
| | | | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI)
| | | | - Annica Pschibul
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) and Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University
| | - Derya Coemert
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) and Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) and Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University
| | | | | | | | | | - Scott Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ashraf Ibrahim
- The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-University of California Los Angeles Medical Center
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4
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Latgé JP. Cell wall of Aspergillus fumigatus: Variability and response to stress. Fungal Biol 2023; 127:1259-1266. [PMID: 37495316 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The fungal cell is surrounded by a thick cell wall which obviously play an essential role in the protection of the fungus against external aggressive environments. In spite of 50 years of studies, the cell wall remains poorly known and especially its constant modifications during growth as well as environmental changes is not well appreciated. This review focus on the cell wall changes seen between different fungal stages and cell populations with a specific view to explain the resistance to stresses.
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5
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Roe K. Treatment alternatives for multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103596. [PMID: 37086779 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103596] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
Several fungal pathogens are becoming resistant to conventional fungal infection treatments, and some fungal pathogens have become multidrug resistant. Alternative treatments include fungal vaccines, natural or synthetic monoclonal antibody (mAb) injections, or potentially natural or synthetic mAbs produced in vivo by packaged mRNA. Specifically synthesized proteins can mask distinctive pathogenic fungal surface proteins and target pathogenic fungal proteins to stop fungal infections. Treatments could use direct injections or injections of packaged mRNA with instructions for patient synthesis of either the natural or synthetic mAbs. These alternative treatments offer potentially significant advantages compared with existing treatments for fungal pathogens. Teaser: New fungal pathogen treatment approaches can use natural or synthetic monoclonal antibodies to activate immune cells and treat specific fungal infections that are now multidrug resistant to conventional antifungal drugs.
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6
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Jia LJ, Rafiq M, Radosa L, Hortschansky P, Cunha C, Cseresnyés Z, Krüger T, Schmidt F, Heinekamp T, Straßburger M, Löffler B, Doenst T, Lacerda JF, Campos A, Figge MT, Carvalho A, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA. Aspergillus fumigatus hijacks human p11 to redirect fungal-containing phagosomes to non-degradative pathway. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:373-388.e10. [PMID: 36893734 PMCID: PMC10016320 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The decision whether endosomes enter the degradative or recycling pathway in mammalian cells is of fundamental importance for pathogen killing, and its malfunctioning has pathological consequences. We discovered that human p11 is a critical factor for this decision. The HscA protein present on the conidial surface of the human-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus anchors p11 on conidia-containing phagosomes (PSs), excludes the PS maturation mediator Rab7, and triggers binding of exocytosis mediators Rab11 and Sec15. This reprogramming redirects PSs to the non-degradative pathway, allowing A. fumigatus to escape cells by outgrowth and expulsion as well as transfer of conidia between cells. The clinical relevance is supported by the identification of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the non-coding region of the S100A10 (p11) gene that affects mRNA and protein expression in response to A. fumigatus and is associated with protection against invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. These findings reveal the role of p11 in mediating fungal PS evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei-Jie Jia
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Muhammad Rafiq
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Lukáš Radosa
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | | | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Schmidt
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinekamp
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | | | - Bettina Löffler
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Torsten Doenst
- Klinik für Herz- und Thoraxchirurgie, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - João F Lacerda
- Serviço de Hematologia e Transplantação de Medula, Hospital de Santa Maria, 1649-035 Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - António Campos
- Serviço de Transplantação de Medula Óssea, Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Marc Thilo Figge
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07745 Jena, Germany; Research Group Applied Systems Biology, Leibniz-HKI, Jena, Germany
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), 07745 Jena, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07745 Jena, Germany.
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7
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Schwarz C, Eschenhagen P, Schmidt H, Hohnstein T, Iwert C, Grehn C, Roehmel J, Steinke E, Stahl M, Lozza L, Tikhonova E, Rosati E, Stervbo U, Babel N, Mainz JG, Wisplinghoff H, Ebel F, Jia LJ, Blango MG, Hortschansky P, Brunke S, Hube B, Brakhage AA, Kniemeyer O, Scheffold A, Bacher P. Antigen specificity and cross-reactivity drive functionally diverse anti-Aspergillus fumigatus T cell responses in cystic fibrosis. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:161593. [PMID: 36701198 PMCID: PMC9974102 DOI: 10.1172/jci161593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDThe fungus Aspergillus fumigatus causes a variety of clinical phenotypes in patients with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Th cells orchestrate immune responses against fungi, but the types of A. fumigatus-specific Th cells in pwCF and their contribution to protective immunity or inflammation remain poorly characterized.METHODSWe used antigen-reactive T cell enrichment (ARTE) to investigate fungus-reactive Th cells in peripheral blood of pwCF and healthy controls.RESULTSWe show that clonally expanded, high-avidity A. fumigatus-specific effector Th cells, which were absent in healthy donors, developed in pwCF. Individual patients were characterized by distinct Th1-, Th2-, or Th17-dominated responses that remained stable over several years. These different Th subsets target different A. fumigatus proteins, indicating that differential antigen uptake and presentation directs Th cell subset development. Patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) are characterized by high frequencies of Th2 cells that cross-recognize various filamentous fungi.CONCLUSIONOur data highlight the development of heterogenous Th responses targeting different protein fractions of a single fungal pathogen and identify the development of multispecies cross-reactive Th2 cells as a potential risk factor for ABPA.FUNDINGGerman Research Foundation (DFG), under Germany's Excellence Strategy (EXC 2167-390884018 "Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation" and EXC 2051-390713860 "Balance of the Microverse"); Oskar Helene Heim Stiftung; Christiane Herzog Stiftung; Mukoviszidose Institut gGmb; German Cystic Fibrosis Association Mukoviszidose e.V; German Federal Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) InfectControl 2020 Projects AnDiPath (BMBF 03ZZ0838A+B).
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Schwarz
- Klinikum Westbrandenburg, Campus Potsdam, Cystic Fibrosis Section, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Patience Eschenhagen
- Klinikum Westbrandenburg, Campus Potsdam, Cystic Fibrosis Section, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Henrijette Schmidt
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel and UKSH Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thordis Hohnstein
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christina Iwert
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Translational Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Grehn
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jobst Roehmel
- Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt – Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eva Steinke
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt – Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,German Center for Lung Research (DZL), associated partner site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mirjam Stahl
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine, Immunology and Critical Care Medicine and Cystic Fibrosis Center, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt – Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,German Center for Lung Research (DZL), associated partner site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura Lozza
- Cell Biology Laboratory, Precision for Medicine GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ekaterina Tikhonova
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel and UKSH Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Elisa Rosati
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel and UKSH Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Ulrik Stervbo
- Center for Translational Medicine and Immune Diagnostics Laboratory, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum, Herne, Germany
| | - Nina Babel
- Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Center for Translational Medicine and Immune Diagnostics Laboratory, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr University Bochum, Herne, Germany
| | - Jochen G. Mainz
- Brandenburg Medical School/Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg (MHB), University, Pediatric Pulmonology/Cystic Fibrosis, Klinikum Westbrandenburg, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
| | - Hilmar Wisplinghoff
- Labor Dr. Wisplinghoff, Cologne, Germany.,Institute for Virology and Microbiology, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Frank Ebel
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Lei-Jie Jia
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Matthew G. Blango
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Scheffold
- Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel and UKSH Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Petra Bacher
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.,Institute of Immunology, Christian-Albrecht University of Kiel and UKSH Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
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8
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Goswami L, Gupta L, Paul S, Vijayaraghavan P, Bhattacharya AK. Design and Synthesis of 1,3-Diynes as Potent Antifungal Agents against Aspergillus fumigatus. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300013. [PMID: 36852543 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Eugenol and isoeugenol, secondary metabolites isolated from the plant Myristica fragrans have displayed antifungal activities against Aspergillus fumigatus (IC50 1900 μM). Compounds having conjugated unsaturation have been of great use as antifungals i. e. amphotericin B, nystatin and terbinafine etc. Hence, in the present study, we have designed and synthesised 1,3-diynes by utilizing Glaser-Hay and Cadiot-Chodkiewicz coupling reactions to furnish possible antifungal agents. Synthesis of 1,6-diphenoxyhexa-2,4-diyne derivatives was achieved by Cu(I) catalysed coupling of propargylated eugenol, isoeugenol, guaiacol, vanillin and dihydrogenated eugenol or eugenol in good to excellent yields. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated against pathogenic fungus A. fumigatus. Among all the synthesized compounds, one of the compounds was found to be exhibiting promising antifungal activity with IC50 value of 7.75 μM thereby suggesting that this type of scaffold could pave the way for developing new antifungal agents. The most active compound was found to be low cytotoxic when assayed against L-132 cancer cell line. Effect of the most active compound on ergosterol biosynthesis has also been studied. Also, the most active compound exhibited significant anti-biofilm activity although the concentration was found to be higher than its anti-fungal activity. Morphological changes in the biofilm were remarkable under confocal laser scanning microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lakshmi Goswami
- Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411 008, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201 002, India
| | - Lovely Gupta
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh Sector-125, Noida, India
| | - Sayantan Paul
- Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411 008, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201 002, India
| | - Pooja Vijayaraghavan
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh Sector-125, Noida, India
| | - Asish K Bhattacharya
- Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, 411 008, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201 002, India
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9
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Liu Z, Valsecchi I, Le Meur RA, Simenel C, Guijarro JI, Comte C, Muszkieta L, Mouyna I, Henrissat B, Aimanianda V, Latgé JP, Fontaine T. Conidium Specific Polysaccharides in Aspergillus fumigatus. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020155. [PMID: 36836270 PMCID: PMC9964227 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Earlier studies have shown that the outer layers of the conidial and mycelial cell walls of Aspergillus fumigatus are different. In this work, we analyzed the polysaccharidome of the resting conidial cell wall and observed major differences within the mycelium cell wall. Mainly, the conidia cell wall was characterized by (i) a smaller amount of α-(1,3)-glucan and chitin; (ii) a larger amount of β-(1,3)-glucan, which was divided into alkali-insoluble and water-soluble fractions, and (iii) the existence of a specific mannan with side chains containing galactopyranose, glucose, and N-acetylglucosamine residues. An analysis of A. fumigatus cell wall gene mutants suggested that members of the fungal GH-72 transglycosylase family play a crucial role in the conidia cell wall β-(1,3)-glucan organization and that α-(1,6)-mannosyltransferases of GT-32 and GT-62 families are essential to the polymerization of the conidium-associated cell wall mannan. This specific mannan and the well-known galactomannan follow two independent biosynthetic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Liu
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Aspergillus, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Isabel Valsecchi
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Aspergillus, 75015 Paris, France
- DYNAMYC 7380, Faculté de Santé, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC), 94010 Créteil, France
| | - Rémy A. Le Meur
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR3528, Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Catherine Simenel
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR3528, Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, 75015 Paris, France
| | - J. Iñaki Guijarro
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR3528, Biological NMR and HDX-MS Technological Platform, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Catherine Comte
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Aspergillus, 75015 Paris, France
| | | | - Isabelle Mouyna
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Aspergillus, 75015 Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité de Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Bernard Henrissat
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, 163 Avenue de Luminy, CEDEX 09, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR2000, Unité de Mycologie Moléculaire, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Paul Latgé
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Aspergillus, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Thierry Fontaine
- Institut Pasteur, Unité des Aspergillus, 75015 Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, 75015 Paris, France
- Correspondence:
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10
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Zhong H, Lu RY, Wang Y. Neutrophil extracellular traps in fungal infections: A seesaw battle in hosts. Front Immunol 2022; 13:977493. [PMID: 36189199 PMCID: PMC9515532 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.977493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections are a growing health care challenge. Neutrophils play a key role in defense against fungal infections. There are many effective ways for neutrophils to eliminate fungal invaders, such as phagocytosis, oxidative bursts, and the formation of extracellular traps. This process has received considerable attention and has made rapid progress since neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation was described. Here, we describe the formation, induction, and function of NETs, as well as fungal strategies against NETs hunting. We highlight the effects of NETs on common fungal pathogens and how these pathogens survive.
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11
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Novel Treatment Approach for Aspergilloses by Targeting Germination. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080758. [PMID: 35893126 PMCID: PMC9331470 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Germination of conidia is an essential process within the Aspergillus life cycle and plays a major role during the infection of hosts. Conidia are able to avoid detection by the majority of leukocytes when dormant. Germination can cause severe health problems, specifically in immunocompromised people. Aspergillosis is most often caused by Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) and affects neutropenic patients, as well as people with cystic fibrosis (CF). These patients are often unable to effectively detect and clear the conidia or hyphae and can develop chronic non-invasive and/or invasive infections or allergic inflammatory responses. Current treatments with (tri)azoles can be very effective to combat a variety of fungal infections. However, resistance against current azoles has emerged and has been increasing since 1998. As a consequence, patients infected with resistant A. fumigatus have a reported mortality rate of 88% to 100%. Especially with the growing number of patients that harbor azole-resistant Aspergilli, novel antifungals could provide an alternative. Aspergilloses differ in defining characteristics, but germination of conidia is one of the few common denominators. By specifically targeting conidial germination with novel antifungals, early intervention might be possible. In this review, we propose several morphotypes to disrupt conidial germination, as well as potential targets. Hopefully, new antifungals against such targets could contribute to disturbing the ability of Aspergilli to germinate and grow, resulting in a decreased fungal burden on patients.
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12
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Challenges in Serologic Diagnostics of Neglected Human Systemic Mycoses: An Overview on Characterization of New Targets. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11050569. [PMID: 35631090 PMCID: PMC9143782 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemic mycoses have been viewed as neglected diseases and they are responsible for deaths and disabilities around the world. Rapid, low-cost, simple, highly-specific and sensitive diagnostic tests are critical components of patient care, disease control and active surveillance. However, the diagnosis of fungal infections represents a great challenge because of the decline in the expertise needed for identifying fungi, and a reduced number of instruments and assays specific to fungal identification. Unfortunately, time of diagnosis is one of the most important risk factors for mortality rates from many of the systemic mycoses. In addition, phenotypic and biochemical identification methods are often time-consuming, which has created an increasing demand for new methods of fungal identification. In this review, we discuss the current context of the diagnosis of the main systemic mycoses and propose alternative approaches for the identification of new targets for fungal pathogens, which can help in the development of new diagnostic tests.
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13
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Gupta L, Sen P, Bhattacharya AK, Vijayaraghavan P. Isoeugenol affects expression pattern of conidial hydrophobin gene RodA and transcriptional regulators MedA and SomA responsible for adherence and biofilm formation in Aspergillus fumigatus. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:214. [PMID: 35314887 PMCID: PMC8938220 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02817-w] [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: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the major pathogenic fungal species, causing life-threatening infections. Due to a limited spectrum of available antifungals, exploration of new drug targets as well as potential antifungal molecules has become pertinent. Rodlet layer plays an important role in adherence of fungal conidia to hydrophobic cell surfaces in host, which also leads to A. fumigatus biofilm formation, contributing factor to fungal pathogenicity. From decades, natural sources have been known for the development of new active molecules. The present study investigates effect of isoeugenol on genes responsible for hydrophobins (RodA), adhesion as well as biofilm formation (MedA and SomA) of A. fumigatus. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC and IC50) of isoeugenol against A. fumigatus were determined using broth microdilution assay. The IC50 results showed reduced hydrophobicity and biofilm formation as well as eradication after treatment with the compound and electron micrograph data corroborated these findings. The qRT-PCR showed a significant downregulation of genes RodA, MedA, SomA and pksP involved in hydrophobicity and biofilm formation. SwissADME studies potentiated drug-like propensity for isoeugenol which formed four hydrogen bonds with low binding energy (− 4.54 kcal/mol) at the catalytic site of RodA protein studied via AutoDock4. Hence, the findings conclude that isoeugenol inhibits conidial hydrophobicity and biofilm formation of A. fumigatus and further investigations are warranted in this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lovely Gupta
- Antimycotic and Drug Susceptibility Laboratory, Lab 120, J3 block, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pooja Sen
- Antimycotic and Drug Susceptibility Laboratory, Lab 120, J3 block, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Asish K Bhattacharya
- Division of Organic Chemistry, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Pooja Vijayaraghavan
- Antimycotic and Drug Susceptibility Laboratory, Lab 120, J3 block, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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14
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Rahman S, van Rhijn N, Papastamoulis P, Thomson DD, Carter Z, Fortune-Grant R, Rattray M, Bromley MJ, Bignell E. Distinct Cohorts of Aspergillus fumigatus Transcription Factors Are Required for Epithelial Damage Occurring via Contact- or Soluble Effector-Mediated Mechanisms. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:907519. [PMID: 35982778 PMCID: PMC9379863 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.907519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Damage to the lung epithelium is a unifying feature of disease caused by the saprophytic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. However, the mechanistic basis and the regulatory control of such damage is poorly characterized. Previous studies have identified A. fumigatus mediated pathogenesis as occurring at early (≤ 16 hours) or late (>16 hours) phases of the fungal interaction with epithelial cells, and respectively involve direct contact with the host cell or the action of soluble factors produced by mature fungal hyphae. Both early and late phases of epithelial damage have been shown to be subject to genetic regulation by the pH-responsive transcription factor PacC. This study sought to determine whether other transcriptional regulators play a role in modulating epithelial damage. In particular, whether the early and late phases of epithelial damage are governed by same or distinct regulators. Furthermore, whether processes such as spore uptake and hyphal adhesion, that have previously been documented to promote epithelial damage, are governed by the same cohorts of epithelial regulators. Using 479 strains from the recently constructed library of A. fumigatus transcription factor null mutants, two high-throughput screens assessing epithelial cell detachment and epithelial cell lysis were conducted. A total of 17 transcription factor mutants were found to exhibit reproducible deficits in epithelial damage causation. Of these, 10 mutants were defective in causing early phase damage via epithelial detachment and 8 mutants were defective in causing late phase damage via epithelial lysis. Remarkably only one transcription factor, PacC, was required for causation of both phases of epithelial damage. The 17 mutants exhibited varied and often unique phenotypic profiles with respect to fitness, epithelial adhesion, cell wall defects, and rates of spore uptake by epithelial cells. Strikingly, 9 out of 10 mutants deficient in causing early phase damage also exhibited reduced rates of hyphal extension, and culture supernatants of 7 out of 8 mutants deficient in late phase damage were significantly less cytotoxic. Our study delivers the first high-level overview of A. fumigatus regulatory genes governing lung epithelial damage, suggesting highly coordinated genetic orchestration of host-damaging activities that govern epithelial damage in both space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayema Rahman
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Norman van Rhijn
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Darren D Thomson
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Zorana Carter
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael Fortune-Grant
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Magnus Rattray
- Division of Informatics, School of Heath Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael John Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine Bignell
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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15
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Kanjanapruthipong T, Sukphopetch P, Reamtong O, Isarangkul D, Muangkaew W, Thiangtrongjit T, Sansurin N, Fongsodsri K, Ampawong S. Cytoskeletal Alteration Is an Early Cellular Response in Pulmonary Epithelium Infected with Aspergillus fumigatus Rather than Scedosporium apiospermum. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:216-235. [PMID: 33890146 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01750-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Invasive aspergillosis and scedosporiosis are life-threatening fungal infections with similar clinical manifestations in immunocompromised patients. Contrarily, Scedosporium apiospermum is susceptible to some azole derivative but often resistant to amphotericin B. Histopathological examination alone cannot diagnose these two fungal species. Pathogenesis studies could contribute to explore candidate protein markers for new diagnosis and treatment methods leading to a decrease in mortality. In the present study, proteomics was conducted to identify significantly altered proteins in A549 cells infected with or without Aspergillus fumigatus and S. apiospermum as measured at initial invasion. Protein validation was performed with immunogold labelling alongside immunohistochemical techniques in infected A549 cells and lungs from murine models. Further, cytokine production was measured, using the Bio-Plex-Multiplex immunoassay. The cytoskeletal proteins HSPA9, PA2G4, VAT1, PSMA2, PEX1, PTGES3, KRT1, KRT9, CLIP1 and CLEC20A were mainly changed during A. fumigatus infection, while the immunologically activated proteins WNT7A, GAPDH and ANXA2 were principally altered during S. apiospermum infection. These proteins are involved in fungal internalisation and structural destruction leading to pulmonary disorders. Interleukin (IL)-21, IL-1α, IL-22, IL-2, IL-8, IL-12, IL-17A, interferon-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α were upregulated in both aspergillosis and scedosporiosis, although more predominately in the latter, in accordance with chitin synthase-1 and matrix metalloproteinase levels. Our results demonstrated that during invasion, A. fumigatus primarily altered host cellular integrity, whereas S. apiospermum chiefly induced and extensively modulated host immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tapanee Kanjanapruthipong
- Department of Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Passanesh Sukphopetch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Onrapak Reamtong
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetic, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Duangnate Isarangkul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, 272, Rama VI Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Watcharamat Muangkaew
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Tipparat Thiangtrongjit
- Department of Molecular Tropical Medicine and Genetic, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Nichapa Sansurin
- Northeast Laboratory Animal Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand
| | - Kamonpan Fongsodsri
- Department of Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Sumate Ampawong
- Department of Tropical Pathology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Ratchawithi Road, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
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16
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Welcome MO, Mastorakis NE. Neuropathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019: neuroinflammation and blood brain barrier disruption are critical pathophysiological processes that contribute to the clinical symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Inflammopharmacology 2021; 29:939-963. [PMID: 33822324 PMCID: PMC8021940 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-021-00806-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) first discovered in Wuhan, Hubei province, China in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 has infected several millions of people, resulting in a huge socioeconomic cost and over 2.5 million deaths worldwide. Though the pathogenesis of COVID-19 is not fully understood, data have consistently shown that SARS-CoV-2 mainly affects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Nevertheless, accumulating evidence has implicated the central nervous system in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Unfortunately, however, the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 induced impairment of the central nervous system are not completely known. Here, we review the literature on possible neuropathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 induced cerebral damage. The results suggest that downregulation of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with increased activity of the transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and cathepsin L in SARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasion may result in upregulation of proinflammatory mediators and reactive species that trigger neuroinflammatory response and blood brain barrier disruption. Furthermore, dysregulation of hormone and neurotransmitter signalling may constitute a fundamental mechanism involved in the neuropathogenic sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The viral RNA or antigenic peptides also activate or interact with molecular signalling pathways mediated by pattern recognition receptors (e.g., toll-like receptors), nuclear factor kappa B, Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription, complement cascades, and cell suicide molecules. Potential molecular targets and therapeutics of SARS-CoV-2 induced neurologic damage are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menizibeya O Welcome
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Nile University of Nigeria, Plot 681 Cadastral Zone, C-00 Research and Institution Area, Jabi Airport Road Bypass, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria.
| | - Nikos E Mastorakis
- Technical University of Sofia, Klement Ohridksi 8, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
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17
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Keizer EM, Valdes ID, Forn-Cuni G, Klijn E, Meijer AH, Hillman F, Wösten HAB, de Cock H. Variation of virulence of five Aspergillus fumigatus isolates in four different infection models. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252948. [PMID: 34242260 PMCID: PMC8270121 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus are inhaled by humans on daily basis. As a consequence, these conidia can cause infections that differ in severity ranging from allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis to invasive aspergillosis. In this study we compared virulence of five A. fumigatus isolates in four different infection models to address the predictive value of different model systems. Two of the A. fumigatus strains were isolated from dogs with a non-invasive sino-nasal aspergillosis (DTO271-B5 and DTO303-F3), while three strains were isolated from human patients with invasive aspergillosis (Af293, ATCC46645 and CEA10). Infection models used encompassed cultured type II A549 lung epithelial cells, Protostelium aurantium amoeba, Galleria melonella larvae and zebrafish embryos. No major differences in virulence between these five strains were observed in the lung epithelial cell model. In contrast, strain ATCC46645 was most virulent in the amoeba and zebrafish model, whereas it was much less virulent in the Galleria infection model. DTO303-F3 was most virulent in the latter model. In general, reference strain Af293 was less virulent as compared to the other strains. Genome sequence analysis showed that this latter strain differed from the other four strains in 136 SNPs in virulence-related genes. Together, our results show that virulence of individual A. fumigatus strains show significant differences between infection models. We conclude that the predictive value of different model systems varies since the relative virulence across fungal strains does not hold up across different infection model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. M. Keizer
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - I. D. Valdes
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - G. Forn-Cuni
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E. Klijn
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A. H. Meijer
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - F. Hillman
- Junior Research Group Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - H. A. B. Wösten
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - H. de Cock
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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18
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Page L, Wallstabe J, Lother J, Bauser M, Kniemeyer O, Strobel L, Voltersen V, Teutschbein J, Hortschansky P, Morton CO, Brakhage AA, Topp M, Einsele H, Wurster S, Loeffler J. CcpA- and Shm2-Pulsed Myeloid Dendritic Cells Induce T-Cell Activation and Enhance the Neutrophilic Oxidative Burst Response to Aspergillus fumigatus. Front Immunol 2021; 12:659752. [PMID: 34122417 PMCID: PMC8192083 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.659752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus causes life-threatening opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. As therapeutic outcomes of invasive aspergillosis (IA) are often unsatisfactory, the development of targeted immunotherapy remains an important goal. Linking the innate and adaptive immune system, dendritic cells are pivotal in anti-Aspergillus defense and have generated interest as a potential immunotherapeutic approach in IA. While monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) require ex vivo differentiation, antigen-pulsed primary myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) may present a more immediate platform for immunotherapy. To that end, we compared the response patterns and cellular interactions of human primary mDCs and moDCs pulsed with an A. fumigatus lysate and two A. fumigatus proteins (CcpA and Shm2) in a serum-free, GMP-compliant medium. CcpA and Shm2 triggered significant upregulation of maturation markers in mDCs and, to a lesser extent, moDCs. Furthermore, both A. fumigatus proteins elicited the release of an array of key pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and CCL3 from both DC populations. Compared to moDCs, CcpA- and Shm2-pulsed mDCs exhibited greater expression of MHC class II antigens and stimulated stronger proliferation and IFN-γ secretion from autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Moreover, supernatants of CcpA- and Shm2-pulsed mDCs significantly enhanced the oxidative burst in allogeneic neutrophils co-cultured with A. fumigatus germ tubes. Taken together, our in vitro data suggest that ex vivo CcpA- and Shm2-pulsed primary mDCs have the potential to be developed into an immunotherapeutic approach to tackle IA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Page
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Wallstabe
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.,Institute for Hygiene & Microbiology, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Jasmin Lother
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.,Centre for Image Guided Local Therapies, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Bauser
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Leibniz-Institute for Natural Products Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Lea Strobel
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Vera Voltersen
- Leibniz-Institute for Natural Products Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Janka Teutschbein
- Leibniz-Institute for Natural Products Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Hortschansky
- Leibniz-Institute for Natural Products Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Axel A Brakhage
- Leibniz-Institute for Natural Products Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany.,Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Max Topp
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Einsele
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wurster
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Juergen Loeffler
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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19
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Understanding the fundamental role of virulence determinants to combat Aspergillus fumigatus infections: exploring beyond cell wall. Mycol Prog 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11557-021-01677-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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20
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Xiao F, Li Y, Zhang Y, Wang H, Zhang L, Ding Z, Gu Z, Xu S, Shi G. A new CcpA binding site plays a bidirectional role in carbon catabolism in Bacillus licheniformis. iScience 2021; 24:102400. [PMID: 33997685 PMCID: PMC8091064 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus licheniformis is widely used to produce various valuable products, such as food enzymes, industrial chemicals, and biocides. The carbon catabolite regulation process in the utilization of raw materials is crucial to maximizing the efficiency of this microbial cell factory. The current understanding of the molecular mechanism of this regulation is based on limited motif patterns in protein-DNA recognition, where the typical catabolite-responsive element (CRE) motif is "TGWNANCGNTNWCA". Here, CRETre is identified and characterized as a new CRE. It consists of two palindrome arms of 6 nucleotides (AGCTTT/AAAGCT) and an intermediate spacer. CRETre is involved in bidirectional regulation in a glucose stress environment. When AGCTTT appears in the 5' end, the regulatory element exhibits a carbon catabolite activation effect, while AAAGCT in the 5' end corresponds to carbon catabolite repression. Further investigation indicated a wide occurrence of CRETre in the genome of B. licheniformis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengxu Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Youran Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yupeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Hanrong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhongyang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Zhenghua Gu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Sha Xu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Guiyang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, People's Republic of China.,National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214122, People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Provincial Research Center for Bioactive Product Processing Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
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21
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Jiang L, Gu R, Li X, Mu D. Simple and rapid detection Aspergillus fumigatus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with lateral flow biosensor assay. J Appl Microbiol 2021; 131:2351-2360. [PMID: 33788361 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIMS We have developed a new diagnostic technique, termed loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with lateral flow biosensor (LAMP-LFB), which has been successfully applied to the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus. MATERIAL AND METHODS A set of six LAMP primers was designed according to the A. fumigatus-specific anxC4 gene, which specifically recognized eight different regions of the target sequence. The LFB was employed for reporting the A. fumigatus-LAMP results, and the visual readouts were obtained within 2 min. The strains of A. fumigatus species and non-A. fumigatus species were used to test the assay's sensitivity and examine the analytical specificity of the target assay. Optimal LAMP conditions were 66°C for 50 min. The limit of detection is 100 fg. No cross-reactions were obtained, and the specificity of LAMP-LFB assay was 100%. The whole process of the assay, including 20 min of DNA preparation, 50 min of constant temperature amplification, and 2 min of detection by the sensor strip, took a total of 72 min (less than 75 min). Among 89 sputum specimens for clinical evaluation, 10 (11·23%) samples were A. fumigatus-positive by LAMP-LFB and traditional culture method, 9 (10·11%) samples were A. fumigatus-positive by PCR method. Compared with culture method, the diagnostic accuracy of LAMP-LFB method was 100%. CONCLUSIONS The novel LAMP-LFB detection technology established in the current research is a rapid and reliable detection tool for A. fumigatus. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This novel LAMP-LFB assay can quickly, specifically and sensitively detect A. fumigatus, thereby speeding up the detection process and increasing the detection rate. In addition, it can also be used as a new molecular method for detection of A. fumigatus in clinical and laboratory areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Jiang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - R Gu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Graduate School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - X Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Graduate School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - D Mu
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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22
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Hassan MIA, Keller M, Hillger M, Binder U, Reuter S, Herold K, Telagathoti A, Dahse HM, Wicht S, Trinks N, Nietzsche S, Deckert-Gaudig T, Deckert V, Mrowka R, Terpitz U, Peter Saluz H, Voigt K. The impact of episporic modification of Lichtheimia corymbifera on virulence and interaction with phagocytes. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:880-896. [PMID: 33598103 PMCID: PMC7851798 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.01.023] [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] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections caused by the ancient lineage Mucorales are emerging and increasingly reported in humans. Comprehensive surveys on promising attributes from a multitude of possible virulence factors are limited and so far, focused on Mucor and Rhizopus. This study addresses a systematic approach to monitor phagocytosis after physical and enzymatic modification of the outer spore wall of Lichtheimia corymbifera, one of the major causative agents of mucormycosis. Episporic modifications were performed and their consequences on phagocytosis, intracellular survival and virulence by murine alveolar macrophages and in an invertebrate infection model were elucidated. While depletion of lipids did not affect the phagocytosis of both strains, delipidation led to attenuation of LCA strain but appears to be dispensable for infection with LCV strain in the settings used in this study. Combined glucano-proteolytic treatment was necessary to achieve a significant decrease of virulence of the LCV strain in Galleria mellonella during maintenance of the full potential for spore germination as shown by a novel automated germination assay. Proteolytic and glucanolytic treatments largely increased phagocytosis compared to alive resting and swollen spores. Whilst resting spores barely (1–2%) fuse to lysosomes after invagination in to phagosomes, spore trypsinization led to a 10-fold increase of phagolysosomal fusion as measured by intracellular acidification. This is the first report of a polyphasic measurement of the consequences of episporic modification of a mucormycotic pathogen in spore germination, spore surface ultrastructure, phagocytosis, stimulation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), phagolysosomal fusion and intracellular acidification, apoptosis, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and virulence.
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Key Words
- AFM, Atomic Force Microscopy
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
- CD14, Cluster of differentiation 14
- CFW, Calcofluor white
- Galleria mellonella
- HEK, human embryonic kidney
- HSI, Hyperspectral imaging
- Hyperspectral imaging (HIS)
- IPS, Insect physiological saline
- Intracellular survival
- LCA, Lichtheimia corymbifera attenuated
- LCV, Lichtheimia corymbifera virulent
- MD-2, Myeloid Differentiation factor 2
- MH-S, Murine alveolar macrophages
- MM6, Acute monocytic leukemia derived human monocyte Mono-Mac-6
- Monocytes
- NF-κB, Nuclear factor 'kappa-light-chain-enhancer' of activated B-cells
- PBS, Phosphate buffer saline solution
- PI, Phagocytosis index
- ROS, Reactive oxygen species
- TEM, Transmission Electron Microscopy
- TLRs, Toll like receptors
- Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed I Abdelwahab Hassan
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.,Pests & Plant Protection Department, National Research Centre, 33rd El Buhouth St. (Postal code: 12622) Dokki, Giza, Egypt
| | - Monique Keller
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Hillger
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrike Binder
- Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Public Health, Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Schöpfstrasse 41/2, 6020 Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria
| | - Stefanie Reuter
- Experimental Nephrology Group, KIM III, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.,ThIMEDOP-Thüringer Innovationszentrum für Medizintechnik-Lösungen, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Kristina Herold
- Experimental Nephrology Group, KIM III, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Anusha Telagathoti
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Martin Dahse
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Saiedeh Wicht
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Biocenter - Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nora Trinks
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Biocenter - Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sandor Nietzsche
- Elektronenmikroskopisches Zentrum, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Tanja Deckert-Gaudig
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Volker Deckert
- Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, 07745 Jena, Germany.,Institute of Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller University, Helmholtzweg 4, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Institute of Quantum Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA
| | - Ralf Mrowka
- Experimental Nephrology Group, KIM III, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany.,ThIMEDOP-Thüringer Innovationszentrum für Medizintechnik-Lösungen, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Ulrich Terpitz
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, Biocenter - Am Hubland, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hans Peter Saluz
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany
| | - Kerstin Voigt
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Jena, Germany.,Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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23
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Dümig M, Binder J, Gaculenko A, Daul F, Winandy L, Hasenberg M, Gunzer M, Fischer R, Künzler M, Krappmann S. The infectious propagules of Aspergillus fumigatus are coated with antimicrobial peptides. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13301. [PMID: 33331054 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13301] [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: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fungal spores are unique cells that mediate dispersal and survival in the environment. For pathogenic fungi encountering a susceptible host, these specialised structures may serve as infectious particles. The main causative agent of the opportunistic disease aspergillosis, Aspergillus fumigatus, produces asexual spores, the conidia, that become dissipated by air flows or water currents but also serve as propagules to infect a susceptible host. We demonstrate that the defX gene of this mould encodes putative antimicrobial peptides resembling cysteine-stabilised (CS)αβ defensins that are expressed in a specific spatial and temporal manner in the course of asexual spore formation. Localisation studies on strains expressing a fluorescent proxy or tagged defX alleles expose that these antimicrobial peptides are secreted to coat the conidial surface. Deletion mutants reveal that the spore-associated defX gene products delay the growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and demonstrate that the defX gene and presumably its encoded spore-associated defensins confer a growth advantage to the fungal opponent over bacterial competitors. These findings have implications with respect to the ecological niche of A. fumigatus that serves as a 'virulence school' for this human pathogenic mould; further relevance is given for the infectious process resulting in aspergillosis, considering competition with the host microbiome or co-infecting microorganisms to break colonisation resistance at host surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Dümig
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jasmin Binder
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anastasia Gaculenko
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Franziska Daul
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Lex Winandy
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Mike Hasenberg
- Imaging Centre Essen (IMCES) - Electron Microscopy Unit, University Hospital and University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Institute for Experimental Immunology and Imaging, University Hospital and University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Gunzer
- Institute for Experimental Immunology and Imaging, University Hospital and University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Fischer
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Applied Biosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Markus Künzler
- Department of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Krappmann
- Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie, Immunologie und Hygiene, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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24
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García-Carnero LC, Martínez-Álvarez JA, Salazar-García LM, Lozoya-Pérez NE, González-Hernández SE, Tamez-Castrellón AK. Recognition of Fungal Components by the Host Immune System. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2021; 21:245-264. [PMID: 31889486 DOI: 10.2174/1389203721666191231105546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
By being the first point of contact of the fungus with the host, the cell wall plays an important role in the pathogenesis, having many molecules that participate as antigens that are recognized by immune cells, and also that help the fungus to establish infection. The main molecules reported to trigger an immune response are chitin, glucans, oligosaccharides, proteins, melanin, phospholipids, and others, being present in the principal pathogenic fungi with clinical importance worldwide, such as Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Sporothrix schenckii. Knowledge and understanding of how the immune system recognizes and responds to fungal antigens are relevant for the future research and development of new diagnostic tools and treatments for the control of mycosis caused by these fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C García-Carnero
- Department of Biology, Exact and Natural Sciences Division, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - José A Martínez-Álvarez
- Department of Biology, Exact and Natural Sciences Division, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Luis M Salazar-García
- Department of Biology, Exact and Natural Sciences Division, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Nancy E Lozoya-Pérez
- Department of Biology, Exact and Natural Sciences Division, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - Alma K Tamez-Castrellón
- Department of Biology, Exact and Natural Sciences Division, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
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25
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Breda LCD, Menezes IG, Paulo LNM, de Almeida SR. Immune Sensing and Potential Immunotherapeutic Approaches to Control Chromoblastomycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 7:jof7010003. [PMID: 33375204 PMCID: PMC7822212 DOI: 10.3390/jof7010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) is a neglected, chronic, and progressive subcutaneous mycosis caused by different species of fungi from the Herpotrichiellaceae family. CBM disease is usually associated with agricultural activities, and its infection is characterized by verrucous, erythematous papules, and atrophic lesions on the upper and lower limbs, leading to social stigma and impacts on patients' welfare. The economic aspect of disease treatment is another relevant issue. There is no specific treatment for CBM, and different anti-fungal drug associations are used to treat the patients. However, the long period of the disease and the high cost of the treatment lead to treatment interruption and, consequently, relapse of the disease. In previous years, great progress had been made in the comprehension of the CBM pathophysiology. In this review, we discuss the differences in the cell wall composition of conidia, hyphae, and muriform cells, with a particular focus on the activation of the host immune response. We also highlight the importance of studies about the host skin immunology in CBM. Finally, we explore different immunotherapeutic studies, highlighting the importance of these approaches for future treatment strategies for CBM.
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26
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Martin-Souto L, Buldain I, Areitio M, Aparicio-Fernandez L, Antoran A, Bouchara JP, Martin-Gomez MT, Rementeria A, Hernando FL, Ramirez-Garcia A. ELISA Test for the Serological Detection of Scedosporium/ Lomentospora in Cystic Fibrosis Patients. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:602089. [PMID: 33324582 PMCID: PMC7726441 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.602089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The detection and diagnosis of the opportunistic fungi Scedosporium spp. and Lomentospora prolificans still relies mainly on low-sensitive culture-based methods. This fact is especially worrying in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients in whom these fungal species are frequently isolated and may increase the risk of suffering from an infection or other health problems. Therefore, with the purpose of developing a serologic detection method for Scedosporium/Lomentospora, four different Scedosporium boydii protein extracts (whole cell protein extract, secretome, total cell surface and conidial surface associated proteins) were studied by ELISA to select the most useful for IgG detection in sera from CF patients. The four extracts were able to discriminate the Scedosporium/Lomentospora-infected from Aspergillus-infected and non-infected patients. However, the whole cell protein extract was the one selected, as it was the one with the highest output in terms of protein concentration per ml of fungal culture used, and its discriminatory capacity was the best. The ELISA test developed was then assayed with 212 sera from CF patients and it showed to be able to detect Scedosporium spp. and Lomentospora prolificans with very high sensitivity and specificity, 86%–100% and 93%–99%, respectively, depending on the cut-off value chosen (four values were proposed A450nm= 0.5837, A450nm= 0.6042, A450nm= 0.6404, and A450nm= 0.7099). Thus, although more research is needed to reach a standardized method, this ELISA platform offers a rapid, low-cost and easy solution to detect these elusive fungi through minimally invasive sampling, allowing the monitoring of the humoral response to fungal presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leire Martin-Souto
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Idoia Buldain
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Maialen Areitio
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Leire Aparicio-Fernandez
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Aitziber Antoran
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Jean-Philippe Bouchara
- Groupe d'Etude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène (EA 3142), SFR ICAT 4208, Institut de Biologie en Santé-IRIS, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France
| | | | - Aitor Rementeria
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Fernando L Hernando
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
| | - Andoni Ramirez-Garcia
- Fungal and Bacterial Biomics Research Group, Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
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27
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Muggia L, Ametrano CG, Sterflinger K, Tesei D. An Overview of Genomics, Phylogenomics and Proteomics Approaches in Ascomycota. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E356. [PMID: 33348904 PMCID: PMC7765829 DOI: 10.3390/life10120356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi are among the most successful eukaryotes on Earth: they have evolved strategies to survive in the most diverse environments and stressful conditions and have been selected and exploited for multiple aims by humans. The characteristic features intrinsic of Fungi have required evolutionary changes and adaptations at deep molecular levels. Omics approaches, nowadays including genomics, metagenomics, phylogenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics have enormously advanced the way to understand fungal diversity at diverse taxonomic levels, under changeable conditions and in still under-investigated environments. These approaches can be applied both on environmental communities and on individual organisms, either in nature or in axenic culture and have led the traditional morphology-based fungal systematic to increasingly implement molecular-based approaches. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies was key to boost advances in fungal genomics and proteomics research. Much effort has also been directed towards the development of methodologies for optimal genomic DNA and protein extraction and separation. To date, the amount of proteomics investigations in Ascomycetes exceeds those carried out in any other fungal group. This is primarily due to the preponderance of their involvement in plant and animal diseases and multiple industrial applications, and therefore the need to understand the biological basis of the infectious process to develop mechanisms for biologic control, as well as to detect key proteins with roles in stress survival. Here we chose to present an overview as much comprehensive as possible of the major advances, mainly of the past decade, in the fields of genomics (including phylogenomics) and proteomics of Ascomycota, focusing particularly on those reporting on opportunistic pathogenic, extremophilic, polyextremotolerant and lichenized fungi. We also present a review of the mostly used genome sequencing technologies and methods for DNA sequence and protein analyses applied so far for fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Muggia
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Claudio G. Ametrano
- Grainger Bioinformatics Center, Department of Science and Education, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, USA;
| | - Katja Sterflinger
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Institute of Natual Sciences and Technology in the Arts, 1090 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Donatella Tesei
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
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28
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GPI Anchored Proteins in Aspergillus fumigatus and Cell Wall Morphogenesis. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2020; 425:167-186. [PMID: 32418035 DOI: 10.1007/82_2020_207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored proteins are a class of proteins attached to the extracellular leaflet of the plasma membrane via a post-translational modification, the glycolipid anchor. GPI anchored proteins are expressed in all eukaryotes, from fungi to plants and animals. They display very diverse functions ranging from enzymatic activity, signaling, cell adhesion, cell wall metabolism, and immune response. In this review, we investigated for the first time an exhaustive list of all the GPI anchored proteins present in the Aspergillus fumigatus genome. An A. fumigatus mutant library of all the genes that encode in silico identified GPI anchored proteins has been constructed and the phenotypic analysis of all these mutants has been characterized including their growth, conidial viability or morphology, adhesion and the ability to form biofilms. We showed the presence of different fungal categories of GPI anchored proteins in the A. fumigatus genome associated to their role in cell wall remodeling, adhesion, and biofilm formation.
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29
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Obar JJ. Sensing the threat posed by Aspergillus infection. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 58:47-55. [PMID: 32898768 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian immune system can tune its inflammatory response to the threat level posed by an invading pathogen. It is well established that the host utilizes numerous 'patterns of pathogenicity', such as microbial growth, invasion, and viability, to achieve this tuning during bacterial infections. This review discusses how this notion fits during fungal infection, particularly regarding Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Moreover, how the environmental niches filled by A. fumigatus may drive the evolution of the fungal traits responsible for inducing the strain-specific inflammatory responses that have been experimentally observed will be discussed. Moving forward understanding the mechanisms of the fungal strain-specific inflammatory response due to the initial interactions with the host innate immune system will be essential for enhancing our therapeutic options for the treatment of invasive fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J Obar
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Hinman Box 7556, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
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Valsecchi I, Stephen-Victor E, Wong SSW, Karnam A, Sunde M, Guijarro JI, Rodríguez de Francisco B, Krüger T, Kniemeyer O, Brown GD, Willment JA, Latgé JP, Brakhage AA, Bayry J, Aimanianda V. The Role of RodA-Conserved Cysteine Residues in the Aspergillus fumigatus Conidial Surface Organization. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6030151. [PMID: 32859091 PMCID: PMC7558875 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune inertness of Aspergillusfumigatus conidia is attributed to its surface rodlet-layer made up of RodAp, characterized by eight conserved cysteine residues forming four disulfide bonds. Earlier, we showed that the conserved cysteine residue point (ccrp) mutations result in conidia devoid of the rodlet layer. Here, we extended our study comparing the surface organization and immunoreactivity of conidia carrying ccrp-mutations with the RODA deletion mutant (∆rodA). Western blot analysis using anti-RodAp antibodies indicated the absence of RodAp in the cytoplasm of ccrp-mutant conidia. Immunolabeling revealed differential reactivity to conidial surface glucans, the ccrp-mutant conidia preferentially binding to α-(1,3)-glucan, ∆rodA conidia selectively bound to β-(1,3)-glucan; the parental strain conidia showed negative labeling. However, permeability of ccrp-mutants and ∆rodA was similar to the parental strain conidia. Proteomic analyses of the conidial surface exposed proteins of the ccrp-mutants showed more similarities with the parental strain, but were significantly different from the ∆rodA. Ccrp-mutant conidia were less immunostimulatory compared to ∆rodA conidia. Our data suggest that (i) the conserved cysteine residues are essential for the trafficking of RodAp and the organization of the rodlet layer on the conidial surface, and (ii) targeted point mutation could be an alternative approach to study the role of fungal cell-wall genes in host–fungal interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Valsecchi
- Aspergillus Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (I.V.); (J.-P.L.)
| | - Emmanuel Stephen-Victor
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherché des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; (E.S.-V.); (A.K.)
| | - Sarah Sze Wah Wong
- Molecular Mycology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-2000, 10098 Paris, France;
| | - Anupama Karnam
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherché des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; (E.S.-V.); (A.K.)
| | - Margaret Sunde
- School of Medical Sciences and Sydney Nano, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) 2006, Australia;
| | - J. Iñaki Guijarro
- Biological NMR Technological Platform, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-3528, 75015 Paris, France; (J.I.G.); (B.R.d.F.)
| | - Borja Rodríguez de Francisco
- Biological NMR Technological Platform, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-3528, 75015 Paris, France; (J.I.G.); (B.R.d.F.)
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (T.K.); (O.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (T.K.); (O.K.); (A.A.B.)
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM), University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; (G.D.B.); (J.A.W.)
| | - Janet A. Willment
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology (MRC CMM), University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; (G.D.B.); (J.A.W.)
| | - Jean-Paul Latgé
- Aspergillus Unit, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France; (I.V.); (J.-P.L.)
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, 07745 Jena, Germany; (T.K.); (O.K.); (A.A.B.)
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jagadeesh Bayry
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre de Recherché des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France; (E.S.-V.); (A.K.)
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (V.A.); Tel.: +33-1-44278203 (J.B.); +33-1-45688225 (V.A.)
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Molecular Mycology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS-UMR-2000, 10098 Paris, France;
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (V.A.); Tel.: +33-1-44278203 (J.B.); +33-1-45688225 (V.A.)
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Jia LJ, Krüger T, Blango MG, von Eggeling F, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA. Biotinylated Surfome Profiling Identifies Potential Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Therapy of Aspergillus fumigatus Infection. mSphere 2020; 5:e00535-20. [PMID: 32817453 PMCID: PMC7426169 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00535-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common airborne molds capable of causing mycoses and allergies in humans. During infection, fungal surface proteins mediate the first contact with the human immune system to evade immune responses or to induce hypersensitivity. Several methods have been established for surface proteomics (surfomics). Biotinylation coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identification of peptides is a particularly efficient method to identify the surface-exposed regions of proteins that potentially mediate interaction with the host. After biotinylation of surface proteins during spore germination, we detected 231 different biotinylated surface proteins (including several well-known proteins such as RodA, CcpA, and DppV; allergens; and heat shock proteins [HSPs]), as well as some previously undescribed surface proteins. The dynamic change of the surface proteome was illustrated by detection of a relatively high number of proteins exclusively at one developmental stage. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, we confirmed the surface localization of several HSPs of the HSP70 family, which may have moonlighting functions. Collectively, by comparing our data with data representative of previously published A. fumigatus surface proteomes, our study generated a comprehensive data set corresponding to the A. fumigatus surfome and uncovered the surface-exposed regions of many proteins on the surface of conidia or hyphae. These surface-exposed regions are candidates for direct interaction with host cells and may represent antigenic epitopes that either induce protective immune responses or mediate immune evasion. Thus, our data sets provided and compiled here represent reasonable immunotherapy and diagnostic targets for future investigations.IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne human-pathogenic mold, capable of causing both life-threatening invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients and allergy-inducing infections in individuals with atopic allergy. Despite its obvious medical relevance, timely diagnosis and efficient antifungal treatment of A. fumigatus infection remain major challenges. Proteins on the surface of conidia (asexually produced spores) and mycelium directly mediate host-pathogen interaction and also may serve as targets for diagnosis and immunotherapy. However, the similarity of protein sequences between A. fumigatus and other organisms, sometimes even including the human host, makes selection of targets for immunological-based studies difficult. Here, using surface protein biotinylation coupled with LC-MS/MS analysis, we identified hundreds of A. fumigatus surface proteins with exposed regions, further defining putative targets for possible diagnostic and immunotherapeutic design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei-Jie Jia
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthew G Blango
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Ferdinand von Eggeling
- Jena University Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, Jena, Germany
- Jena University Hospital, Core Unit Proteome Analysis, Jena, Germany
- Jena University Hospital, DFG Core Unit Jena Biophotonic and Imaging Laboratory (JBIL), Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Balotf S, Wilson R, Tegg RS, Nichols DS, Wilson CR. Optimisation of Sporosori Purification and Protein Extraction Techniques for the Biotrophic Protozoan Plant Pathogen Spongospora subterranea. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25143109. [PMID: 32650423 PMCID: PMC7397026 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Spongospora subterranea is a soil-borne plant pathogen responsible for the economically significant root and powdery scab diseases of potato. However, the obligate biotrophic nature of S. subterranea has made the detailed study of the pathogen problematic. Here, we first compared the benefits of sporosori partial purification utilizing Ludox® gradient centrifugation. We then undertook optimization efforts for protein isolation comparing the use of a urea buffer followed by single-pot solid-phase-enhanced sample preparation (SP3) and a sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) buffer followed by suspension-trapping (S-Trap). Label-free, quantitative proteomics was then used to evaluate the efficiency of the sporosori purification and the protein preparation methods. The purification protocol produced a highly purified suspension of S. subterranea sporosori without affecting the viability of the spores. The results indicated that the use of a combination of SDS and S-Trap for sample clean-up and digestion obtained a significantly higher number of identified proteins compared to using urea and SP3, with 218 and 652 proteins identified using the SP3 and S-Trap methods, respectively. The analysis of proteins by mass spectrometry showed that the number of identified proteins increased by approximately 40% after the purification of spores by Ludox®. These results suggested a potential use of the described spore purification and protein preparation methods for the proteomics study of obligate biotrophic pathogens such as S. subterranea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Balotf
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, New Town Research Laboratories, University of Tasmania, New Town, Tasmania 7008, Australia; (S.B.); (R.S.T.)
| | - Richard Wilson
- Central Science Laboratory, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia;
- Correspondence: (R.W.); (C.R.W.)
| | - Robert S. Tegg
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, New Town Research Laboratories, University of Tasmania, New Town, Tasmania 7008, Australia; (S.B.); (R.S.T.)
| | - David S. Nichols
- Central Science Laboratory, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia;
| | - Calum R. Wilson
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, New Town Research Laboratories, University of Tasmania, New Town, Tasmania 7008, Australia; (S.B.); (R.S.T.)
- Correspondence: (R.W.); (C.R.W.)
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Blango MG, Pschibul A, Rivieccio F, Krüger T, Rafiq M, Jia LJ, Zheng T, Goldmann M, Voltersen V, Li J, Panagiotou G, Kniemeyer O, Brakhage AA. Dynamic Surface Proteomes of Allergenic Fungal Conidia. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:2092-2104. [PMID: 32233371 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Fungal spores and hyphal fragments play an important role as allergens in respiratory diseases. In this study, we performed trypsin shaving and secretome analyses to identify the surface-exposed proteins and secreted/shed proteins of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia, respectively. We investigated the surface proteome under different conditions, including temperature variation and germination. We found that the surface proteome of resting A. fumigatus conidia is not static but instead unexpectedly dynamic, as evidenced by drastically different surface proteomes under different growth conditions. Knockouts of two abundant A. fumigatus surface proteins, ScwA and CweA, were found to function only in fine-tuning the cell wall stress response, implying that the conidial surface is very robust against perturbations. We then compared the surface proteome of A. fumigatus to other allergy-inducing molds, including Alternaria alternata, Penicillium rubens, and Cladosporium herbarum, and performed comparative proteomics on resting and swollen conidia, as well as secreted proteins from germinating conidia. We detected 125 protein ortholog groups, including 80 with putative catalytic activity, in the extracellular region of all four molds, and 42 nonorthologous proteins produced solely by A. fumigatus. Ultimately, this study highlights the dynamic nature of the A. fumigatus conidial surface and provides targets for future diagnostics and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Blango
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Annica Pschibul
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Flora Rivieccio
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Muhammad Rafiq
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Lei-Jie Jia
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Tingting Zheng
- Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Marie Goldmann
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Vera Voltersen
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.,School of Data Science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Department of Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Axel A Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI), Jena 07745, Germany.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena 07745, Germany
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Three-Dimensional Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy of Lungs To Dissect Local Host Immune-Aspergillus fumigatus Interactions. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02752-19. [PMID: 32019790 PMCID: PMC7002341 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02752-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of animal models of infection is essential to advance our understanding of the complex host-pathogen interactions that take place during Aspergillus fumigatus lung infections. As in the case of humans, mice need to suffer an immune imbalance in order to become susceptible to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), the most serious infection caused by A. fumigatus. There are several immunosuppressive regimens that are routinely used to investigate fungal growth and/or immune responses in murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. However, the precise consequences of the use of each immunosuppressive model for the local immune populations and for fungal growth are not completely understood. Here, to pin down the scenarios involving commonly used IPA models, we employed light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) to analyze whole lungs at cellular resolution. Our results will be valuable to optimize and refine animal models to maximize their use in future research. Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that can cause life-threatening invasive lung infections in immunodeficient patients. The cellular and molecular processes of infection during onset, establishment, and progression of A. fumigatus infections are highly complex and depend on both fungal attributes and the immune status of the host. Therefore, preclinical animal models are of paramount importance to investigate and gain better insight into the infection process. Yet, despite their extensive use, commonly employed murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis are not well understood due to analytical limitations. Here, we present quantitative light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) to describe fungal growth and the local immune response in whole lungs at cellular resolution within its anatomical context. We analyzed three very common murine models of pulmonary aspergillosis based on immunosuppression with corticosteroids, chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, or myeloablative irradiation. LSFM uncovered distinct architectures of fungal growth and degrees of tissue invasion in each model. Furthermore, LSFM revealed the spatial distribution, interaction, and activation of two key immune cell populations in antifungal defense: alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Interestingly, the patterns of fungal growth correlated with the detected effects of the immunosuppressive regimens on the local immune cell populations. Moreover, LSFM demonstrates that the commonly used intranasal route of spore administration did not result in complete intra-alveolar deposition, as about 80% of fungal growth occurred outside the alveolar space. Hence, characterization by LSFM is more rigorous than by previously used methods employing murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and pinpoints their strengths and limitations.
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Activation-induced surface proteins in the identification of antigen-responsive CD4 T cells. Immunol Lett 2019; 219:1-7. [PMID: 31881234 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Identification of antigen specificity of CD4 T cells is instrumental in understanding adaptive immune responses in health and disease. The high diversity of CD4 T cell repertoire combined with the functional heterogeneity of the compartment poses a challenge to the assessment of CD4 T cell responses. In spite of that, multiple technologies allow direct or indirect interrogation of antigen specificity of CD4 T cells. In the last decade, multiple surface proteins have been established as cytokine-independent surrogates of in vitro CD4 T cell activation, and have found applications in the live identification and isolation of antigen-responsive CD4 T cells. Here we review the current knowledge of the surface proteins that permit identification of viable antigen-responsive CD4 T cells with high specificity, including those capable of identifying specialized CD4 T subsets such as germinal center follicular helper T cells and CD4 regulatory T cells.
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprotrophic fungus; its primary habitat is the soil. In its ecological niche, the fungus has learned how to adapt and proliferate in hostile environments. This capacity has helped the fungus to resist and survive against human host defenses and, further, to be responsible for one of the most devastating lung infections in terms of morbidity and mortality. In this review, we will provide (i) a description of the biological cycle of A. fumigatus; (ii) a historical perspective of the spectrum of aspergillus disease and the current epidemiological status of these infections; (iii) an analysis of the modes of immune response against Aspergillus in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients; (iv) an understanding of the pathways responsible for fungal virulence and their host molecular targets, with a specific focus on the cell wall; (v) the current status of the diagnosis of different clinical syndromes; and (vi) an overview of the available antifungal armamentarium and the therapeutic strategies in the clinical context. In addition, the emergence of new concepts, such as nutritional immunity and the integration and rewiring of multiple fungal metabolic activities occurring during lung invasion, has helped us to redefine the opportunistic pathogenesis of A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Latgé
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Georgios Chamilos
- School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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37
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Abstract
Aspergilli produce conidia for reproduction or to survive hostile conditions, and they are highly effective in the distribution of conidia through the environment. In immunocompromised individuals, inhaled conidia can germinate inside the respiratory tract, which may result in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The management of invasive aspergillosis has become more complex, with new risk groups being identified and the emergence of antifungal resistance. Patient survival is threatened by these developments, stressing the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. As germination is crucial for infection, prevention of this process might be a feasible approach. A broader understanding of conidial germination is important to identify novel antigermination targets. In this review, we describe conidial resistance against various stresses, transition from dormant conidia to hyphal growth, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in germination of the most common Aspergillus species, and promising antigermination targets. Germination of Aspergillus is characterized by three morphotypes: dormancy, isotropic growth, and polarized growth. Intra- and extracellular proteins play an important role in the protection against unfavorable environmental conditions. Isotropically expanding conidia remodel the cell wall, and biosynthetic machineries are needed for cellular growth. These biosynthetic machineries are also important during polarized growth, together with tip formation and the cell cycle machinery. Genes involved in isotropic and polarized growth could be effective antigermination targets. Transcriptomic and proteomic studies on specific Aspergillus morphotypes will improve our understanding of the germination process and allow discovery of novel antigermination targets and biomarkers for early diagnosis and therapy.
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Li Y, Qin H, Ye M. An overview on enrichment methods for cell surface proteome profiling. J Sep Sci 2019; 43:292-312. [PMID: 31521063 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.201900700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Cell surface proteins are essential for many important biological processes, including cell-cell interactions, signal transduction, and molecular transportation. With the characteristics of low abundance, high hydrophobicity, and high heterogeneity, it is difficult to get a comprehensive view of cell surface proteome by direct analysis. Thus, it is important to selectively enrich the cell surface proteins before liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis. In recent years, a variety of enrichment methods have been developed. Based on the separation mechanism, these methods could be mainly classified into three types. The first type is based on their difference in the physicochemical property, such as size, density, charge, and hydrophobicity. The second one is based on the bimolecular affinity interaction with lectin or antibody. And the third type is based on the chemical covalent coupling to free side groups of surface-exposed proteins or carbohydrate chains, such as primary amines, carboxyl groups, glycan side chains. In addition, metabolic labeling and enzymatic reaction-based methods have also been employed to selectively isolate cell surface proteins. In this review, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the enrichment methods for cell surface proteome profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Dalian, 116023, P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Hongqiang Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
| | - Mingliang Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
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39
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G. Blango
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, Germany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
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40
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Cell surface display of proteins on filamentous fungi. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 103:6949-6972. [PMID: 31359105 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-019-10026-7] [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] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Protein display approaches have been useful to endow the cell surface of yeasts with new catalytic activities so that they can act as enhanced whole-cell biocatalysts. Despite their biotechnological potential, protein display technologies remain poorly developed for filamentous fungi. The lignocellulolytic character of some of them coupled to the cell surface biosynthesis of valuable molecules by a single or a cascade of several displayed enzymes is an appealing prospect. Cell surface protein display consists in the co-translational fusion of a functional protein (passenger) to an anchor one, usually a cell-wall-resident protein. The abundance, spacing, and local environment of the displayed enzymes-determined by the relationship of the anchor protein with the structure and dynamics of the engineered cell wall-are factors that influence the performance of display-based biocatalysts. The development of protein display strategies in filamentous fungi could be based on the field advances in yeasts; however, the unique composition, structure, and biology of filamentous fungi cell walls require the customization of the approach to those microorganisms. In this prospective review, the cellular bases, the design principles, and the available tools to foster the development of cell surface protein display technologies in filamentous fungi are discussed.
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Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics of Fungal Pathogenesis, Host-Fungal Interactions, and Antifungal Development. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:jof5020052. [PMID: 31212923 PMCID: PMC6616953 DOI: 10.3390/jof5020052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of fungal diseases is increasing on a global scale, ranging from acute to systemic infections caused by commensal or pathogenic microorganisms, often associated with the immune status of the host. Morbidity and mortality rates remain high and our ability to treat fungal infections is challenged by a limited arsenal of antifungal agents and the emergence of drug resistant pathogens. There is a high demand for new approaches to elucidate the fungal mechanisms of pathogenesis and the interplay between host and pathogen to discover novel treatment options. Moreover, the need for improved drug efficacy and reduced host toxicity requires the identification and characterization of antifungal biological targets and molecular mechanisms of action. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is a rapidly advancing field capable of addressing these priorities by providing comprehensive information on the dynamics of cellular processes, modifications, and interactions. In this Review, we focus on applications of MS-based proteomics in a diverse array of fungal pathogens and host systems to define and distinguish the molecular details of fungal pathogenesis and host–fungal interactions. We also explore the emerging role of MS-based proteomics in the discovery and development of novel antifungal therapies and provide insight into the future of MS-based proteomics in fungal biology.
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Mackel JJ, Steele C. Host defense mechanisms against Aspergillus fumigatus lung colonization and invasion. Curr Opin Microbiol 2019; 52:14-19. [PMID: 31103956 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The human lung is continually exposed to airborne conidia of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) and related species. The innate immune system efficiently eliminates inhaled AF conidia from the lung in normal individuals, but immunocompromised patients are at risk for highly lethal invasive aspergillosis (IA). Some individuals not at risk for IA may still suffer from failed clearance of AF in the form of noninvasive colonization associated with conditions such as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Understanding of normal innate immune function against AF as well as failures of these functions will enable better treatment of these patient groups. In this review, we will focus on recent research that elucidates mechanisms of host defense and their failures resulting in colonization as well as tissue invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Mackel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Chad Steele
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, United States.
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Quarantin A, Hadeler B, Kröger C, Schäfer W, Favaron F, Sella L, Martínez-Rocha AL. Different Hydrophobins of Fusarium graminearum Are Involved in Hyphal Growth, Attachment, Water-Air Interface Penetration and Plant Infection. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:751. [PMID: 31031728 PMCID: PMC6474331 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrophobins (HPs) are small secreted fungal proteins possibly involved in several processes such as formation of fungal aerial structures, attachment to hydrophobic surfaces, interaction with the environment and protection against the host defense system. The genome of the necrotrophic plant pathogen Fusarium graminearum contains five genes encoding for HPs (FgHyd1-5). Single and triple FgHyd mutants were produced and characterized. A reduced growth was observed when the ΔFghyd2 and the three triple mutants including the deletion of FgHyd2 were grown in complete or minimal medium. Surprisingly, the growth of these mutants was similar to wild-type when grown under ionic, osmotic or oxidative stress conditions. All the mutant strains confirmed the ability to develop conidia and perithecia, suggesting that the FgHyds are not involved in normal development of asexual and sexual structures. A reduction in the ability of hyphae to penetrate through the water-air interface was observed for the single mutants ΔFghyd2 and ΔFghyd3 as well as for the triple mutants including the deletion of FgHyd2 and FgHyd3. Besides, ΔFghyd3 and the triple mutant ΔFghyd234 were also affected in the attachment to hydrophobic surface. Indeed, wheat infection experiments showed a reduction of symptomatic spikelets for ΔFghyd2 and ΔFghyd3 and the triple mutants only when spray inoculation was performed. This result could be ascribed to the affected ability of mutants deleted of FgHyd2 and FgHyd3 to penetrate through the water-air interface and to attach to hydrophobic surfaces such as the spike tissue. This hypothesis is strengthened by a histological analysis, performed by fluorescence microscopy, showing no defects in the morphology of infection structures produced by mutant strains. Interestingly, triple hydrophobin mutants were significantly more inhibited than wild-type by the treatment with a systemic triazole fungicide, while no defects at the cell wall level were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Quarantin
- Molekulare Phytopathologie, Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Mikrobiologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TESAF), Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Birgit Hadeler
- Molekulare Phytopathologie, Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Mikrobiologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cathrin Kröger
- Molekulare Phytopathologie, Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Mikrobiologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wilhelm Schäfer
- Molekulare Phytopathologie, Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Mikrobiologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Francesco Favaron
- Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TESAF), Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Sella
- Dipartimento Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TESAF), Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ana Lilia Martínez-Rocha
- Molekulare Phytopathologie, Institut für Pflanzenwissenschaften und Mikrobiologie, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Menacing Mold: Recent Advances in Aspergillus Pathogenesis and Host Defense. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:4229-4246. [PMID: 30954573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The genus Aspergillus is ubiquitous in the environment and contains a number of species, primarily A. fumigatus, that cause mold-associated disease in humans. Humans inhale several hundred to several thousand Aspergillus conidia (i.e., vegetative spores) daily and typically clear these in an asymptomatic manner. In immunocompromised individuals, Aspergillus conidia can germinate into tissue-invasive hyphae, disseminate, and cause invasive aspergillosis. In this review, we first discuss novel concepts in host defense against Aspergillus infections and emphasize new insights in fungal recognition and signaling, innate immune activation, and fungal killing. Second, the review focuses on novel concepts of Aspergillus pathogenesis and highlights emerging knowledge regarding fungal strain heterogeneity, stress responses, and metabolic adaptations on infectious outcomes. Mechanistic insight into the host-pathogen interplay is thus critical to define novel druggable fungal targets and to exploit novel immune-based strategies to improve clinical outcomes associated with aspergillosis in vulnerable patient populations.
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Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cross-Talk Interaction Modulates the Production of Melanins in Aspergillus fumigatus. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00215-19. [PMID: 30914505 PMCID: PMC6437049 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00215-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne human pathogenic fungus, causing thousands of deaths per year. Its lethality is due to late and often inaccurate diagnosis and the lack of efficient therapeutics. The failure of efficient prophylaxis and therapy is based on the ability of this pathogen to activate numerous salvage pathways that are capable of overcoming the different drug-derived stresses. A major role in the protection of A. fumigatus is played by melanins. Melanins are cell wall-associated macromolecules classified as virulence determinants. The understanding of the various signaling pathways acting in this organism can be used to elucidate the mechanism beyond melanin production and help to identify ideal drug targets. The pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is able to adapt to extremely variable environmental conditions. The A. fumigatus genome contains four genes coding for mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which are important regulatory knots involved in diverse cellular responses. From a clinical perspective, MAPK activity has been connected to salvage pathways, which can determine the failure of effective treatment of invasive mycoses using antifungal drugs. Here, we report the characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fus3 ortholog in A. fumigatus, designated MpkB. We demonstrate that MpkB is important for conidiation and that its deletion induces a copious increase of dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-melanin production. Simultaneous deletion of mpkB and mpkA, the latter related to maintenance of the cell wall integrity, normalized DHN-melanin production. Localization studies revealed that MpkB translocates into the nuclei when A. fumigatus germlings are exposed to caspofungin stress, and this is dependent on the cross-talk interaction with MpkA. Additionally, DHN-melanin formation was also increased after deletion of genes coding for the Gα protein GpaA and for the G protein-coupled receptor GprM. Yeast two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation assays confirmed that GpaA and GprM interact, suggesting their role in the MpkB signaling cascade.
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