1
|
Miramón P, Pountain AW, Lorenz MC. Candida auris-macrophage cellular interactions and transcriptional response. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0027423. [PMID: 37815367 PMCID: PMC10652981 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00274-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic yeast Candida auris represents a global threat of the utmost clinical relevance. This emerging fungal species is remarkable in its resistance to commonly used antifungal agents and its persistence in the nosocomial settings. The innate immune system is one the first lines of defense preventing the dissemination of pathogens in the host. C. auris is susceptible to circulating phagocytes, and understanding the molecular details of these interactions may suggest routes to improved therapies. In this work, we examined the interactions of this yeast with macrophages. We found that macrophages avidly phagocytose C. auris; however, intracellular replication is not inhibited, indicating that C. auris resists the killing mechanisms imposed by the phagocyte. Unlike Candida albicans, phagocytosis of C. auris does not induce macrophage lysis. The transcriptional response of C. auris to macrophage phagocytosis is very similar to other members of the CUG clade (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. lusitaniae), i.e., downregulation of transcription/translation and upregulation of alternative carbon metabolism pathways, transporters, and induction of oxidative stress response and proteolysis. Gene family expansions are common in this yeast, and we found that many of these genes are induced in response to macrophage co-incubation. Among these, amino acid and oligopeptide transporters, as well as lipases and proteases, are upregulated. Thus, C. auris shares key transcriptional signatures shared with other fungal pathogens and capitalizes on the expansion of gene families coding for potential virulence attributes that allow its survival, persistence, and evasion of the innate immune system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Miramón
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA
| | | | - Michael C. Lorenz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Silao FGS, Jiang T, Bereczky-Veress B, Kühbacher A, Ryman K, Uwamohoro N, Jenull S, Nogueira F, Ward M, Lion T, Urban CF, Rupp S, Kuchler K, Chen C, Peuckert C, Ljungdahl PO. Proline catabolism is a key factor facilitating Candida albicans pathogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011677. [PMID: 37917600 PMCID: PMC10621835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, the primary etiology of human mycoses, is well-adapted to catabolize proline to obtain energy to initiate morphological switching (yeast to hyphal) and for growth. We report that put1-/- and put2-/- strains, carrying defective Proline UTilization genes, display remarkable proline sensitivity with put2-/- mutants being hypersensitive due to the accumulation of the toxic intermediate pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), which inhibits mitochondrial respiration. The put1-/- and put2-/- mutations attenuate virulence in Drosophila and murine candidemia models and decrease survival in human neutrophils and whole blood. Using intravital 2-photon microscopy and label-free non-linear imaging, we visualized the initial stages of C. albicans cells infecting a kidney in real-time, directly deep in the tissue of a living mouse, and observed morphological switching of wildtype but not of put2-/- cells. Multiple members of the Candida species complex, including C. auris, are capable of using proline as a sole energy source. Our results indicate that a tailored proline metabolic network tuned to the mammalian host environment is a key feature of opportunistic fungal pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fitz Gerald S. Silao
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Tong Jiang
- Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Biborka Bereczky-Veress
- Intravital Microscopy Facility, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Kühbacher
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Kicki Ryman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Uwamohoro
- Clinical Microbiology and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sabrina Jenull
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories GmbH, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Filomena Nogueira
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories GmbH, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
- St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung e.V., Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Meliza Ward
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lion
- St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung e.V., Children’s Cancer Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
| | - Constantin F. Urban
- Clinical Microbiology and Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR), Umeå University Umeå, Sweden
| | - Steffen Rupp
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Karl Kuchler
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories GmbH, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Changbin Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Christiane Peuckert
- Intravital Microscopy Facility, Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per O. Ljungdahl
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cong H, Li C, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Ma D, Li L, Jiang J. The Mechanism of Transcription Factor Swi6 in Regulating Growth and Pathogenicity of Ceratocystis fimbriata: Insights from Non-Targeted Metabolomics. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2666. [PMID: 38004677 PMCID: PMC10673406 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ceratocystis fimbriata (C. fimbriata) is a notorious pathogenic fungus that causes sweet potato black rot disease. The APSES transcription factor Swi6 in fungi is located downstream of the cell wall integrity (CWI)-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and has been identified to be involved in cell wall integrity and virulence in several filamentous pathogenic fungi. However, the specific mechanisms by which Swi6 regulates the growth and pathogenicity of plant pathogenic fungi remain elusive. In this study, the SWI6 deletion mutants and complemented strains of C. fimbriata were generated. Deletion of Swi6 in C. fimbriata resulted in aberrant growth patterns. Pathogenicity assays on sweet potato storage roots revealed a significant decrease in virulence in the mutant. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis using LC-MS identified a total of 692 potential differentially accumulated metabolites (PDAMs) in the ∆Cfswi6 mutant compared to the wild type, and the results of KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated significant enrichment of PDAMs within various metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, GPI-anchored protein synthesis, and ABC transporter metabolism. These metabolic pathways were believed to play a crucial role in mediating the growth and pathogenicity of C. fimbriata through the regulation of CWI. Firstly, the deletion of the SWI6 gene led to abnormal amino acid and lipid metabolism, potentially exacerbating energy storage imbalance. Secondly, significant enrichment of metabolites related to GPI-anchored protein biosynthesis implied compromised cell wall integrity. Lastly, disruption of ABC transport protein metabolism may hinder intracellular transmembrane transport. Importantly, this study represents the first investigation into the potential regulatory mechanisms of SWI6 in plant filamentous pathogenic fungi from a metabolic perspective. The findings provide novel insights into the role of SWI6 in the growth and virulence of C. fimbriata, highlighting its potential as a target for controlling this pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cong
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal and Edible Plant Resources of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; (H.C.); (C.L.); (Y.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Changgen Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal and Edible Plant Resources of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; (H.C.); (C.L.); (Y.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yiming Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal and Edible Plant Resources of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; (H.C.); (C.L.); (Y.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yongjing Zhang
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal and Edible Plant Resources of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; (H.C.); (C.L.); (Y.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Daifu Ma
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Sweet Potato Research Institute, Xuzhou 221131, China;
| | - Lianwei Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal and Edible Plant Resources of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; (H.C.); (C.L.); (Y.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Jihong Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal and Edible Plant Resources of Jiangsu Province, School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; (H.C.); (C.L.); (Y.W.); (Y.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Huang S, Zhao X, Luo Z, Tang X, Zhou Y, Keyhani N, Zhang Y. Fungal co-expression network analyses identify pathogen gene modules associated with host insect invasion. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0180923. [PMID: 37656157 PMCID: PMC10581046 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01809-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The broad host range fungal insect pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, has been commercialized as an alternative to chemical insecticides for pest control worldwide. B. bassiana represents a unique model system with which to examine host-pathogen interactions, and a wide range of genes and processes have been studied. However, significant aspects of virulence, particularly on the genomic scale, remain poorly studied. Here, we have combined available transcriptomes with three newly generated data sets for a combined total analysis of 76 deep-sequenced samples covering growth, development, stress responses, and infection during the life cycle of B. bassiana. Co-expression network analyses resulted in the identification of gene modules enriched during two critical stages of the infection process, namely (i) cuticle penetration and (ii) in vivo hyphal body (dimorphic transition) growth capable of avoiding innate and humoral immune defenses. These analyses identify unique signatures of metabolism, signaling, secondary metabolite production, host defense suppression, membrane reorganization, effector production, and secretion for each stage, including genetic regulators and epigenetic patterns. These data provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and probing fungal adaptations to its pathogenic life cycle and expand the candidate repertoire for continued dissection of the host-pathogen interaction. IMPORTANCE Insect fungal pathogens have evolved unique strategies for overcoming host structural and immunological defenses that span from the sclerotized cuticle to innate and humoral cellular responses. Two critical stages of the infection process involve (i) cuticle penetration and (ii) immune evasion within the insect hemocoel. A set of 76 global transcriptomic data for B. bassiana that include the cuticle penetration and hemocoel growth stages were analyzed for patterns (gene modules) of expression, yielding unique insights into these different life stages. These analyses integrate gene networks involved in fungal development, stress response and pathogenesis to further the systematic understanding of the global processes integral to the unique adaptation employed by fungal pathogens of insects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuaishuai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Ministry of Education), School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Tibet, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhibing Luo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaohan Tang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yonghong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Ministry of Education), School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Tibet, China
| | - Nemat Keyhani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yongjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Brandt P, Mirhakkak MH, Wagner L, Driesch D, Möslinger A, Fänder P, Schäuble S, Panagiotou G, Vylkova S. High-Throughput Profiling of Candida auris Isolates Reveals Clade-Specific Metabolic Differences. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0049823. [PMID: 37097196 PMCID: PMC10269459 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00498-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant human fungal pathogen that causes outbreaks of invasive infections, emerged as four distinct geographical clades. Previous studies identified genomic and proteomic differences in nutrient utilization on comparison to Candida albicans, suggesting that certain metabolic features may contribute to C. auris emergence. Since no high-throughput clade-specific metabolic characterization has been described yet, we performed a phenotypic screening of C. auris strains from all 4 clades on 664 nutrients, 120 chemicals, and 24 stressors. We identified common and clade- or strain-specific responses, including the preferred utilization of various dipeptides as nitrogen source and the inability of the clade II isolate AR 0381 to withstand chemical stress. Further analysis of the metabolic properties of C. auris isolates showed robust growth on intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, such as citrate and succinic and malic acids. However, there was reduced or no growth on pyruvate, lactic acid, or acetate, likely due to the lack of the monocarboxylic acid transporter Jen1, which is conserved in most pathogenic Candida species. Comparison of C. auris and C. albicans transcriptomes of cells grown on alternative carbon sources and dipeptides as a nitrogen source revealed common as well as species-unique responses. C. auris induced a significant number of genes with no ortholog in C. albicans, e.g., genes similar to the nicotinic acid transporter TNA1 (alternative carbon sources) and to the oligopeptide transporter (OPT) family (dipeptides). Thus, C. auris possesses unique metabolic features which could have contributed to its emergence as a pathogen. IMPORTANCE Four main clades of the emerging, multidrug-resistant human pathogen Candida auris have been identified, and they differ in their susceptibilities to antifungals and disinfectants. Moreover, clade- and strain-specific metabolic differences have been identified, but a comprehensive overview of nutritional characteristics and resistance to various stressors is missing. Here, we performed high-throughput phenotypic characterization of C. auris on various nutrients, stressors, and chemicals and obtained transcriptomes of cells grown on selected nutrients. The generated data sets identified multiple clade- and strain-specific phenotypes and induction of C. auris-specific metabolic genes, showing unique metabolic properties. The presented work provides a large amount of information for further investigations that could explain the role of metabolism in emergence and pathogenicity of this multidrug-resistant fungus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Brandt
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University, and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Mohammad H. Mirhakkak
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Lysett Wagner
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University, and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Anna Möslinger
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University, and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Pauline Fänder
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University, and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Schäuble
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Slavena Vylkova
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University, and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Systematic Metabolic Profiling Identifies De Novo Sphingolipid Synthesis as Hypha Associated and Essential for Candida albicans Filamentation. mSystems 2022; 7:e0053922. [PMID: 36264075 PMCID: PMC9765226 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00539-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The yeast-to-hypha transition is a key virulence attribute of the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, since it is closely tied to infection-associated processes such as tissue invasion and escape from phagocytes. While the nature of hypha-associated gene expression required for fungal virulence has been thoroughly investigated, potential morphotype-dependent activity of metabolic pathways remained unclear. Here, we combined global transcriptome and metabolome analyses for the wild-type SC5314 and the hypha-defective hgc1Δ and cph1Δefg1Δ strains under three hypha-inducing (human serum, N-acetylglucosamine, and alkaline pH) and two yeast-promoting conditions to identify metabolic adaptions that accompany the filamentation process. We identified morphotype-related activities of distinct pathways and a metabolic core signature of 26 metabolites with consistent depletion or enrichment during the yeast-to-hypha transition. Most strikingly, we found a hypha-associated activation of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis, indicating a connection of this pathway and filamentous growth. Consequently, pharmacological inhibition of this partially fungus-specific pathway resulted in strongly impaired filamentation, verifying the necessity of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis for proper hypha formation. IMPORTANCE The reversible switch of Candida albicans between unicellular yeast and multicellular hyphal growth is accompanied by a well-studied hypha-associated gene expression, encoding virulence factors like adhesins, toxins, or nutrient scavengers. The investigation of this gene expression consequently led to fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of this fungus. In this study, we applied this concept to hypha-associated metabolic adaptations and identified morphotype-dependent activities of distinct pathways and a stimulus-independent metabolic signature of hyphae. Most strikingly, we found the induction of de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis as hypha associated and essential for the filamentation of C. albicans. These findings verified the presence of morphotype-specific metabolic traits in the fungus, which appear connected to the fungal virulence. Furthermore, the here-provided comprehensive description of the fungal metabolome will help to foster future research and lead to a better understanding of fungal physiology.
Collapse
|