1
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Glittenberg MT, Kounatidis I, Atilano M, Ligoxygakis P. A genetic screen in Drosophila reveals the role of fucosylation in host susceptibility to Candida infection. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:dmm049218. [PMID: 35142345 PMCID: PMC9118035 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida infections constitute a blind spot in global public health as very few new anti-fungal drugs are being developed. Genetic surveys of host susceptibilities to such infections using mammalian models have certain disadvantages in that obtaining results is time-consuming, owing to relatively long lifespans, and these results have low statistical resolution because sample sizes are usually small. Here, we report a targeted genetic screening of 5698 RNAi lines encompassing 4135 Drosophila genes with human homologues, several of which we identify as important for host survival after Candida albicans infection. These include genes in a variety of functional classes encompassing gene expression, intracellular signalling, metabolism and enzymatic regulation. Analysis of one of the screen hits, the infection-induced α-(1,3)-fucosylase FucTA, showed that N-glycan fucosylation has several targets among proteins involved in host defence, which provides multiple avenues of investigation for the mechanistic analysis of host survival to systemic C. albicans infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus T. Glittenberg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Ilias Kounatidis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Magda Atilano
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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2
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Marena GD, Ramos MADS, Lima LC, Chorilli M, Bauab TM. Galleria mellonella for systemic assessment of anti-Candida auris using amphotericin B loaded in nanoemulsion. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:151023. [PMID: 34662607 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Galleria mellonella is a model that uses adult larvae to assess the prophylactic, therapeutic, and acute toxic potential of substances. Given their benefits, G. mellonella models are being employed in investigations of systemic infections caused by highly resistant microorganisms. Among the multiresistant microorganisms, we highlight Candida auris, a yeast with high mortality potential and resistance. Among the potential drugs, amphotericin B (AmB) stands out; however, microbial resistance episodes and side effects caused by low selectivity have been observed. The incorporation of AmB into a nanoemulsion (NE) can contribute to the control of C. auris infections and resistance as well as decrease the side effects of this drug. This study aimed to develop AmB-loaded NE (NEA) and evaluate its antifungal action against C. auris in G. mellonella. NEs were obtained by using sunflower oil and cholesterol as the oily phase, polyoxyethylene 20 cetyl ether (Brij® 58) and soy phosphatidylcholine as the surfactant system, and PBS buffer as the aqueous phase. An alternative in vivo assay with G. mellonella for acute toxicity and infection was performed using adult stage larvae (200 mg to 400 mg). According to the obtained results, NE and NEA exhibited sizes of 43 and 48 nm, respectively. The PDI was 0.285 and 0.389 for NE and NEA, respectively. The ZP showed electronegativity for both systems, with -3.77 mV and -3.80 mV for NE and NEA, respectively. Acute toxicity showed that free AmB had greater acute toxicity potential than NEA. The survival assay showed high larval viability. NEA had a better antifungal profile against systemic infection in G. mellonella. It is concluded that the alternative model proved to be an efficient in vivo assay to determine the toxicity and evaluate the therapeutic property of free AmB and NEA in systemic infections caused by C. auris.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Davi Marena
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State 14.800-903, Brazil
| | - Matheus Aparecido Dos Santos Ramos
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State 14.800-903, Brazil
| | - Laura Caminitti Lima
- Department of Biological Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State 14.800-903, Brazil
| | - Marlus Chorilli
- Department of Drugs and Medicines, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State 14.800-903, Brazil.
| | - Tais Maria Bauab
- Department of Biological Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Campus Araraquara, São Paulo State 14.800-903, Brazil.
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3
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Rosiana S, Zhang L, Kim GH, Revtovich AV, Uthayakumar D, Sukumaran A, Geddes-McAlister J, Kirienko NV, Shapiro RS. Comprehensive genetic analysis of adhesin proteins and their role in virulence of Candida albicans. Genetics 2021; 217:iyab003. [PMID: 33724419 PMCID: PMC8045720 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a microbial fungus that exists as a commensal member of the human microbiome and an opportunistic pathogen. Cell surface-associated adhesin proteins play a crucial role in C. albicans' ability to undergo cellular morphogenesis, develop robust biofilms, colonize, and cause infection in a host. However, a comprehensive analysis of the role and relationships between these adhesins has not been explored. We previously established a CRISPR-based platform for efficient generation of single- and double-gene deletions in C. albicans, which was used to construct a library of 144 mutants, comprising 12 unique adhesin genes deleted singly, and every possible combination of double deletions. Here, we exploit this adhesin mutant library to explore the role of adhesin proteins in C. albicans virulence. We perform a comprehensive, high-throughput screen of this library, using Caenorhabditis elegans as a simplified model host system, which identified mutants critical for virulence and significant genetic interactions. We perform follow-up analysis to assess the ability of high- and low-virulence strains to undergo cellular morphogenesis and form biofilms in vitro, as well as to colonize the C. elegans host. We further perform genetic interaction analysis to identify novel significant negative genetic interactions between adhesin mutants, whereby combinatorial perturbation of these genes significantly impairs virulence, more than expected based on virulence of the single mutant constituent strains. Together, this study yields important new insight into the role of adhesins, singly and in combinations, in mediating diverse facets of virulence of this critical fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra Rosiana
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada
| | - Liyang Zhang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Grace H Kim
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada
| | | | - Deeva Uthayakumar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada
| | - Arjun Sukumaran
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada
| | | | | | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON NIG 2W1, Canada
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4
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Maciel EI, Valle Arevalo A, Ziman B, Nobile CJ, Oviedo NJ. Epithelial Infection With Candida albicans Elicits a Multi-System Response in Planarians. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:629526. [PMID: 33519792 PMCID: PMC7840899 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.629526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is one of the most common fungal pathogens of humans. Prior work introduced the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea as a new model system to study the host response to fungal infection at the organismal level. In the current study, we analyzed host-pathogen changes that occurred in situ during early infection with C. albicans. We found that the transcription factor Bcr1 and its downstream adhesin Als3 are required for C. albicans to adhere to and colonize the planarian epithelial surface, and that adherence of C. albicans triggers a multi-system host response that is mediated by the Dectin signaling pathway. This infection response is characterized by two peaks of stem cell divisions and transcriptional changes in differentiated tissues including the nervous and the excretory systems. This response bears some resemblance to a wound-like response to physical injury; however, it takes place without visible tissue damage and it engages a distinct set of progenitor cells. Overall, we identified two C. albicans proteins that mediate epithelial infection of planarians and a comprehensive host response facilitated by diverse tissues to effectively clear the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Isael Maciel
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Ashley Valle Arevalo
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Benjamin Ziman
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.,Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Clarissa J Nobile
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.,Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Néstor J Oviedo
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.,Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States
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5
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Romera D, Aguilera-Correa JJ, García-Coca M, Mahillo-Fernández I, Viñuela-Sandoval L, García-Rodríguez J, Esteban J. The Galleria mellonella infection model as a system to investigate the virulence of Candida auris strains. Pathog Dis 2020; 78:5937422. [PMID: 33098293 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftaa067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is a multiresistant pathogenic yeast commonly isolated from bloodstream infections in immunocompromised patients. In this work, we infected Galleria mellonella larvae with 105 CFU of a reference strains and two clinical isolates of C. albicans and C. auris and we compared the outcomes of infection between both species. Larvae were evaluated every 24 h for a total of 120 h following the G. mellonella Health Index Scoring System, and survival, activity, melanization and cocoon formation were monitored. Our results showed that clinical isolates were significantly more pathogenic than reference strains independently of the tested species, producing lower survival and activity scores and higher melanization scores and being C. albicans strains more virulent than C. auris strains. We did not find differences in mortality between aggregative and non-aggregative C. auris strains, although non-aggregative strains produced significantly lower activity scores and higher melanization scores than aggregative ones. Survival assays using Galleria mellonella have been previously employed to examine and classify strains of this and other microbial species based on their virulence before scaling the experiments to a mammal model. Taken together, these results show how a more complete evaluation of the model can improve the study of C. auris isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Romera
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - John-Jairo Aguilera-Correa
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta García-Coca
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Mahillo-Fernández
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics Service, Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Av. Reyes Católicos, 2. 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Julio García-Rodríguez
- Department of Microbiology, La Paz University Hospital, Paseo de la Castellana, 261, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Esteban
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, IIS Fundación Jiménez Díaz, UAM. Avda. Reyes Católicos 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Torres M, de Cock H, Celis Ramírez AM. In Vitro or In Vivo Models, the Next Frontier for Unraveling Interactions between Malassezia spp. and Hosts. How Much Do We Know? J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6030155. [PMID: 32872112 PMCID: PMC7558575 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Malassezia is a lipid-dependent genus of yeasts known for being an important part of the skin mycobiota. These yeasts have been associated with the development of skin disorders and cataloged as a causal agent of systemic infections under specific conditions, making them opportunistic pathogens. Little is known about the host-microbe interactions of Malassezia spp., and unraveling this implies the implementation of infection models. In this mini review, we present different models that have been implemented in fungal infections studies with greater attention to Malassezia spp. infections. These models range from in vitro (cell cultures and ex vivo tissue), to in vivo (murine models, rabbits, guinea pigs, insects, nematodes, and amoebas). We additionally highlight the alternative models that reduce the use of mammals as model organisms, which have been gaining importance in the study of fungal host-microbe interactions. This is due to the fact that these systems have been shown to have reliable results, which correlate with those obtained from mammalian models. Examples of alternative models are Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, Tenebrio molitor, and Galleria mellonella. These are invertebrates that have been implemented in the study of Malassezia spp. infections in order to identify differences in virulence between Malassezia species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maritza Torres
- Grupo de Investigación Celular y Molecular de Microorganismos Patógenos (CeMoP), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 N° 18A—12, Bogotá, Bogotá D.C. 11711, Colombia;
| | - Hans de Cock
- Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biomembranes, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Adriana Marcela Celis Ramírez
- Grupo de Investigación Celular y Molecular de Microorganismos Patógenos (CeMoP), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, Carrera 1 N° 18A—12, Bogotá, Bogotá D.C. 11711, Colombia;
- Correspondence:
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7
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Malavia D, Gow NAR, Usher J. Advances in Molecular Tools and In Vivo Models for the Study of Human Fungal Pathogenesis. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E803. [PMID: 32466582 PMCID: PMC7356103 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic fungi represent an increasing infectious disease threat to humans, especially with an increasing challenge of antifungal drug resistance. Over the decades, numerous tools have been developed to expedite the study of pathogenicity, initiation of disease, drug resistance and host-pathogen interactions. In this review, we highlight advances that have been made in the use of molecular tools using CRISPR technologies, RNA interference and transposon targeted mutagenesis. We also discuss the use of animal models in modelling disease of human fungal pathogens, focusing on zebrafish, the silkworm, Galleria mellonella and the murine model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jane Usher
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK; (D.M.); (N.A.R.G.)
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8
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Vendele I, Willment JA, Silva LM, Palma AS, Chai W, Liu Y, Feizi T, Spyrou M, Stappers MHT, Brown GD, Gow NAR. Mannan detecting C-type lectin receptor probes recognise immune epitopes with diverse chemical, spatial and phylogenetic heterogeneity in fungal cell walls. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1007927. [PMID: 31999794 PMCID: PMC7012452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
During the course of fungal infection, pathogen recognition by the innate immune system is critical to initiate efficient protective immune responses. The primary event that triggers immune responses is the binding of Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs), which are expressed at the surface of host immune cells, to Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) located predominantly in the fungal cell wall. Most fungi have mannosylated PAMPs in their cell walls and these are recognized by a range of C-type lectin receptors (CTLs). However, the precise spatial distribution of the ligands that induce immune responses within the cell walls of fungi are not well defined. We used recombinant IgG Fc-CTLs fusions of three murine mannan detecting CTLs, including dectin-2, the mannose receptor (MR) carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) 4–7 (CRD4-7), and human DC-SIGN (hDC-SIGN) and of the β-1,3 glucan-binding lectin dectin-1 to map PRR ligands in the fungal cell wall of fungi grown in vitro in rich and minimal media. We show that epitopes of mannan-specific CTL receptors can be clustered or diffuse, superficial or buried in the inner cell wall. We demonstrate that PRR ligands do not correlate well with phylogenetic relationships between fungi, and that Fc-lectin binding discriminated between mannosides expressed on different cell morphologies of the same fungus. We also demonstrate CTL epitope differentiation during different phases of the growth cycle of Candida albicans and that MR and DC-SIGN labelled outer chain N-mannans whilst dectin-2 labelled core N-mannans displayed deeper in the cell wall. These immune receptor maps of fungal walls of in vitro grown cells therefore reveal remarkable spatial, temporal and chemical diversity, indicating that the triggering of immune recognition events originates from multiple physical origins at the fungal cell surface. Invasive fungal infections remain an important health problem in immunocompromised patients. Immune recognition of fungal pathogens involves binding of specific cell wall components by pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) and subsequent activation of immune defences. Some cell wall components are conserved among fungal species while other components are species-specific and phenotypically diverse. The fungal cell wall is dynamic and capable of changing its composition and organization when adapting to different growth niches and environmental stresses. Differences in the composition of the cell wall lead to differential immune recognition by the host. Understanding how changes in the cell wall composition affect recognition by PRRs is likely to be of major diagnostic and clinical relevance. Here we address this fundamental question using four soluble immune receptor-probes which recognize mannans and β-glucan in the cell wall. We use this novel methodology to demonstrate that mannan epitopes are differentially distributed in the inner and outer layers of fungal cell wall in a clustered or diffuse manner. Immune reactivity of fungal cell surfaces was not correlated with relatedness of different fungal species, and mannan-detecting receptor-probes discriminated between cell surface mannans generated by the same fungus growing under different conditions. These studies demonstrate that mannan-epitopes on fungal cell surfaces are differentially distributed within and between the cell walls of fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrida Vendele
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- Division of Infection and Immunity, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Janet A. Willment
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Lisete M. Silva
- Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Angelina S. Palma
- Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- UCIBIO, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Wengang Chai
- Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yan Liu
- Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ten Feizi
- Glycosciences Laboratory, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Spyrou
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mark H. T. Stappers
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Gordon D. Brown
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. R. Gow
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- School of Biosciences, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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9
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Oshiro KGN, Rodrigues G, Monges BED, Cardoso MH, Franco OL. Bioactive Peptides Against Fungal Biofilms. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2169. [PMID: 31681179 PMCID: PMC6797862 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by invasive fungal biofilms have been widely associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, mainly due to the advent of antibiotic resistance. Moreover, fungal biofilms impose an additional challenge, leading to multidrug resistance. This fact, along with the contamination of medical devices and the limited number of effective antifungal agents available on the market, demonstrates the importance of finding novel drug candidates targeting pathogenic fungal cells and biofilms. In this context, an alternative strategy is the use of antifungal peptides (AFPs) against fungal biofilms. AFPs are considered a group of bioactive molecules with broad-spectrum activities and multiple mechanisms of action that have been widely used as template molecules for drug design strategies aiming at greater specificity and biological efficacy. Among the AFP classes most studied in the context of fungal biofilms, defensins, cathelicidins and histatins have been described. AFPs can also act by preventing the formation of fungal biofilms and eradicating preformed biofilms through mechanisms associated with cell wall perturbation, inhibition of planktonic fungal cells’ adhesion onto surfaces, gene regulation and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, considering the critical scenario imposed by fungal biofilms and associated infections and the application of AFPs as a possible treatment, this review will focus on the most effective AFPs described to date, with a core focus on antibiofilm peptides, as well as their efficacy in vivo, application on surfaces and proposed mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen G N Oshiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Gisele Rodrigues
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Bruna Estéfani D Monges
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Marlon Henrique Cardoso
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil.,Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil.,Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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10
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Maciel EI, Jiang C, Barghouth PG, Nobile CJ, Oviedo NJ. The planarian Schmidtea mediterranea is a new model to study host-pathogen interactions during fungal infections. DEVELOPMENTAL AND COMPARATIVE IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 93:18-27. [PMID: 30571995 PMCID: PMC6333478 DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is one of the most common fungal pathogens of humans. Currently, there are limitations in the evaluation of C. albicans infection in existing animal models, especially in terms of understanding the influence of specific infectious stages of the fungal pathogen on the host. We show that C. albicans infects, grows and invades tissues in the planarian flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea, and that the planarian responds to infection by activating components of the host innate immune system to clear and repair host tissues. We study different stages of C. albicans infection and demonstrate that planarian stem cells increase division in response to fungal infection, a process that is likely evolutionarily conserved in metazoans. Our results implicate MORN2 and TAK1/p38 signaling pathways as possible mediators of the host innate immune response to fungal infection. We propose the use of planarians as a model system to investigate host-pathogen interactions during fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli Isael Maciel
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Cen Jiang
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Paul G Barghouth
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA; Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Merced, USA
| | - Clarissa J Nobile
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA; Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, USA.
| | - Néstor J Oviedo
- Department of Molecular & Cell Biology, University of California, Merced, USA; Health Sciences Research Institute, University of California, Merced, USA.
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11
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Hanson MA, Dostálová A, Ceroni C, Poidevin M, Kondo S, Lemaitre B. Synergy and remarkable specificity of antimicrobial peptides in vivo using a systematic knockout approach. eLife 2019; 8:e44341. [PMID: 30803481 PMCID: PMC6398976 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are host-encoded antibiotics that combat invading microorganisms. These short, cationic peptides have been implicated in many biological processes, primarily involving innate immunity. In vitro studies have shown AMPs kill bacteria and fungi at physiological concentrations, but little validation has been done in vivo. We utilized CRISPR gene editing to delete all known immune-inducible AMPs of Drosophila, namely: 4 Attacins, 4 Cecropins, 2 Diptericins, Drosocin, Drosomycin, Metchnikowin and Defensin. Using individual and multiple knockouts, including flies lacking all 14 AMP genes, we characterize the in vivo function of individual and groups of AMPs against diverse bacterial and fungal pathogens. We found that Drosophila AMPs act primarily against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, contributing either additively or synergistically. We also describe remarkable specificity wherein certain AMPs contribute the bulk of microbicidal activity against specific pathogens, providing functional demonstrations of highly specific AMP-pathogen interactions in an in vivo setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Austin Hanson
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Anna Dostálová
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Camilla Ceroni
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Mickael Poidevin
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris SudGif-sur-YvetteFrance
| | - Shu Kondo
- Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, Genetic Strains Research CenterNational Institute of GeneticsMishimaJapan
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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12
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In Vivo Efficacy of Ellagic Acid against Candida albicans in a Drosophila melanogaster Infection Model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.01716-18. [PMID: 30249692 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01716-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity and the toxicity of ellagic acid (EA) using a Drosophila melanogaster model. Candida albicans bacteria were inoculated into Toll heterozygous flies. Survival curves were obtained for the evaluation of the antimicrobial effect and toxicity of EA. A protective effect of EA against fungal infection in Drosophila melanogaster was observed at nontoxic concentrations. This study showed that EA is a promising tool for the treatment of candidiasis.
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13
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Standardization of G. mellonella Larvae to Provide Reliable and Reproducible Results in the Study of Fungal Pathogens. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4030108. [PMID: 30200639 PMCID: PMC6162639 DOI: 10.3390/jof4030108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae have become widely used as a non-mammalian infection model. However, the full potential of this infection model has yet to be realised, limited by the variable quality of larvae used and the lack of standardised procedures. Here, we review larvae suitable for research, protocols for dosing larvae, and methods for scoring illness in larvae infected with fungal pathogens. The development of standardised protocols for carrying out our experimental work will allow high throughput screens to be developed, changing the way in which we evaluate panels of mutants and strains. It will also enable the in vivo screening of potential antimicrobials at an earlier stage in the research and development cycle.
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14
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Van Dijck P, Sjollema J, Cammue BPA, Lagrou K, Berman J, d’Enfert C, Andes DR, Arendrup MC, Brakhage AA, Calderone R, Cantón E, Coenye T, Cos P, Cowen LE, Edgerton M, Espinel-Ingroff A, Filler SG, Ghannoum M, Gow NA, Haas H, Jabra-Rizk MA, Johnson EM, Lockhart SR, Lopez-Ribot JL, Maertens J, Munro CA, Nett JE, Nobile CJ, Pfaller MA, Ramage G, Sanglard D, Sanguinetti M, Spriet I, Verweij PE, Warris A, Wauters J, Yeaman MR, Zaat SA, Thevissen K. Methodologies for in vitro and in vivo evaluation of efficacy of antifungal and antibiofilm agents and surface coatings against fungal biofilms. MICROBIAL CELL (GRAZ, AUSTRIA) 2018; 5:300-326. [PMID: 29992128 PMCID: PMC6035839 DOI: 10.15698/mic2018.07.638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Unlike superficial fungal infections of the skin and nails, which are the most common fungal diseases in humans, invasive fungal infections carry high morbidity and mortality, particularly those associated with biofilm formation on indwelling medical devices. Therapeutic management of these complex diseases is often complicated by the rise in resistance to the commonly used antifungal agents. Therefore, the availability of accurate susceptibility testing methods for determining antifungal resistance, as well as discovery of novel antifungal and antibiofilm agents, are key priorities in medical mycology research. To direct advancements in this field, here we present an overview of the methods currently available for determining (i) the susceptibility or resistance of fungal isolates or biofilms to antifungal or antibiofilm compounds and compound combinations; (ii) the in vivo efficacy of antifungal and antibiofilm compounds and compound combinations; and (iii) the in vitro and in vivo performance of anti-infective coatings and materials to prevent fungal biofilm-based infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Van Dijck
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
- KU Leuven Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelmer Sjollema
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of BioMedical Engineering, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno P. A. Cammue
- Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Plant Systems Biology, VIB, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine and National Reference Center for Mycosis, UZ Leuven, Belgium
| | - Judith Berman
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, INRA, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - David R. Andes
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Maiken C. Arendrup
- Unit of Mycology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute (HKI), Dept. Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Microbiology, Jena, Germany
| | - Richard Calderone
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, USA
| | - Emilia Cantón
- Severe Infection Research Group: Medical Research Institute La Fe (IISLaFe), Valencia, Spain
| | - Tom Coenye
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- ESCMID Study Group for Biofilms, Switzerland
| | - Paul Cos
- Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leah E. Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mira Edgerton
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY USA
| | | | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Mahmoud Ghannoum
- Center for Medical Mycology, Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Re-serve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Neil A.R. Gow
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Hubertus Haas
- Biocenter - Division of Molecular Biology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk
- Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences, School of Dentistry; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA
| | - Elizabeth M. Johnson
- National Infection Service, Public Health England, Mycology Reference Laboratory, Bristol, UK
| | | | | | - Johan Maertens
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium and Clinical Department of Haematology, UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carol A. Munro
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Jeniel E. Nett
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Departments of Medicine and Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Clarissa J. Nobile
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, USA
| | - Michael A. Pfaller
- Departments of Pathology and Epidemiology, University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
- JMI Laboratories, North Liberty, Iowa, USA
| | - Gordon Ramage
- ESCMID Study Group for Biofilms, Switzerland
- College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Dominique Sanglard
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Lausanne and University Hospital, CH-1011 Lausanne
| | - Maurizio Sanguinetti
- Institute of Microbiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, IRCCS-Fondazione Policlinico "Agostino Gemelli", Rome, Italy
| | - Isabel Spriet
- Pharmacy Dpt, University Hospitals Leuven and Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Dpt. of Pharmaceutical and Pharma-cological Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul E. Verweij
- Center of Expertise in Mycology Radboudumc/CWZ, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (omit "Nijmegen" in Radboud University Medical Center)
| | - Adilia Warris
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Joost Wauters
- KU Leuven-University of Leuven, University Hospitals Leuven, Department of General Internal Medicine, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Michael R. Yeaman
- Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Divisions of Molecular Medicine & Infectious Diseases, Har-bor-UCLA Medical Center, LABioMed at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
| | - Sebastian A.J. Zaat
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, Academic Medical Center, University of Am-sterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karin Thevissen
- Centre for Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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15
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Kounatidis I, Ames L, Mistry R, Ho HL, Haynes K, Ligoxygakis P. A Host-Pathogen Interaction Screen Identifies ada2 as a Mediator of Candida glabrata Defenses Against Reactive Oxygen Species. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:1637-1647. [PMID: 29535147 PMCID: PMC5940155 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Candida glabrata (C. glabrata) forms part of the normal human gut microbiota but can cause life-threatening invasive infections in immune-compromised individuals. C. glabrata displays high resistance to common azole antifungals, which necessitates new treatments. In this investigation, we identified five C. glabrata deletion mutants (∆ada2, ∆bas1, ∆hir3, ∆ino2 and ∆met31) from a library of 196 transcription factor mutants that were unable to grow and activate an immune response in Drosophila larvae. This highlighted the importance of these transcription factors in C. glabrata infectivity. Further ex vivo investigation into these mutants revealed the requirement of C. glabrata ADA2 for oxidative stress tolerance. We confirmed this observation in vivo whereby growth of the C. glabrata Δada2 strain was permitted only in flies with suppressed production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Conversely, overexpression of ADA2 promoted C. glabrata replication in infected wild type larvae resulting in larval killing. We propose that ADA2 orchestrates the response of C. glabrata against ROS-mediated immune defenses during infection. With the need to find alternative antifungal treatment for C. glabrata infections, genes required for survival in the host environment, such as ADA2, provide promising potential targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilias Kounatidis
- Cell Biology, Development and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - Lauren Ames
- Exeter Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Rupal Mistry
- Cell Biology, Development and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
| | - Hsueh-Lui Ho
- Exeter Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Ken Haynes
- Exeter Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Cell Biology, Development and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, OX1 3QU UK
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16
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Stefanini I. Yeast-insect associations: It takes guts. Yeast 2018; 35:315-330. [PMID: 29363168 PMCID: PMC5947625 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects interact with microorganisms in several situations, ranging from the accidental interaction to locate attractive food or the acquisition of essential nutrients missing in the main food source. Despite a wealth of studies recently focused on bacteria, the interactions between insects and yeasts have relevant implications for both of the parties involved. The insect intestine shows several structural and physiological differences among species, but it is generally a hostile environment for many microorganisms, selecting against the most sensitive and at the same time guaranteeing a less competitive environment to resistant ones. An intensive characterization of the interactions between yeasts and insects has highlighted their relevance not only for attraction to food but also for the insect's development and behaviour. Conversely, some yeasts have been shown to benefit from interactions with insects, in some cases by being carried among different environments. In addition, the insect intestine may provide a place to reside for prolonged periods and possibly mate or generate sexual forms able to mate once back in the external environments. YEA-May-17-0084.R3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Stefanini
- Division of Biomedical SciencesUniversity of WarwickGibbet Hill RoadCoventryCV4 7ALUK
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17
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Segal E, Frenkel M. Experimental in Vivo Models of Candidiasis. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:E21. [PMID: 29415485 PMCID: PMC5872324 DOI: 10.3390/jof4010021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Candidiasis is a multifaceted fungal disease including mucosal-cutaneous, visceral, and disseminated infections caused by yeast species of the genus Candida. Candida infections are among the most common human mycoses. Candida species are the third to fourth most common isolates from bloodstream infections in neutropenic or immunocompromised hospitalized patients. The mucosal-cutaneous forms-particularly vaginal infections-have a high prevalence. Vaginitis caused by Candida species is the second most common vaginal infection. Hence, candidiasis is a major subject for research, including experimental in vivo models to study pathogenesis, prevention, or therapy of the disease. The following review article will focus on various experimental in vivo models in different laboratory animals, such as mammals (mice, rats, rabbits), the fruit fly-Drosophila melanogaster, the larvae of the moth Galleria mellonella, or the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The review will describe the induction of the different clinical forms of candidiasis in the various models and the validity of such models in mimicking the human clinical situations. The use of such models for the assessment of antifungal drugs, evaluation of potential vaccines to protect before candidiasis, exploration of Candida virulence factors, and comparison of pathogenicity of different Candida species will be included in the review. All of the above will be reported as based on published studies of numerous investigators as well as on the research of the author and his group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Segal
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
| | - Michael Frenkel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
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18
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Al-Maliki HS, Martinez S, Piszczatowski P, Bennett JW. Drosophila melanogaster as a Model for Studying Aspergillus fumigatus. MYCOBIOLOGY 2017; 45:233-239. [PMID: 29371791 PMCID: PMC5780355 DOI: 10.5941/myco.2017.45.4.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Drosophila melanogaster is a useful model organism that offers essential insights into developmental and cellular processes shared with humans, which has been adapted for large scale analysis of medically important microbes and to test the toxicity of heavy metals, industrial solvents and other poisonous substances. We here give a brief review of the use of the Drosophila model in medical mycology, discuss the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the opportunistic human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, and give a brief summary of what is known about the toxicity of some common fungal VOCs. Further, we discuss the use of VOC detection as an indirect indicator of fungal growth, including for early diagnosis of aspergillosis. Finally, we hypothesize that D. melanogaster has promise for investigating the role of VOCs synthesized by A. fumigatus as possible virulence factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadeel Saeed Al-Maliki
- Department of Plant Biology, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, USA
- Technical institute of Samawa, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Samawa, Iraq
| | - Suceti Martinez
- Department of Plant Biology, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, USA
| | - Patrick Piszczatowski
- Department of Plant Biology, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, USA
| | - Joan W Bennett
- Department of Plant Biology, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520, USA
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19
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Kochi Y, Matsumoto Y, Sekimizu K, Kaito C. Two-spotted cricket as an animal infection model of human pathogenic fungi. Drug Discov Ther 2017; 11:259-266. [PMID: 29081438 DOI: 10.5582/ddt.2017.01052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Invertebrate infection models that can be evaluated at human body temperature are limited. In this study, we utilized the two-spotted cricket, a heat-tolerant insect, as an animal infection model of human pathogenic fungi. Injection of human pathogenic fungi, including Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Cryptococcus neoformans killed crickets within 48 h at both 27˚C and 37˚C. The median lethal dose values (LD50 values) of C. albicans and C. glabrata against crickets were decreased at 37˚C compared to that at 27˚C, whereas the LD50 value of C. neoformans was not different between 27˚C and 37˚C. Heat-killed cells of the three different fungi also killed crickets, but the LD50 value of the heat-killed cells was higher than 5-fold that of live fungal cells in the respective species. C. neoformans gene-knockout strains of cna1, gpa1, and pka1, which are required for virulence in mammals, had greater LD50 values than the parent strain in crickets. These findings suggest that the two-spotted cricket is a valuable infection model of human pathogenic fungi that can be used to evaluate fungal virulence at variable temperatures, including 37˚C, and that the killing abilities of C. albicans and C. glabrata against animals are increased at 37˚C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuto Kochi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
| | | | | | - Chikara Kaito
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
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20
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Ho HL, Haynes K. Candida glabrata: new tools and technologies-expanding the toolkit. FEMS Yeast Res 2015; 15:fov066. [PMID: 26205243 PMCID: PMC4629792 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fov066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in fungal infections related to non-albicans Candida species, including Candida glabrata which has both intrinsic resistance to and commonly acquired resistance to azole antifungals. Phylogenetically, C. glabrata is more closely related to the mostly non-pathogenic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae than to other Candida species. Despite C. glabrata's designation as a pathogen by Wickham in 1957, relatively little is known about its mechanism of virulence. Over the past few years, technology to analyse the molecular basis of infection has developed rapidly, and here we briefly review the major advances in tools and technologies available to explore and investigate the virulence of C. glabrata that have occurred over the past decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsueh-lui Ho
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Ken Haynes
- Biosciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QD, UK
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21
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Brunke S, Quintin J, Kasper L, Jacobsen ID, Richter ME, Hiller E, Schwarzmüller T, d'Enfert C, Kuchler K, Rupp S, Hube B, Ferrandon D. Of mice, flies--and men? Comparing fungal infection models for large-scale screening efforts. Dis Model Mech 2015; 8:473-86. [PMID: 25786415 PMCID: PMC4415897 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.019901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying infectious diseases requires suitable hosts for experimental in vivo infections. Recent years have seen the advent of many alternatives to murine infection models. However, the use of non-mammalian models is still controversial because it is often unclear how well findings from these systems predict virulence potential in humans or other mammals. Here, we compare the commonly used models, fruit fly and mouse (representing invertebrate and mammalian hosts), for their similarities and degree of correlation upon infection with a library of mutants of an important fungal pathogen, the yeast Candida glabrata. Using two indices, for fly survival time and for mouse fungal burden in specific organs, we show a good agreement between the models. We provide a suitable predictive model for estimating the virulence potential of C. glabrata mutants in the mouse from fly survival data. As examples, we found cell wall integrity mutants attenuated in flies, and mutants of a MAP kinase pathway had defective virulence in flies and reduced relative pathogen fitness in mice. In addition, mutants with strongly reduced in vitro growth generally, but not always, had reduced virulence in flies. Overall, we demonstrate that surveying Drosophila survival after infection is a suitable model to predict the outcome of murine infections, especially for severely attenuated C. glabrata mutants. Pre-screening of mutants in an invertebrate Drosophila model can, thus, provide a good estimate of the probability of finding a strain with reduced microbial burden in the mouse host. Summary: Can the fitness of deletion mutants in a murine model be predicted by their virulence in Drosophila melanogaster? For a fungal pathogen, the answer is, mostly, yes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Brunke
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jessica Quintin
- Equipe Fondation Recherche Médicale, Unité Propre de Recherche 9022 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IBMC), Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ilse D Jacobsen
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin E Richter
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Ekkehard Hiller
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Tobias Schwarzmüller
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, 75015 Paris, France INRA, USC2019, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Karl Kuchler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Steffen Rupp
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Dominique Ferrandon
- Equipe Fondation Recherche Médicale, Unité Propre de Recherche 9022 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IBMC), Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
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22
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Balasubramani SP, Mohan J, Chatterjee A, Patnaik E, Kukkupuni SK, Nongthomba U, Venkatasubramanian P. Pomegranate Juice Enhances Healthy Lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster: An Exploratory Study. Front Public Health 2014; 2:245. [PMID: 25566518 PMCID: PMC4267107 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploring innovative ways to ensure healthy aging of populations is a pre-requisite to contain rising healthcare costs. Scientific research into the principles and practices of traditional medicines can provide new insights and simple solutions to lead a healthy life. Rasayana is a dedicated branch of Ayurveda (an Indian medicine) that deals with methods to increase vitality and delay aging through the use of diet, herbal supplements, and other lifestyle practices. The life-span and health-span enhancing actions of the fruits of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), a well-known Rasayana, were tested on Drosophila melanogaster (fruitfly) model. Supplementation of standard corn meal with 10% (v/v) pomegranate juice (PJ) extended the life-span of male and female flies by 18 and 8%, respectively. When male and female flies were mixed and reared together, there was 19% increase in the longevity of PJ fed flies, as assessed by MSD, the median survival day (24.8). MSD for control and resveratrol (RV) groups was at 20.8 and 23.1 days, respectively. A two-fold enhancement in fecundity, improved resistance to oxidative stress (H2O2 and paraquat induced) and to Candida albicans infection were observed in PJ fed flies. Further, the flies in the PJ fed group were physically active over an extended period of time, as assessed by the climbing assay. PJ thus outperformed both control and RV groups in the life-span and health-span parameters tested. This study provides the scope to explore the potential of PJ as a nutraceutical to improve health span and lifespan in human beings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jayaram Mohan
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India
| | - Arunita Chatterjee
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India
| | - Esha Patnaik
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India
| | - Subrahmanya Kumar Kukkupuni
- Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) , Bangalore , India ; Manipal University , Manipal , India
| | - Upendra Nongthomba
- Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , Bangalore , India
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Fernando MDA, Kounatidis I, Ligoxygakis P. Loss of Trabid, a new negative regulator of the drosophila immune-deficiency pathway at the level of TAK1, reduces life span. PLoS Genet 2014; 10:e1004117. [PMID: 24586180 PMCID: PMC3930493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A relatively unexplored nexus in Drosophila Immune deficiency (IMD) pathway is TGF-beta Activating Kinase 1 (TAK1), which triggers both immunity and apoptosis. In a cell culture screen, we identified that Lysine at position 142 was a K63-linked Ubiquitin acceptor site for TAK1, required for signalling. Moreover, Lysine at position 156 functioned as a K48-linked Ubiquitin acceptor site, also necessary for TAK1 activity. The deubiquitinase Trabid interacted with TAK1, reducing immune signalling output and K63-linked ubiquitination. The three tandem Npl4 Zinc Fingers and the catalytic Cysteine at position 518 were required for Trabid activity. Flies deficient for Trabid had a reduced life span due to chronic activation of IMD both systemically as well as in their gut where homeostasis was disrupted. The TAK1-associated Binding Protein 2 (TAB2) was linked with the TAK1-Trabid interaction through its Zinc finger domain that pacified the TAK1 signal. These results indicate an elaborate and multi-tiered mechanism for regulating TAK1 activity and modulating its immune signal. Chronic activation of immune responses results in health problems including gastrointestinal infections, metabolic imbalances and inflammatory bowel diseases that may lead to colorectal cancer. Central to this, is the balance of activation/restriction of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) during innate immune responses. To study signaling through NF-κB, we use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a genetically tractable model system that reflects human biology (due to the evolutionary conservation between innate immunity in flies and mammals), while reducing the complexity of the human disease of interest. We have found a new negative regulator of the Drosophila NF-κB pathway named Trabid. Its loss released the pathway and resulted in constitutive immune activation both in the gut as well as in the whole fly. This spontaneous immune activation reduced life span in the absence of infection, especially when it was combined with loss of another known negative regulator of the same pathway, a protein named Pirk. Stem cell activity in the gut in a pirk;trabid double mutant was found to be significantly increased, as the gut was trying to balance enterocyte loss. Trabid was acting at the level of TGF-beta Activating Kinase 1 (TAK1), which triggers both immunity and cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ilias Kounatidis
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Cirasola D, Sciota R, Vizzini L, Ricucci V, Morace G, Borghi E. Experimental biofilm-related Candida infections. Future Microbiol 2013; 8:799-805. [PMID: 23701334 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.13.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM We investigated the pathogenic role of biofilm and the therapeutic efficacy of anidulafungin in experimental infections of the wax moth Galleria mellonella by Candida albicans clinical strains. MATERIALS & METHODS On the basis of the in vitro propensity to form biofilm, five biofilm-producer (BP) and four nonproducer (NP) C. albicans clinical strains were used in this study. For each strain, we assessed the virulence by infecting G. mellonella larvae and observing survival. Anidulafungin was administered 2 h after yeast inoculum at 0.6 µg, according to the therapeutic dose recommended for humans. RESULTS Biofilm-forming ability highly influenced the larva-killing rate. A significant (p < 0.0001) survival decrease was observed in the BP group, with 80% of the infected larvae dying within 72 h. NP isolates did not reach the same killing rate, even at the end of experiments (216 h). Larval survival was enhanced (p < 0.0001) by anidulafungin administration in both groups. Survival rate at 72 h was similar in both groups (BP 78.5% and NP 87.5%); whereas there were still differences at the end of the experiments, with a higher survival in the NP group (75 vs 48%). CONCLUSION Our data confirm the pathogenic role of biofilm in C. albicans infections. Its importance was further enhanced by a lack of contribution from extracellular enzymes, detected in both NP and BP strains. In addition, we demonstrated anidulafungin efficacy in treating biofilm-related invasive candidiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Cirasola
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, via A di Rudinì, 8, 20142 Milan, Italy
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25
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Zanette RA, Santurio JM, Loreto ÉS, Alves SH, Kontoyiannis DP. Toll-deficient Drosophila is susceptible to Pythium insidiosum infection. Microbiol Immunol 2013; 57:732-5. [PMID: 23865688 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Revised: 07/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a paucity of animal models of pythiosis, a life-threatening disease of humans and animals, the immunopathogenesis of which is poorly understood. A pythiosis model was developed by injecting Toll (Tl)-deficient Drosophila melanogaster flies with Pythium insidiosum zoospores. The infected Tl mutant flies had significantly lower survival rates (73.7%) than did control flies. This study reveals the important role of Tl pathway activation in fly immune response to pythiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Régis A Zanette
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Avenida Roraima, 1000, Santa Maria, RS, 97105-900, Brazil; Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
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Arvanitis M, Glavis-Bloom J, Mylonakis E. Invertebrate models of fungal infection. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2013; 1832:1378-83. [PMID: 23517918 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Revised: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The morbidity, mortality and economic burden associated with fungal infections, together with the emergence of fungal strains resistant to current antimicrobial agents, necessitate broadening our understanding of fungal pathogenesis and discovering new agents to treat these infections. Using invertebrate hosts, especially the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the model insects Drosophila melanogaster and Galleria mellonella, could help achieve these goals. The evolutionary conservation of several aspects of the innate immune response between invertebrates and mammals makes the use of these simple hosts an effective and fast screening method for identifying fungal virulence factors and testing potential antifungal compounds. The purpose of this review is to compare several model hosts that have been used in experimental mycology to-date and to describe their different characteristics and contribution to the study of fungal virulence and the detection of compounds with antifungal properties. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Animal Models of Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marios Arvanitis
- Department of Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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Quintin J, Asmar J, Matskevich AA, Lafarge MC, Ferrandon D. The Drosophila Toll pathway controls but does not clear Candida glabrata infections. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2013; 190:2818-27. [PMID: 23401590 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1201861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The pathogenicity of Candida glabrata to patients remains poorly understood for lack of convenient animal models to screen large numbers of mutants for altered virulence. In this study, we explore the minihost model Drosophila melanogaster from the dual perspective of host and pathogen. As in vertebrates, wild-type flies contain C. glabrata systemic infections yet are unable to kill the injected yeasts. As for other fungal infections in Drosophila, the Toll pathway restrains C. glabrata proliferation. Persistent C. glabrata yeasts in wild-type flies do not appear to be able to take shelter in hemocytes from the action of the Toll pathway, the effectors of which remain to be identified. Toll pathway mutant flies succumb to injected C. glabrata. In this immunosuppressed background, cellular defenses provide a residual level of protection. Although both the Gram-negative binding protein 3 pattern recognition receptor and the Persephone protease-dependent detection pathway are required for Toll pathway activation by C. glabrata, only GNBP3, and not psh mutants, are susceptible to the infection. Both Candida albicans and C. glabrata are restrained by the Toll pathway, yet the comparative study of phenoloxidase activation reveals a differential activity of the Toll pathway against these two fungal pathogens. Finally, we establish that the high-osmolarity glycerol pathway and yapsins are required for virulence of C. glabrata in this model. Unexpectedly, yapsins do not appear to be required to counteract the cellular immune response but are needed for the colonization of the wild-type host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Quintin
- Unité Propre de Recherche 9022 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, F67084 Strasbourg Cedex, France
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28
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Utility of insects for studying human pathogens and evaluating new antimicrobial agents. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2013; 135:1-25. [PMID: 23604210 DOI: 10.1007/10_2013_194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
Insect models, such as Galleria mellonella and Drosophila melanogaster have significant ethical, logistical, and economic advantages over mammalian models for the studies of infectious diseases. Using these models, various pathogenic microbes have been studied and many novel virulence genes have been identified. Notably, because insects are susceptible to a wide variety of human pathogens and have immune responses similar to those of mammals, they offer the opportunity to understand innate immune responses against human pathogens better. It is important to note that insect pathosystems have also offered a simple strategy to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of many antimicrobial agents. Overall, insect models provide a rapid, inexpensive, and reliable way as complementary hosts to conventional vertebrate animal models to study pathogenesis and antimicrobial agents.
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Ligoxygakis P. Genetics of Immune Recognition and Response in Drosophila host defense. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2013; 83:71-97. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-407675-4.00002-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Abstract
Hundred-thousands of fungal species are present in our environment, including normal colonizers that constitute part of the human microbiota. The homeostasis of host-fungus interactions encompasses efficient fungal sensing, tolerance at mucosal surfaces, as well as antifungal defenses. Decrease in host immune fitness or increase in fungal burden may favor pathologies, ranging from superficial mucocutaneous diseases to invasive life-threatening fungal infections. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are essential players in this balance, due to their ability to control both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes upon recognition of fungal-specific pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Certain members of the TLR family participate to the initial recognition of fungal PAMPs on the cell surface, as well as inside phagosomes of innate immune cells. Active signaling cascades in phagocytes ultimately enable fungus clearance and the release of cytokines that shape and instruct other innate immune cells and the adaptive immune system. Some TLRs cooperate with other pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) (e.g., C-type lectins and Galectins), thus allowing for a tailored immune response. The spatio-temporal and physiological contributions of individual TLRs in fungal infections remains ill-defined, although in humans, TLR gene polymorphisms have been linked to increased susceptibility to fungal infections. This review focuses entirely on the role of TLRs that control the host susceptibility to environmental fungi (e.g., Aspergillus, Cryptoccocus, and Coccidoides), as well as to the most frequent human fungal pathogens represented by the commensal Candida species. The emerging roles of TLRs in modulating host tolerance to fungi, and the strategies that evolved in some of these fungi to evade or use TLR recognition to their advantage will also be discussed, as well as their potential suitability as targets in vaccine therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christelle Bourgeois
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories Vienna, Austria. christelle.bourgeois@ meduniwien.ac.at
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31
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Abstract
The deleterious and sometimes fatal outcomes of bacterial infectious diseases are the net result of the interactions between the pathogen and the host, and the genetically tractable fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has emerged as a valuable tool for modeling the pathogen-host interactions of a wide variety of bacteria. These studies have revealed that there is a remarkable conservation of bacterial pathogenesis and host defence mechanisms between higher host organisms and Drosophila. This review presents an in-depth discussion of the Drosophila immune response, the Drosophila killing model, and the use of the model to examine bacterial-host interactions. The recent introduction of the Drosophila model into the oral microbiology field is discussed, specifically the use of the model to examine Porphyromonas gingivalis-host interactions, and finally the potential uses of this powerful model system to further elucidate oral bacterial-host interactions are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina O Igboin
- Division of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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32
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Hamilos G, Samonis G, Kontoyiannis DP. Recent Advances in the Use of Drosophila melanogaster as a Model to Study Immunopathogenesis of Medically Important Filamentous Fungi. Int J Microbiol 2012; 2012:583792. [PMID: 22518146 PMCID: PMC3299265 DOI: 10.1155/2012/583792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Airborne opportunistic fungi, including Aspergillus and other less common saprophytic molds, have recently emerged as important causes of mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of host-fungal interplay in robust experimental pathosystems is becoming a research priority for development of novel therapeutics to combat these devastating infections. Over the past decade, invertebrate hosts with evolutionarily conserved innate immune signaling pathways and powerful genetics, such as Drosophila melanogaster, have been employed as a means to overcome logistic restrains associated with the use mammalian models of fungal infections. Recent studies in Drosophila models of filamentous fungi demonstrated that several genes implicated in fungal virulence in mammals also play a similarly important pathogenic role in fruit flies, and important host-related aspects in fungal pathogenesis are evolutionarily conserved. In view of recent advances in Drosophila genetics, fruit flies will become an invaluable surrogate model to study immunopathogenesis of fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Hamilos
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Stavrakia, Voutes, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - George Samonis
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Stavrakia, Voutes, 71110 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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MacCallum DM. Hosting infection: experimental models to assay Candida virulence. Int J Microbiol 2011; 2012:363764. [PMID: 22235206 PMCID: PMC3253448 DOI: 10.1155/2012/363764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2011] [Accepted: 10/13/2011] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although normally commensals in humans, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, and Candida krusei are capable of causing opportunistic infections in individuals with altered physiological and/or immunological responses. These fungal species are linked with a variety of infections, including oral, vaginal, gastrointestinal, and systemic infections, with C. albicans the major cause of infection. To assess the ability of different Candida species and strains to cause infection and disease requires the use of experimental infection models. This paper discusses the mucosal and systemic models of infection available to assay Candida virulence and gives examples of some of the knowledge that has been gained to date from these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna M. MacCallum
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK
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Atilano ML, Yates J, Glittenberg M, Filipe SR, Ligoxygakis P. Wall teichoic acids of Staphylococcus aureus limit recognition by the drosophila peptidoglycan recognition protein-SA to promote pathogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002421. [PMID: 22144903 PMCID: PMC3228820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [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: 06/13/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell wall of gram-positive bacteria is a complex network of surface proteins, capsular polysaccharides and wall teichoic acids (WTA) covalently linked to Peptidoglycan (PG). The absence of WTA has been associated with a reduced pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Here, we assessed whether this was due to increased detection of PG, an important target of innate immune receptors. Antibiotic-mediated or genetic inhibition of WTA production in S. aureus led to increased binding of the non-lytic PG Recognition Protein-SA (PGRP-SA), and this was associated with a reduction in host susceptibility to infection. Moreover, PGRP-SD, another innate sensor required to control wild type S. aureus infection, became redundant. Our data imply that by using WTA to limit access of innate immune receptors to PG, under-detected bacteria are able to establish an infection and ultimately overwhelm the host. We propose that different PGRPs work in concert to counter this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda L. Atilano
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - James Yates
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Marcus Glittenberg
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio R. Filipe
- Laboratory of Bacterial Cell Surfaces and Pathogenesis, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
- * E-mail: (SF); (PL)
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (SF); (PL)
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Lionakis MS. Drosophila and Galleria insect model hosts: new tools for the study of fungal virulence, pharmacology and immunology. Virulence 2011; 2:521-7. [PMID: 22186764 PMCID: PMC3260546 DOI: 10.4161/viru.2.6.18520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2011] [Accepted: 10/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over recent years we have witnessed the emergence of several non-vertebrate mini-hosts as alternative pathosystems for the study of fungal disease. These heterologous organisms have unique advantages, as they are economical, ethically expedient, and facile to use. Hence, they are amenable to high-throughput screening studies of fungal genomes for identification of novel virulence genes and of chemical libraries for discovery of new antifungal compounds. In addition, because they have evolutionarily conserved immunity they offer the opportunity to better understand innate immune responses against medically important fungi. In this review, we discuss how the insects Drosophila melanogaster and Galleria mellonella can be employed for the study of various facets of host-fungal interactions as complementary hosts to conventional vertebrate animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michail S Lionakis
- Clinical Mycology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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36
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Glittenberg MT, Kounatidis I, Christensen D, Kostov M, Kimber S, Roberts I, Ligoxygakis P. Pathogen and host factors are needed to provoke a systemic host response to gastrointestinal infection of Drosophila larvae by Candida albicans. Dis Model Mech 2011; 4:515-25. [PMID: 21540243 PMCID: PMC3124059 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.006627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2010] [Accepted: 03/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans systemic dissemination in immunocompromised patients is thought to develop from initial gastrointestinal (GI) colonisation. It is unclear what components of the innate immune system are necessary for preventing C. albicans dissemination from the GI tract, but studies in mice have indicated that both neutropenia and GI mucosal damage are crucial for allowing widespread invasive C. albicans disease. Mouse models, however, provide limited applicability to genome-wide screens for pathogen or host factors - factors that might influence systemic dissemination following GI colonisation. For this reason we developed a Drosophila model to study intestinal infection by Candida. We found that commensal flora aided host survival following GI infection. Candida provoked extensive JNK-mediated death of gut cells and induced antimicrobial peptide expression in the fat body. From the side of the host, nitric oxide and blood cells influenced systemic antimicrobial responses. The secretion of SAP4 and SAP6 (secreted aspartyl proteases) from Candida was also essential for activating systemic Toll-dependent immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus T. Glittenberg
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Ilias Kounatidis
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - David Christensen
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Magali Kostov
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Sandra Kimber
- Developmental Genetics Group, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Ian Roberts
- Developmental Genetics Group, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Petros Ligoxygakis
- Genes and Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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