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Liu F, Zeng M, Zhou X, Huang F, Song Z. Aspergillus fumigatus escape mechanisms from its harsh survival environments. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:53. [PMID: 38175242 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12952-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous pathogenic mold and causes several diseases, including mycotoxicosis, allergic reactions, and systemic diseases (invasive aspergillosis), with high mortality rates. In its ecological niche, the fungus has evolved and mastered many reply strategies to resist and survive against negative threats, including harsh environmental stress and deficiency of essential nutrients from natural environments, immunity responses and drug treatments in host, and competition from symbiotic microorganisms. Hence, treating A. fumigatus infection is a growing challenge. In this review, we summarized A. fumigatus reply strategies and escape mechanisms and clarified the main competitive or symbiotic relationships between A. fumigatus, viruses, bacteria, or fungi in host microecology. Additionally, we discussed the contemporary drug repertoire used to treat A. fumigatus and the latest evidence of potential resistance mechanisms. This review provides valuable knowledge which will stimulate further investigations and clinical applications for treating and preventing A. fumigatus infections. KEY POINTS: • Harsh living environment was a great challenge for A. fumigatus survival. • A. fumigatus has evolved multiple strategies to escape host immune responses. • A. fumigatus withstands antifungal drugs via intrinsic escape mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyan Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Zeng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 402160, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Fujiao Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhangyong Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
- Molecular Biotechnology Platform, Public Center of Experimental Technology, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, People's Republic of China.
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Chen Q, Yang Z, Liu H, Man J, Oladejo AO, Ibrahim S, Wang S, Hao B. Novel Drug Delivery Systems: An Important Direction for Drug Innovation Research and Development. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:674. [PMID: 38794336 PMCID: PMC11124876 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The escalating demand for enhanced therapeutic efficacy and reduced adverse effects in the pharmaceutical domain has catalyzed a new frontier of innovation and research in the field of pharmacy: novel drug delivery systems. These systems are designed to address the limitations of conventional drug administration, such as abbreviated half-life, inadequate targeting, low solubility, and bioavailability. As the disciplines of pharmacy, materials science, and biomedicine continue to advance and converge, the development of efficient and safe drug delivery systems, including biopharmaceutical formulations, has garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. This article presents an overview of the latest advancements in drug delivery systems, categorized into four primary areas: carrier-based and coupling-based targeted drug delivery systems, intelligent drug delivery systems, and drug delivery devices, based on their main objectives and methodologies. Additionally, it critically analyzes the technological bottlenecks, current research challenges, and future trends in the application of novel drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
| | - Zhen Yang
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
| | - Haoyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
| | - Jingyuan Man
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
| | - Ayodele Olaolu Oladejo
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
- Department of Animal Health Technology, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora 201003, Nigeria
| | - Sally Ibrahim
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
- Department of Animal Reproduction and AI, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki 12622, Egypt
| | - Shengyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
| | - Baocheng Hao
- Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China; (Q.C.); (Z.Y.); (H.L.); (J.M.); (A.O.O.); (S.I.)
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Rudhra O, Gnanam H, Sivaperumal S, Namperumalsamy V, Prajna L, Kuppamuthu D. Melanin depletion affects Aspergillus flavus conidial surface proteins, architecture, and virulence. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:291. [PMID: 38592509 PMCID: PMC11004046 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13107-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Melanin is an Aspergillus flavus cell wall component that provides chemical and physical protection to the organism. However, the molecular and biological mechanisms modulating melanin-mediated host-pathogen interaction in A. flavus keratitis are not well understood. This work aimed to compare the morphology, surface proteome profile, and virulence of melanized conidia (MC) and non-melanized conidia (NMC) of A. flavus. Kojic acid treatment inhibited melanin synthesis in A. flavus, and the conidial surface protein profile was significantly different in kojic acid-treated non-melanized conidia. Several cell wall-associated proteins and proteins responsible for oxidative stress, carbohydrate, and chitin metabolic pathways were found only in the formic acid extracts of NMC. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed the conidial surface morphology difference between the NMC and MC, indicating the role of melanin in the structural integrity of the conidial cell wall. The levels of calcofluor white staining efficiency were different, but there was no microscopic morphology difference in lactophenol cotton blue staining between MC and NMC. Evaluation of the virulence of MC and NMC in the Galleria mellonella model showed NMC was less virulent compared to MC. Our findings showed that the integrity of the conidial surface is controlled by the melanin layer. The alteration in the surface protein profile indicated that many surface proteins are masked by the melanin layer, and hence, melanin can modulate the host response by preventing the exposure of fungal proteins to the host immune defense system. The G. mellonella virulence assay also confirmed that the NMC were susceptible to host defense as in other Aspergillus pathogens. KEY POINTS: • l-DOPA melanin production was inhibited in A. flavus isolates by kojic acid, and for the first time, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed morphological differences between MC and NMC of A. flavus strains • Proteome profile of non-melanized conidia showed more conidial surface proteins and these proteins were mainly involved in the virulence, oxidative stress, and metabolism pathways • Non-melanized conidia of A. flavus strains were shown to be less virulent than melanised conidia in an in vivo virulence experiment with the G. melonella model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondippili Rudhra
- Department of Proteomics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Hariharan Gnanam
- Department of Proteomics, Aravind Medical Research Foundation, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sivaramakrishnan Sivaperumal
- Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
| | | | - Lalitha Prajna
- Department of Ocular Microbiology, Aravind Eye Hospital, Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
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Lightfoot JD, Adams EM, Kamath MM, Wells BL, Fuller KK. Aspergillus fumigatus Hypoxia Adaptation Is Critical for the Establishment of Fungal Keratitis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:31. [PMID: 38635243 PMCID: PMC11044834 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.4.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose The poor visual outcomes associated with fungal keratitis (FK) underscore a need to identify fungal pathways that can serve as novel antifungal targets. In this report, we investigated whether hypoxia develops in the FK cornea and, by extension, if fungal hypoxia adaptation is essential for virulence in this setting. Methods C57BL/6J mice were inoculated with Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium solani var. petroliphilum via topical overlay or intrastromal injection. At various time points post-inoculation (p.i.), animals were injected with pimonidazole for the detection of tissue hypoxia through immunofluorescence imaging. The A. fumigatus srbA gene was deleted through Cas9-mediated homologous recombination and its virulence was assessed in the topical infection model using slit-lamp microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Results Topical inoculation with A. fumigatus resulted in diffuse pimonidazole staining across the epithelial and endothelial layers within 6 hours. Stromal hypoxia was evident by 48 hours p.i., which corresponded to leukocytic infiltration. Intrastromal inoculation with either A. fumigatus or F. solani similarly led to diffuse staining patterns across all corneal cell layers. The A. fumigatus srbA deletion mutant was unable to grow at oxygen levels below 3% in vitro, and corneas inoculated with the mutant failed to develop signs of corneal opacification, inflammation, or fungal burden. Conclusions These results suggest that fungal antigen rapidly drives the development of corneal hypoxia, thus rendering fungal SrbA or related pathways essential for the establishment of infection. Such pathways may therefore serve as targets for novel antifungal intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge D. Lightfoot
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
| | - Emily M. Adams
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
| | - Manali M. Kamath
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
| | - Becca L. Wells
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
| | - Kevin K. Fuller
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
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Earle K, Valero C, Conn DP, Vere G, Cook PC, Bromley MJ, Bowyer P, Gago S. Pathogenicity and virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus. Virulence 2023; 14:2172264. [PMID: 36752587 PMCID: PMC10732619 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2172264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary infections caused by the mould pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Compromised lung defences arising from immunosuppression, chronic respiratory conditions or more recently, concomitant viral or bacterial pulmonary infections are recognised risks factors for the development of pulmonary aspergillosis. In this review, we will summarise our current knowledge of the mechanistic basis of pulmonary aspergillosis with a focus on emerging at-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh Earle
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Clara Valero
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Daniel P. Conn
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - George Vere
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Peter C. Cook
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Michael J. Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sara Gago
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Yadav KK, Nimonkar Y, Green SJ, Dewala S, Dhanorkar MN, Sharma R, Rale VR, Prakash O. Anaerobic growth and drug susceptibility of versatile fungal pathogen Scedosporium apiospermum. iScience 2023; 26:108304. [PMID: 37965151 PMCID: PMC10641749 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Although severe cases of invasive mycoses of different hypoxic and anoxic body parts have been reported, growth and drug susceptibility of fungal pathogens under anaerobic conditions remains understudied. The current study evaluated anaerobic growth potential and drug susceptibility of environmental Scedosporium apiospermum isolates under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. All tested strains showed equivalent growth and higher sensitivity to tested antifungal drugs under anaerobic conditions with lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as compared to aerobic conditions. Antifungal azoles were effective against isolates under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Most strains were resistant to antifungal echinocandins and polyenes under aerobic conditions but exhibited sensitivity under anaerobic conditions. This study provides evidence that resistance of S. apiospermum to antifungal drugs varies with oxygen concentration and availability and suggests re-evaluating clinical breakpoints for antifungal compounds to treat invasive fungal infections more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna K. Yadav
- National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
- Symbiosis Centre for Waste Resource Management (SCWRM), Symbiosis International, (Deemed University), Lavale, Pune 412115, India
| | - Yogesh Nimonkar
- National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Stefan J. Green
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Sahabram Dewala
- National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
| | - Manikprabhu N. Dhanorkar
- Symbiosis Centre for Waste Resource Management (SCWRM), Symbiosis International, (Deemed University), Lavale, Pune 412115, India
| | - Rohit Sharma
- Department of Life Science and Biological Science, IES University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462 044, India
| | - Vinay R. Rale
- Symbiosis Centre for Research and Innovation (SCRI), Symbiosis International, (Deemed University), Lavale, Pune 412115, India
| | - Om Prakash
- National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India
- Symbiosis Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability (SCCCS), Symbiosis International, (Deemed University), Lavale, Pune 412115, India
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Cruz-Leite VRM, Moreira ALE, Silva LOS, Inácio MM, Parente-Rocha JA, Ruiz OH, Weber SS, Soares CMDA, Borges CL. Proteomics of Paracoccidioides lutzii: Overview of Changes Triggered by Nitrogen Catabolite Repression. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1102. [PMID: 37998907 PMCID: PMC10672198 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the Paracoccidioides complex are the causative agents of Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a human systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. Upon initial contact with the host, the pathogen needs to uptake micronutrients. Nitrogen is an essential source for biosynthetic pathways. Adaptation to nutritional stress is a key feature of fungi in host tissues. Fungi utilize nitrogen sources through Nitrogen Catabolite Repression (NCR). NCR ensures the scavenging, uptake and catabolism of alternative nitrogen sources, when preferential ones, such as glutamine or ammonium, are unavailable. The NanoUPLC-MSE proteomic approach was used to investigate the NCR response of Paracoccidioides lutzii after growth on proline or glutamine as a nitrogen source. A total of 338 differentially expressed proteins were identified. P. lutzii demonstrated that gluconeogenesis, β-oxidation, glyoxylate cycle, adhesin-like proteins, stress response and cell wall remodeling were triggered in NCR-proline conditions. In addition, within macrophages, yeast cells trained under NCR-proline conditions showed an increased ability to survive. In general, this study allows a comprehensive understanding of the NCR response employed by the fungus to overcome nutritional starvation, which in the human host is represented by nutritional immunity. In turn, the pathogen requires rapid adaptation to the changing microenvironment induced by macrophages to achieve successful infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Rafaela Milhomem Cruz-Leite
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - André Luís Elias Moreira
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Lana O’Hara Souza Silva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Moises Morais Inácio
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
- Estácio de Goiás University Center—FESGO, Goiânia 74063-010, GO, Brazil
| | - Juliana Alves Parente-Rocha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- MICROBA Research Group, Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit, Department of Microbiology, School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia;
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79304-902, MS, Brazil;
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences II, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, GO, Brazil; (A.L.E.M.); (L.O.S.S.); (M.M.I.); (J.A.P.-R.); (C.M.d.A.S.)
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Puerner C, Vellanki S, Strauch JL, Cramer RA. Recent Advances in Understanding the Human Fungal Pathogen Hypoxia Response in Disease Progression. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:403-425. [PMID: 37713457 PMCID: PMC11034785 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-021745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Fungal-mediated disease progression and antifungal drug efficacy are significantly impacted by the dynamic infection microenvironment. At the site of infection, oxygen often becomes limiting and induces a hypoxia response in both the fungal pathogen and host cells. The fungal hypoxia response impacts several important aspects of fungal biology that contribute to pathogenesis, virulence, antifungal drug susceptibility, and ultimately infection outcomes. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the hypoxia response in the most common human fungal pathogens, discuss potential therapeutic opportunities, and highlight important areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Puerner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
| | - Sandeep Vellanki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
| | - Julianne L Strauch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
- Department of Biology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
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Gutiérrez-Corona JF, González-Hernández GA, Padilla-Guerrero IE, Olmedo-Monfil V, Martínez-Rocha AL, Patiño-Medina JA, Meza-Carmen V, Torres-Guzmán JC. Fungal Alcohol Dehydrogenases: Physiological Function, Molecular Properties, Regulation of Their Production, and Biotechnological Potential. Cells 2023; 12:2239. [PMID: 37759461 PMCID: PMC10526403 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) participate in growth under aerobic or anaerobic conditions, morphogenetic processes, and pathogenesis of diverse fungal genera. These processes are associated with metabolic operation routes related to alcohol, aldehyde, and acid production. The number of ADH enzymes, their metabolic roles, and their functions vary within fungal species. The most studied ADHs are associated with ethanol metabolism, either as fermentative enzymes involved in the production of this alcohol or as oxidative enzymes necessary for the use of ethanol as a carbon source; other enzymes participate in survival under microaerobic conditions. The fast generation of data using genome sequencing provides an excellent opportunity to determine a correlation between the number of ADHs and fungal lifestyle. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the latest knowledge about the importance of ADH enzymes in the physiology and metabolism of fungal cells, as well as their structure, regulation, evolutionary relationships, and biotechnological potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Félix Gutiérrez-Corona
- Departamento de Biología, DCNE, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato C.P. 36050, Mexico; (G.A.G.-H.); (I.E.P.-G.); (V.O.-M.); (A.L.M.-R.)
| | - Gloria Angélica González-Hernández
- Departamento de Biología, DCNE, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato C.P. 36050, Mexico; (G.A.G.-H.); (I.E.P.-G.); (V.O.-M.); (A.L.M.-R.)
| | - Israel Enrique Padilla-Guerrero
- Departamento de Biología, DCNE, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato C.P. 36050, Mexico; (G.A.G.-H.); (I.E.P.-G.); (V.O.-M.); (A.L.M.-R.)
| | - Vianey Olmedo-Monfil
- Departamento de Biología, DCNE, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato C.P. 36050, Mexico; (G.A.G.-H.); (I.E.P.-G.); (V.O.-M.); (A.L.M.-R.)
| | - Ana Lilia Martínez-Rocha
- Departamento de Biología, DCNE, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato C.P. 36050, Mexico; (G.A.G.-H.); (I.E.P.-G.); (V.O.-M.); (A.L.M.-R.)
| | - J. Alberto Patiño-Medina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH), Morelia C.P. 58030, Mexico; (J.A.P.-M.); (V.M.-C.)
| | - Víctor Meza-Carmen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Químico Biológicas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH), Morelia C.P. 58030, Mexico; (J.A.P.-M.); (V.M.-C.)
| | - Juan Carlos Torres-Guzmán
- Departamento de Biología, DCNE, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato C.P. 36050, Mexico; (G.A.G.-H.); (I.E.P.-G.); (V.O.-M.); (A.L.M.-R.)
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10
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Silva LDC, Rocha OB, Portis IG, Santos TG, Freitas e Silva KS, dos Santos Filho RF, Cunha S, Alonso A, Soares CMDA, Pereira M. Proteomic Profiling of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in Response to Phenacylideneoxindol Derivative: Unveiling Molecular Targets and Pathways. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:854. [PMID: 37623625 PMCID: PMC10455990 DOI: 10.3390/jof9080854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a challenge, and the discovery of new antifungal compounds is crucial. The phenacylideneoxindoles exhibited promising antifungal activity against Paracoccidioides spp., but their mode of action remains unknown. METHODS Through proteomic analysis, we investigated the effects of (E)-3-(2-oxo-2-phenylethylidene)indolin-2-one on P. brasiliensis. In addition, we investigated the metabolic alterations of P. brasiliensis in response to the compound. Furthermore, the effects of the compound on the membrane, ethanol production, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were verified. RESULTS We identified differentially regulated proteins that revealed significant metabolic reorganization, including an increase in ethanol production, suggesting the activation of alcoholic fermentation and alterations in the rigidity of fungal cell membrane with an increase of the ergosterol content and formation of ROS. CONCLUSIONS These findings enhance our understanding of the mode of action and response of P. brasiliensis to the investigated promising antifungal compound, emphasizing its potential as a candidate for the treatment of PCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia do Carmo Silva
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Olivia Basso Rocha
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Igor Godinho Portis
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Thaynara Gonzaga Santos
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Kleber Santiago Freitas e Silva
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
| | | | - Silvio Cunha
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador 40170-970, Brazil; (R.F.d.S.F.); (S.C.)
| | - Antônio Alonso
- Institute of Physics, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil;
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia 74690-900, Brazil; (O.B.R.); (I.G.P.); (T.G.S.); (K.S.F.e.S.); (C.M.d.A.S.); (M.P.)
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11
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Zhuang XM, Guo ZY, Zhang M, Chen YH, Qi FN, Wang RQ, Zhang L, Zhao PJ, Lu CJ, Zou CG, Ma YC, Xu J, Zhang KQ, Cao YR, Liang LM. Ethanol mediates the interaction between Caenorhabditis elegans and the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0127023. [PMID: 37560934 PMCID: PMC10580998 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01270-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurately recognizing pathogens by the host is vital for initiating appropriate immune response against infecting microorganisms. Caenorhabditis elegans has no known receptor to recognize pathogen-associated molecular pattern. However, recent studies showed that nematodes have a strong specificity for transcriptomes infected by different pathogens, indicating that they can identify different pathogenic microorganisms. However, the mechanism(s) for such specificity remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum can infect the intestinal tract of the nematode C. elegans and the infection led to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the infected intestinal tract, which suppressed fungal growth. Co-transcriptional analysis revealed that fungal genes related to anaerobic respiration and ethanol production were up-regulated during infection. Meanwhile, the ethanol dehydrogenase Sodh-1 in C. elegans was also up-regulated. Together, these results suggested that the infecting fungi encounter hypoxia stress in the nematode gut and that ethanol may play a role in the host-pathogen interaction. Ethanol production in vitro during fungal cultivation in hypoxia conditions was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Direct treatment of C. elegans with ethanol elevated the sodh-1 expression and ROS accumulation while repressing a series of immunity genes that were also repressed during fungal infection. Mutation of sodh-1 in C. elegans blocked ROS accumulation and increased the nematode's susceptibility to fungal infection. Our study revealed a new recognition and antifungal mechanism in C. elegans. The novel mechanism of ethanol-mediated interaction between the fungus and nematode provides new insights into fungal pathogenesis and for developing alternative biocontrol of pathogenic nematodes by nematophagous fungi. IMPORTANCE Nematodes are among the most abundant animals on our planet. Many of them are parasites in animals and plants and cause human and animal health problems as well as agricultural losses. Studying the interaction of nematodes and their microbial pathogens is of great importance for the biocontrol of animal and plant parasitic nematodes. In this study, we found that the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can recognize its fungal pathogen, the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum, through fungal-produced ethanol. Then the nematode elevated the reactive oxygen species production in the gut to inhibit fungal growth in an ethanol dehydrogenase-dependent manner. With this mechanism, novel biocontrol strategies may be developed targeting the ethanol receptor or metabolic pathway of nematodes. Meanwhile, as a volatile organic compound, ethanol should be taken seriously as a vector molecule in the microbial-host interaction in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Mei Zhuang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhi-Yi Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yong-Hong Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Feng-Na Qi
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ren-Qiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Pei-Ji Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Chao-Jun Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Cheng-Gang Zou
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yi-Cheng Ma
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Jianping Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ke-Qin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yan-Ru Cao
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kunming University, Kunming, China
| | - Lian-Ming Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan and The Key Laboratory for Southwest Microbial Diversity of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
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12
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Wu S, Song R, Liu T, Li C. Antifungal therapy: Novel drug delivery strategies driven by new targets. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 199:114967. [PMID: 37336246 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
In patients with compromised immunity, invasive fungal infections represent a significant cause of mortality. Given the limited availability and drawbacks of existing first-line antifungal drugs, there is a growing interest in exploring novel targets that could facilitate the development of new antifungal agents or enhance the effectiveness of conventional ones. While previous studies have extensively summarized new antifungal targets inherent in fungi for drug development purposes, the exploration of potential targets for novel antifungal drug delivery strategies has received less attention. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advancements in new antifungal drug delivery strategies that leverage novel targets, including those located in the physio-pathological barrier at the site of infection, the infection microenvironment, fungal-host interactions, and the fungal pathogen itself. The objective is to enhance therapeutic efficacy and mitigate toxic effects in fungal infections, particularly in challenging cases such as refractory, recurrent, and drug-resistant invasive fungal infections. We also discuss the current challenges and future prospects associated with target-driven antifungal drug delivery strategies, offering important insights into the clinical implementation of these innovative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Ruiqi Song
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China
| | - Tongbao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China.
| | - Chong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Resource Insects, Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, PR China; College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China.
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13
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Ma Z, Wang X, Li C. Advances in anti-invasive fungal drug delivery systems. Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2023; 52:318-327. [PMID: 37476943 PMCID: PMC10409907 DOI: 10.3724/zdxbyxb-2023-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the first-line drugs for invasive fungal infections (IFI), such as amphotericin B, fluconazole and itraconazole, have drawbacks including poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and severe side effects. Using drug delivery systems is a promising strategy to improve the efficacy and safety of traditional antifungal therapy. Synthetic and biomimetic carriers have greatly facilitated the development of targeted delivery systems for antifungal drugs. Synthetic carrier drug delivery systems, such as liposomes, nanoparticles, polymer micelles, and microspheres, can improve the physicochemical properties of antifungal drugs, prolong their circulation time, enhance targeting capabilities, and reduce toxic side effects. Cell membrane biomimetic drug delivery systems, such as macrophage or red blood cell membrane-coated drug delivery systems, retain the membrane structure of somatic cells and confer various biological functions and specific targeting abilities to the loaded antifungal drugs, exhibiting better biocompatibility and lower toxicity. This article reviews the development of antifungal drug delivery systems and their application in the treatment of IFI, and also discusses the prospects of novel biomimetic carriers in antifungal drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Ma
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
| | - Xinyu Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chong Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
- Medical Research Institute, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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14
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Liu Z, Fan C, Xiao J, Sun S, Gao T, Zhu B, Zhang D. Metabolomic and Transcriptome Analysis of the Inhibitory Effects of Bacillus subtilis Strain Z-14 against Fusarium oxysporum Causing Vascular Wilt Diseases in Cucumber. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:2644-2657. [PMID: 36706360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c07539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Controlling cucumber Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC) with Bacillus strains is a hot research topic. However, the molecular mechanism of Bacillus underlying the biocontrol of cucumber wilt is rarely reported. In this study, B. subtilis strain Z-14 showed significant antagonistic activity against FOC, and the control effect reached 88.46% via pot experiment. Microscopic observations showed that strain Z-14 induced the expansion and breakage of FOC hyphae. The cell wall thickness was uneven, and the organelle structure was degraded. The combined analysis of metabolome and transcriptome showed that strain Z-14 inhibited the FOC infection by inhibiting the synthesis of cell wall and cell membrane, energy metabolism, and amino acid synthesis of FOC mycelium, inhibiting the clearance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the secretion of cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs), thereby affecting mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction and inhibiting the transport function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaosha Liu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
| | - Chenxi Fan
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
| | - Jiawen Xiao
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
| | - Shangyi Sun
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
| | - Tongguo Gao
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
| | - Baocheng Zhu
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
| | - Dongdong Zhang
- College of Life Science, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
- Hebei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Resource Utilization of Agricultural Wastes, Baoding 071000, Hebei, China
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15
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Lim JY, Jung YE, Hwang HE, Kim CH, Basaran-Akgul N, Goli SH, Templeton SP, Park HM. Survival Factor A (SvfA) Contributes to Aspergillus nidulans Pathogenicity. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:143. [PMID: 36836258 PMCID: PMC9962611 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Survival factor A (SvfA) in Aspergillus nidulans plays multiple roles in growth and developmental processes. It is a candidate for a novel VeA-dependent protein involved in sexual development. VeA is a key developmental regulator in Aspergillus species that can interact with other velvet-family proteins and enter into the nucleus to function as a transcription factor. In yeast and fungi, SvfA-homologous proteins are required for survival under oxidative and cold-stress conditions. To assess the role of SvfA in virulence in A. nidulans, cell wall components, biofilm formation, and protease activity were evaluated in a svfA-gene-deletion or an AfsvfA-overexpressing strain. The svfA-deletion strain showed decreased production of β-1,3-glucan in conidia, a cell wall pathogen-associated molecular pattern, with a decrease in gene expression for chitin synthases and β-1,3-glucan synthase. The ability to form biofilms and produce proteases was reduced in the svfA-deletion strain. We hypothesized that the svfA-deletion strain was less virulent than the wild-type strain; therefore, we performed in vitro phagocytosis assays using alveolar macrophages and analyzed in vivo survival using two vertebrate animal models. While phagocytosis was reduced in mouse alveolar macrophages challenged with conidia from the svfA-deletion strain, the killing rate showed a significant increase with increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase ERK activation. The svfA-deletion conidia infection reduced host mortality in both T-cell-deficient zebrafish and chronic granulomatous disease mouse models. Taken together, these results indicate that SvfA plays a significant role in the pathogenicity of A. nidulans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Yeon Lim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Terre Haute, Terre Haute, IN 47807, USA
| | - Ye-Eun Jung
- Laboratory of Cellular Differentiation, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Eun Hwang
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics Department of Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol-Hee Kim
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics Department of Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Nese Basaran-Akgul
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Terre Haute, Terre Haute, IN 47807, USA
| | - Sri Harshini Goli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Terre Haute, Terre Haute, IN 47807, USA
| | - Steven P. Templeton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Terre Haute, Terre Haute, IN 47807, USA
| | - Hee-Moon Park
- Laboratory of Cellular Differentiation, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea
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16
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DafaAlla TEIM, Abdalla M, El-Arabey AA, Eltayb WA, Mohapatra RK. Botrytis cinerea alcohol dehydrogenase mediates fungal development, environmental adaptation and pathogenicity. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12426-12438. [PMID: 34472419 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1971112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Botrytis cinerea is an economically critical necrotrophic fungus that infecting many types of plants species. Although the lifestyle adaptations and genetic foundations of several enzymes and metabolites involved in B. cinerea virulence during host plant infection are well studied, the role of B. cinerea alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes in these processes is poorly understood. Herein, we identified a significant up-regulation of the transcriptional levels of the BcADH1 gene during the tomato - B. cinerea strain B0510 interaction and at the early stage of infection. Substantially, we used a recent approach for replacement of gene by utilizing homologous recombination to generate knock-out mutants (Δbcadh1) and their effective complementary strains (Δbcadh1/C). A strong difference in the morphology of Δbcadh1 mutants from the wild type (WT) was detected, with respect to the conidiospore, conidial germination, and formation of branches, sporulation and sclerotia. In addition, the Δbcadh1 mutants showed significant differences in their virulence on tomato leaves relative to the WT. Moreover, the Δbcadh1 mutants appeared to have higher sensitivity to oxygen limitation (hypoxia) and reactive oxygen species, and had lost their ability of alcoholic fermentation compared with the WT and complementary strains. These results provide strong evidence for the requirement of the ADH1 gene for fungal development, environmental adaptation and its ability for full pathogenicity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayb Elassma I M DafaAlla
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,College of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Sinnar University, Sinnar, Sudan
| | - Mohnad Abdalla
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, PR China
| | - Amr Ahmed El-Arabey
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Wafa Ali Eltayb
- Department biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Shendi University, Shendi, Sudan
| | - Ranjan K Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar, Keonjhar, India
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17
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A Fungal Sterylglucosidase at the Intersection of Virulence, Host Immunity, and Therapeutic Development. mBio 2022; 13:e0242522. [PMID: 36255237 PMCID: PMC9765442 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02425-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Human fungal infections (mycoses) cause significant morbidity and mortality in high-risk populations. Contemporary antifungal therapies rely heavily on three classes of antifungal drugs, and to date, no fungal vaccine is in clinical use for invasive mycosis. A major gap in knowledge related to fungal vaccine development is identifying lasting mechanisms of protective immunity in immunocompromised individuals. Recent studies in Cryptococcus neoformans and now Aspergillus fumigatus have identified a fungal sterylglucosidase essential for pathogenesis and virulence in murine models of mycoses. Fungal strains deficient in this sterylglucosidase can surprisingly also induce substantial immune-mediated protection against subsequent challenge with wild-type strains in multiple immunocompromised murine models of mycoses. Here, I discuss the implications and future directions of these exciting and impactful results.
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18
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Sinha N, Patra SK, Ghosh S. Secretome Analysis of Macrophomina phaseolina Identifies an Array of Putative Virulence Factors Responsible for Charcoal Rot Disease in Plants. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:847832. [PMID: 35479629 PMCID: PMC9037145 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.847832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Macrophomina phaseolina is a global devastating necrotrophic fungal pathogen. It causes charcoal rot disease in more than 500 host plants including major food crops, pulse crops, fiber crops, and oil crops. Despite having the whole-genome sequence of M. phaseolina, understanding the M. phaseolina genome-based plant–pathogen interactions is limited in the absence of direct experimental proof of secretion. Thus, it is essential to understand the host–microbe interaction and the disease pathogenesis, which can ensure global agricultural crop production and security. An in silico–predicted secretome of M. phaseolina is unable to represent the actual secretome. We could identify 117 proteins present in the secretome of M. phaseolina using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD032749. An array of putative virulence factors of M. phaseolina were identified in the present study using solid-state culture. Similar virulence factors have been reported in other plant pathogenic fungi also. Among the secretory fungal proteins with positive economic impacts, lignocellulolytic enzymes are of prime importance. Further, we validated our results by detecting the cell wall–degrading enzymes xylanase, endoglucanase, and amylase in the secretome of M. phaseolina. The present study may provide a better understanding about the necrotrophic fungi M. phaseolina, which modulate the host plant defense barriers using secretory proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilanjan Sinha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Sanjay Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
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19
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Kerkaert JD, Le Mauff F, Wucher BR, Beattie SR, Vesely EM, Sheppard DC, Nadell CD, Cramer RA. An Alanine Aminotransferase Is Required for Biofilm-Specific Resistance of Aspergillus fumigatus to Echinocandin Treatment. mBio 2022; 13:e0293321. [PMID: 35254131 PMCID: PMC9040767 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02933-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alanine metabolism has been suggested as an adaptation strategy to oxygen limitation in organisms ranging from plants to mammals. Within the pulmonary infection microenvironment, Aspergillus fumigatus forms biofilms with steep oxygen gradients defined by regions of oxygen limitation. An alanine aminotransferase, AlaA, was observed to function in alanine catabolism and is required for several aspects of A. fumigatus biofilm physiology. Loss of alaA, or its catalytic activity, results in decreased adherence of biofilms through a defect in the maturation of the extracellular matrix polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan (GAG). Additionally, exposure of cell wall polysaccharides is also impacted by loss of alaA, and loss of AlaA catalytic activity confers increased biofilm susceptibility to echinocandin treatment, which is correlated with enhanced fungicidal activity. The increase in echinocandin susceptibility is specific to biofilms, and chemical inhibition of alaA by the alanine aminotransferase inhibitor β-chloro-l-alanine is sufficient to sensitize A. fumigatus biofilms to echinocandin treatment. Finally, loss of alaA increases susceptibility of A. fumigatus to in vivo echinocandin treatment in a murine model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Our results provide insight into the interplay of metabolism, biofilm formation, and antifungal drug resistance in A. fumigatus and describe a mechanism of increasing susceptibility of A. fumigatus biofilms to the echinocandin class of antifungal drugs. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous filamentous fungus that causes an array of diseases depending on the immune status of an individual, collectively termed aspergillosis. Antifungal therapy for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) or chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is limited and too often ineffective. This is in part due to A. fumigatus biofilm formation within the infection environment and the resulting emergent properties, particularly increased antifungal resistance. Thus, insights into biofilm formation and mechanisms driving increased antifungal drug resistance are critical for improving existing therapeutic strategies and development of novel antifungals. In this work, we describe an unexpected observation where alanine metabolism, via the alanine aminotransferase AlaA, is required for several aspects of A. fumigatus biofilm physiology, including resistance of A. fumigatus biofilms to the echinocandin class of antifungal drugs. Importantly, we observed that chemical inhibition of alanine aminotransferases is sufficient to increase echinocandin susceptibility and that loss of alaA increases susceptibility to echinocandin treatment in a murine model of IPA. AlaA is the first gene discovered in A. fumigatus that confers resistance to an antifungal drug specifically in a biofilm context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Kerkaert
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - François Le Mauff
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Infectious Disease and Immunity in Global Health, Research Institute of McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benjamin R. Wucher
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Sarah R. Beattie
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Elisa M. Vesely
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Donald C. Sheppard
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Infectious Disease and Immunity in Global Health, Research Institute of McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carey D. Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Robert A. Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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20
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Sykes DB, Martinelli MM, Negoro P, Xu S, Maxcy K, Timmer K, Viens AL, Alexander NJ, Atallah J, Snarr BD, Baistrocchi SR, Atallah NJ, Hopke A, Scherer A, Rosales I, Irimia D, Sheppard DC, Mansour MK. Transfusable neutrophil progenitors as cellular therapy for the prevention of invasive fungal infections. J Leukoc Biol 2022; 111:1133-1145. [PMID: 35355310 DOI: 10.1002/jlb.4hi1221-722r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of mature neutrophil (granulocyte) transfusions for the treatment of neutropenic patients with invasive fungal infections (IFIs) has been the focus of multiple clinical trials. Despite these efforts, the transfusion of mature neutrophils has resulted in limited clinical benefit, likely owing to problems of insufficient numbers and the very short lifespan of these donor cells. In this report, we employed a system of conditionally immortalized murine neutrophil progenitors that are capable of continuous expansion, allowing for the generation of unlimited numbers of homogenous granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GMPs). These GMPs were assayed in vivo to demonstrate their effect on survival in 2 models of IFI: candidemia and pulmonary aspergillosis. Mature neutrophils derived from GMPs executed all cardinal functions of neutrophils. Transfused GMPs homed to the bone marrow and spleen, where they completed normal differentiation to mature neutrophils. These neutrophils were capable of homing and extravasation in response to inflammatory stimuli using a sterile peritoneal challenge model. Furthermore, conditionally immortalized GMP transfusions significantly improved survival in models of candidemia and pulmonary aspergillosis. These data confirm the therapeutic benefit of prophylactic GMP transfusions in the setting of neutropenia and encourage development of progenitor cellular therapies for the management of fungal disease in high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Sykes
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michelle M Martinelli
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paige Negoro
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shuying Xu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katrina Maxcy
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kyle Timmer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Adam L Viens
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Natalie J Alexander
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Johnny Atallah
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brendan D Snarr
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Natalie J Atallah
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alex Hopke
- BioMEMS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Allison Scherer
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ivy Rosales
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Daniel Irimia
- BioMEMS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Donald C Sheppard
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael K Mansour
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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21
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Ortiz SC, Pennington K, Thomson DD, Bertuzzi M. Novel Insights into Aspergillus fumigatus Pathogenesis and Host Response from State-of-the-Art Imaging of Host-Pathogen Interactions during Infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:264. [PMID: 35330266 PMCID: PMC8954776 DOI: 10.3390/jof8030264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus spores initiate more than 3,000,000 chronic and 300,000 invasive diseases annually, worldwide. Depending on the immune status of the host, inhalation of these spores can lead to a broad spectrum of disease, including invasive aspergillosis, which carries a 50% mortality rate overall; however, this mortality rate increases substantially if the infection is caused by azole-resistant strains or diagnosis is delayed or missed. Increasing resistance to existing antifungal treatments is becoming a major concern; for example, resistance to azoles (the first-line available oral drug against Aspergillus species) has risen by 40% since 2006. Despite high morbidity and mortality, the lack of an in-depth understanding of A. fumigatus pathogenesis and host response has hampered the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the clinical management of fungal infections. Recent advances in sample preparation, infection models and imaging techniques applied in vivo have addressed important gaps in fungal research, whilst questioning existing paradigms. This review highlights the successes and further potential of these recent technologies in understanding the host-pathogen interactions that lead to aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien C. Ortiz
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Core Technology Facility, Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9NT, UK; (S.C.O.); (K.P.)
| | - Katie Pennington
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Core Technology Facility, Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9NT, UK; (S.C.O.); (K.P.)
| | - Darren D. Thomson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK;
| | - Margherita Bertuzzi
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Core Technology Facility, Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Grafton Street, Manchester M13 9NT, UK; (S.C.O.); (K.P.)
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22
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The battle for oxygen during bacterial and fungal infections. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:643-653. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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23
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OUP accepted manuscript. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6517703. [DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Host Lung Environment Limits Aspergillus fumigatus Germination through an SskA-Dependent Signaling Response. mSphere 2021; 6:e0092221. [PMID: 34878292 PMCID: PMC8653827 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00922-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus isolates display significant heterogeneity in growth, virulence, pathology, and inflammatory potential in multiple murine models of invasive aspergillosis. Previous studies have linked the initial germination of a fungal isolate in the airways to the inflammatory and pathological potential, but the mechanism(s) regulating A. fumigatus germination in the airways is unresolved. To explore the genetic basis for divergent germination phenotypes, we utilized a serial passaging strategy in which we cultured a slow germinating strain (AF293) in a murine-lung-based medium for multiple generations. Through this serial passaging approach, a strain emerged with an increased germination rate that induces more inflammation than the parental strain (herein named LH-EVOL for lung homogenate evolved). We identified a potential loss-of-function allele of Afu5g08390 (sskA) in the LH-EVOL strain. The LH-EVOL strain had a decreased ability to induce the SakA-dependent stress pathway, similar to AF293 ΔsskA and CEA10. In support of the whole-genome variant analyses, sskA, sakA, or mpkC loss-of-function strains in the AF293 parental strain increased germination both in vitro and in vivo. Since the airway surface liquid of the lungs contains low glucose levels, the relationship of low glucose concentration on germination of these mutant AF293 strains was examined; interestingly, in low glucose conditions, the sakA pathway mutants exhibited an enhanced germination rate. In conclusion, A. fumigatus germination in the airways is regulated by SskA through the SakA mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and drives enhanced disease initiation and inflammation in the lungs. IMPORTANCEAspergillus fumigatus is an important human fungal pathogen particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Initiation of growth by A. fumigatus in the lung is important for its pathogenicity in murine models. However, our understanding of what regulates fungal germination in the lung environment is lacking. Through a serial passage experiment using lung-based medium, we identified a new strain of A. fumigatus that has increased germination potential and inflammation in the lungs. Using this serially passaged strain, we found it had a decreased ability to mediate signaling through the osmotic stress response pathway. This finding was confirmed using genetic null mutants demonstrating that the osmotic stress response pathway is critical for regulating growth in the murine lungs. Our results contribute to the understanding of A. fumigatus adaptation and growth in the host lung environment.
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25
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Oliveira FCS, Pessoa WFB, Mares JH, Freire HPS, Souza EAD, Pirovani CP, Romano CC. Differentially expressed proteins in the interaction of Paracoccidioides lutzii with human monocytes. Rev Iberoam Micol 2021; 38:159-167. [PMID: 34802898 DOI: 10.1016/j.riam.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides are the etiological agents of paracoccidioidomycosis, a highly prevalent mycosis in Latin America. Infection in humans occurs by the inhalation of conidia, which later revert to the form of yeast. In this context, macrophages are positioned as an important line of defense, assisting in the recognition and presentation of antigens, as well as producing reactive oxygen species that inhibit fungal spreading. AIMS The objective of this study was to identify differentially expressed proteins during the interaction between Paracoccidioides lutzii Pb01 strain and human U937 monocytes. METHODS Two-dimensional electrophoresis, combined with mass spectrometry, was used to evaluate the differential proteomic profiles of the fungus P. lutzii (Pb01) interacting with U937 monocytes. RESULTS It was possible to identify 25 proteins differentially expressed by Pb01 alone and after interacting with U937 monocytes. Most of these proteins are directly associated with fungal metabolism for energy generation, such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and intracellular adaptation to monocytes. Antioxidant proteins involved in the response to oxidative stress, such as peroxiredoxin, cytochrome, and peroxidase, were expressed in greater quantity in the interaction with monocytes, suggesting their association with survival mechanisms inside phagocytic cells. We also identified 12 proteins differentially expressed in monocytes before and after the interaction with the fungus; proteins involved in the reorganization of the cytoskeleton, such as vimentin, and proteins involved in the response to oxidative stress, such as glioxalase 1, were identified. CONCLUSIONS The results of this proteomic study of a P. lutzii isolate are novel, mimicking in vitro what occurs in human infections. In addition, the proteins identified may aid to understand fungal-monocyte interactions and the pathogenesis of paracoccidioidomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flamélia Carla Silva Oliveira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Wallace Felipe Blohem Pessoa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology and Genetics Center, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Joise Hander Mares
- Department of Physiology and Pathology - Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
| | - Herbert Pina Silva Freire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil; Department of Biological Sciences, Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology and Genetics Center, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Ednara Almeida de Souza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Laboratory of Immunology, Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil; Department of Biological Sciences, Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology and Genetics Center, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Carlos Priminho Pirovani
- Department of Biological Sciences, Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology and Genetics Center, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Carla Cristina Romano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Proteomics Laboratory, Biotechnology and Genetics Center, State University of Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil.
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The Bicarbonate Transporter (MoAE4) Localized on Both Cytomembrane and Tonoplast Promotes Pathogenesis in Magnaporthe oryzae. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7110955. [PMID: 34829242 PMCID: PMC8624833 DOI: 10.3390/jof7110955] [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: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Bicarbonate (HCO3−) transporter family including the anion exchanger (AE) group is involved in multiple physiological processes through regulating acid-base homeostasis. HCO3− transporters have been extensively studied in mammals, but fungal homologues of AE are poorly understood. Here, we characterized the AE group member (MoAE4) in Magnaporthe oryzae. MoAE4 exhibits more sequence and structure homologies with the reported AE4 and BOR1 proteins. In addition to the common sublocalization on cytomembrane, MoAE4 also localizes on tonoplast. Yeast complementation verified that MoAE4 rescues boron sensitivity and endows NaHCO3 tolerance in the BOR1 deleted yeast. MoAE4 gene is bicarbonate induced in M. oryzae; and loss of MoAE4 (ΔMoAE4) resulted in mycelial growth inhibited by NaHCO3. Lucigenin fluorescence quenching assay confirmed that ΔMoAE4 accumulated less HCO3− in vacuole and more HCO3− in cytosol, revealing a real role of MoAE4 in bicarbonate transport. ΔMoAE4 was defective in conidiation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity. More H2O2 was detected to be accumulated in ΔMoAE4 mycelia and infected rice cells. Summarily, our data delineate a cytomembrane and tonoplast located HCO3− transporter, which is required for development and pathogenicity in M. oryzae, and revealing a potential drug target for blast disease control.
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27
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Fan Y, Korfanty GA, Xu J. Genetic Analyses of Amphotericin B Susceptibility in Aspergillus fumigatus. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:860. [PMID: 34682281 PMCID: PMC8538161 DOI: 10.3390/jof7100860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic mold that can cause a range of clinical syndromes, from allergic reactions to invasive infections. Amphotericin B (AMB) is a polyene antifungal drug that has been used to treat a broad range of systemic mycoses since 1958, including as a primary treatment option against invasive aspergillosis in regions with high rates (≥10%) of environmental triazole resistance. However, cases of AMB-resistant A. fumigatus strains have been increasingly documented over the years, and high resistance rates were recently reported in Brazil and Canada. The objective of this study is to identify candidate mutations associated with AMB susceptibility using a genome-wide association analysis of natural strains, and to further investigate a subset of the mutations in their putative associations with differences in AMB minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and in growths at different AMB concentrations through the analysis of progeny from a laboratory genetic cross. Together, our results identified a total of 34 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with AMB MIC differences-comprising 18 intergenic variants, 14 missense variants, one synonymous variant, and one non-coding transcript variant. Importantly, progeny from the genetic cross allowed us to identify putative SNP-SNP interactions impacting progeny growth at different AMB concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; (Y.F.); (G.A.K.)
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28
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Arastehfar A, Carvalho A, Houbraken J, Lombardi L, Garcia-Rubio R, Jenks J, Rivero-Menendez O, Aljohani R, Jacobsen I, Berman J, Osherov N, Hedayati M, Ilkit M, Armstrong-James D, Gabaldón T, Meletiadis J, Kostrzewa M, Pan W, Lass-Flörl C, Perlin D, Hoenigl M. Aspergillus fumigatus and aspergillosis: From basics to clinics. Stud Mycol 2021; 100:100115. [PMID: 34035866 PMCID: PMC8131930 DOI: 10.1016/j.simyco.2021.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus poses a serious health threat to humans by causing numerous invasive infections and a notable mortality in humans, especially in immunocompromised patients. Mould-active azoles are the frontline therapeutics employed to treat aspergillosis. The global emergence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates in clinic and environment, however, notoriously limits the therapeutic options of mould-active antifungals and potentially can be attributed to a mortality rate reaching up to 100 %. Although specific mutations in CYP 51A are the main cause of azole resistance, there is a new wave of azole-resistant isolates with wild-type CYP 51A genotype challenging the efficacy of the current diagnostic tools. Therefore, applications of whole-genome sequencing are increasingly gaining popularity to overcome such challenges. Prominent echinocandin tolerance, as well as liver and kidney toxicity posed by amphotericin B, necessitate a continuous quest for novel antifungal drugs to combat emerging azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates. Animal models and the tools used for genetic engineering require further refinement to facilitate a better understanding about the resistance mechanisms, virulence, and immune reactions orchestrated against A. fumigatus. This review paper comprehensively discusses the current clinical challenges caused by A. fumigatus and provides insights on how to address them.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Arastehfar
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - A. Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães/Braga, Portugal
| | - J. Houbraken
- Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - L. Lombardi
- UCD Conway Institute and School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - R. Garcia-Rubio
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - J.D. Jenks
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- Clinical and Translational Fungal-Working Group, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - O. Rivero-Menendez
- Medical Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, 28222, Spain
| | - R. Aljohani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - I.D. Jacobsen
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute for Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - J. Berman
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - N. Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - M.T. Hedayati
- Invasive Fungi Research Center/Department of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - M. Ilkit
- Division of Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Çukurova University, 01330, Adana, Turkey
| | | | - T. Gabaldón
- Life Sciences Programme, Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), Jordi Girona, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Programme, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J. Meletiadis
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - W. Pan
- Medical Mycology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, China
| | - C. Lass-Flörl
- Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - D.S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
| | - M. Hoenigl
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA
- Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, 8036, Graz, Austria
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen of immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. To successfully establish an infection, A. fumigatus needs to use host carbon sources, such as acetate, present in the body fluids and peripheral tissues. However, utilization of acetate as a carbon source by fungi in the context of infection has not been investigated. This work shows that acetate is metabolized via different pathways in A. fumigatus and that acetate utilization is under the regulatory control of a transcription factor (TF), FacB. A. fumigatus acetate utilization is subject to carbon catabolite repression (CCR), although this is only partially dependent on the TF and main regulator of CCR CreA. The available extracellular carbon source, in this case glucose and acetate, significantly affected A. fumigatus virulence traits such as secondary metabolite secretion and cell wall composition, with the latter having consequences for resistance to oxidative stress, antifungal drugs, and human neutrophil-mediated killing. Furthermore, deletion of facB significantly impaired the in vivo virulence of A. fumigatus in both insect and mammalian models of invasive aspergillosis. This is the first report on acetate utilization in A. fumigatus, and this work further highlights the importance of available host-specific carbon sources in shaping fungal virulence traits and subsequent disease outcome, and a potential target for the development of antifungal strategies. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen in humans. During infection, A. fumigatus is predicted to use host carbon sources, such as acetate, present in body fluids and peripheral tissues, to sustain growth and promote colonization and invasion. This work shows that A. fumigatus metabolizes acetate via different pathways, a process that is dependent on the transcription factor FacB. Furthermore, the type and concentration of the extracellular available carbon source were determined to shape A. fumigatus virulence determinants such as secondary metabolite secretion and cell wall composition. Subsequently, interactions with immune cells are altered in a carbon source-specific manner. FacB is required for A. fumigatus in vivo virulence in both insect and mammalian models of invasive aspergillosis. This is the first report that characterizes acetate utilization in A. fumigatus and highlights the importance of available host-specific carbon sources in shaping virulence traits and potentially subsequent disease outcome.
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30
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Ye Y, Chen Y, Sun J, Zhang H, Meng Y, Li W, Wang W. Hyperglycemia suppresses the regulatory effect of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in pulmonary Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Pathog Dis 2021; 78:5873010. [PMID: 32678442 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftaa038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the most common fungal infections involved in the pulmonary diseases. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is important for antifungal immunity. Diabetes is a risk factor of pulmonary A. fumigatus infection and could affect the expression of HIF-1α. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the role of HIF-1α in pulmonary A. fumigatus infection in diabetes. In murine model, we found diabetic mice had aggravated pulmonary A. fumigatus infection and declined expression of HIF-1α following pulmonary A. fumigatus infection. And these changes could be corrected by dimethyloxalylglycine (DMOG), the agonist of HIF-1α. In cell experiment, after A. fumigatus stimulation, hyperglycemic state was with a decreased HIF-1α expression and increased NLRP3/IL-1β signal pathway. The percentages of Th1 and Treg cells decreased, while percentages of Th2 and Th17 increased in hyperglycemic group. DMOG suppressed A. fumigatus-stimulated NLRP3 and IL-1β expressions in hyperglycemic group and corrected Th and Treg cells differentiation. These regulatory effects of DMOG could be dampened by activating of NLRP3. These data indicated that hyperglycemia suppressed the regulatory effect of HIF-1α in pulmonary A. fumigatus infection, which can affect Th and Treg cells differentiation by regulating the NLRP3/IL-1β signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Ye
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Jianjun Sun
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Hanyin Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Yanling Meng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Wenyang Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, China
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Sueiro-Olivares M, Scott J, Gago S, Petrovic D, Kouroussis E, Zivanovic J, Yu Y, Strobel M, Cunha C, Thomson D, Fortune-Grant R, Thusek S, Bowyer P, Beilhack A, Carvalho A, Bignell E, Filipovic MR, Amich J. Fungal and host protein persulfidation are functionally correlated and modulate both virulence and antifungal response. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001247. [PMID: 34061822 PMCID: PMC8168846 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a human fungal pathogen that can cause devastating pulmonary infections, termed "aspergilloses," in individuals suffering immune imbalances or underlying lung conditions. As rapid adaptation to stress is crucial for the outcome of the host-pathogen interplay, here we investigated the role of the versatile posttranslational modification (PTM) persulfidation for both fungal virulence and antifungal host defense. We show that an A. fumigatus mutant with low persulfidation levels is more susceptible to host-mediated killing and displays reduced virulence in murine models of infection. Additionally, we found that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the human gene encoding cystathionine γ-lyase (CTH) causes a reduction in cellular persulfidation and correlates with a predisposition of hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), as correct levels of persulfidation are required for optimal antifungal activity of recipients' lung resident host cells. Importantly, the levels of host persulfidation determine the levels of fungal persulfidation, ultimately reflecting a host-pathogen functional correlation and highlighting a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Sueiro-Olivares
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Scott
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Gago
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Dunja Petrovic
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biochimie et Genetique Cellulaires (IBGC), Bordeaux, France
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Biochimie et Genetique Cellulaires (IBGC), Bordeaux, France
| | - Emilia Kouroussis
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biochimie et Genetique Cellulaires (IBGC), Bordeaux, France
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Biochimie et Genetique Cellulaires (IBGC), Bordeaux, France
| | - Jasmina Zivanovic
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biochimie et Genetique Cellulaires (IBGC), Bordeaux, France
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Biochimie et Genetique Cellulaires (IBGC), Bordeaux, France
| | - Yidong Yu
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Laboratory for Experimental Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marlene Strobel
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Laboratory for Experimental Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cristina Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)/Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics (3B’s)—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Darren Thomson
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael Fortune-Grant
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Sina Thusek
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Laboratory for Experimental Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Beilhack
- Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) Laboratory for Experimental Stem Cell Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Agostinho Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS)/Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics (3B’s)—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Braga, Portugal
| | - Elaine Bignell
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jorge Amich
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group (MFIG), School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Page LK, Staples KJ, Spalluto CM, Watson A, Wilkinson TMA. Influence of Hypoxia on the Epithelial-Pathogen Interactions in the Lung: Implications for Respiratory Disease. Front Immunol 2021; 12:653969. [PMID: 33868294 PMCID: PMC8044850 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.653969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Under normal physiological conditions, the lung remains an oxygen rich environment. However, prominent regions of hypoxia are a common feature of infected and inflamed tissues and many chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases are associated with mucosal and systemic hypoxia. The airway epithelium represents a key interface with the external environment and is the first line of defense against potentially harmful agents including respiratory pathogens. The protective arsenal of the airway epithelium is provided in the form of physical barriers, and the production of an array of antimicrobial host defense molecules, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, in response to activation by receptors. Dysregulation of the airway epithelial innate immune response is associated with a compromised immunity and chronic inflammation of the lung. An increasing body of evidence indicates a distinct role for hypoxia in the dysfunction of the airway epithelium and in the responses of both innate immunity and of respiratory pathogens. Here we review the current evidence around the role of tissue hypoxia in modulating the host-pathogen interaction at the airway epithelium. Furthermore, we highlight the work needed to delineate the role of tissue hypoxia in the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in addition to novel respiratory diseases such as COVID-19. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the epithelial-pathogen interactions in the setting of hypoxia will enable better understanding of persistent infections and complex disease processes in chronic inflammatory lung diseases and may aid the identification of novel therapeutic targets and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee K. Page
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Karl J. Staples
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - C. Mirella Spalluto
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Alastair Watson
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Birmingham Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Tom M. A. Wilkinson
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, United Kingdom
- NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton Centre for Biomedical Research, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
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Oliveira LN, Lima PDS, Araújo DS, Portis IG, Santos Júnior ADCMD, Coelho ASG, de Sousa MV, Ricart CAO, Fontes W, Soares CMDA. iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in response to hypoxia. Microbiol Res 2021; 247:126730. [PMID: 33662850 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic organisms require oxygen for energy. In the course of the infection, adaptation to hypoxia is crucial for survival of human pathogenic fungi. Members of the Paracoccidioides complex face decreased oxygen tensions during the life cycle stages. In Paracoccidioides brasiliensis proteomic responses to hypoxia have not been investigated and the regulation of the adaptive process is still unknown, and this approach allowed the identification of 216 differentially expressed proteins in hypoxia using iTRAQ-labelling. Data suggest that P. brasiliensis reprograms its metabolism when submitted to hypoxia. The fungus reduces its basal metabolism and general transport proteins. Energy and general metabolism were more representative and up regulated. Glucose is apparently directed towards glycolysis or the production of cell wall polymers. Plasma membrane/cell wall are modulated by increasing ergosterol and glucan, respectively. In addition, molecules such as ethanol and acetate are produced by this fungus indicating that alternative carbon sources probably are activated to obtain energy. Also, detoxification mechanisms are activated. The results were compared with label free proteomics data from Paracoccidioides lutzii. Biochemical pathways involved with acetyl-CoA, pyruvate and ergosterol synthesis were up-regulated in both fungi. On the other hand, proteins from TCA, transcription, protein fate/degradation, cellular transport, signal transduction and cell defense/virulence processes presented different profiles between species. Particularly, proteins related to methylcitrate cycle and those involved with acetate and ethanol synthesis were increased in P. brasiliensis proteome, whereas GABA shunt were accumulated only in P. lutzii. The results emphasize metabolic adaptation processes for distinct Paracoccidioides species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Nojosa Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia de Sousa Lima
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Danielle Silva Araújo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | - Igor Godinho Portis
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
| | | | | | - Marcelo Valle de Sousa
- Departmento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
| | - Carlos André Ornelas Ricart
- Departmento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
| | - Wagner Fontes
- Departmento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte, 70910-900, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, 74001-970, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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Jones JT, Liu KW, Wang X, Kowalski CH, Ross BS, Mills KAM, Kerkaert JD, Hohl TM, Lofgren LA, Stajich JE, Obar JJ, Cramer RA. Aspergillus fumigatus Strain-Specific Conidia Lung Persistence Causes an Allergic Broncho-Pulmonary Aspergillosis-Like Disease Phenotype. mSphere 2021; 6:e01250-20. [PMID: 33597172 PMCID: PMC8544898 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.01250-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a filamentous fungus which can cause multiple diseases in humans. Allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a disease diagnosed primarily in cystic fibrosis patients caused by a severe allergic response often to long-term A. fumigatus colonization in the lungs. Mice develop an allergic response to repeated inhalation of A. fumigatus spores; however, no strains have been identified that can survive long-term in the mouse lung and cause ABPA-like disease. We characterized A. fumigatus strain W72310, which was isolated from the expectorated sputum of an ABPA patient, by whole-genome sequencing and in vitro and in vivo viability assays in comparison to a common reference strain, CEA10. W72310 was resistant to leukocyte-mediated killing and persisted in the mouse lung longer than CEA10, a phenotype that correlated with greater resistance to oxidative stressors, hydrogen peroxide, and menadione, in vitro In animals both sensitized and challenged with W72310, conidia, but not hyphae, were viable in the lungs for up to 21 days in association with eosinophilic airway inflammation, airway leakage, serum IgE, and mucus production. W72310-sensitized mice that were recall challenged with conidia had increased inflammation, Th1 and Th2 cytokines, and airway leakage compared to controls. Collectively, our studies demonstrate that a unique strain of A. fumigatus resistant to leukocyte killing can persist in the mouse lung in conidial form and elicit features of ABPA-like disease.IMPORTANCE Allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) patients often present with long-term colonization of Aspergillus fumigatus Current understanding of ABPA pathogenesis has been complicated by a lack of long-term in vivo fungal persistence models. We have identified a clinical isolate of A. fumigatus, W72310, which persists in the murine lung and causes an ABPA-like disease phenotype. Surprisingly, while viable, W72310 showed little to no growth beyond the conidial stage in the lung. This indicates that it is possible that A. fumigatus can cause allergic disease in the lung without any significant hyphal growth. The identification of this strain of A. fumigatus can be used not only to better understand disease pathogenesis of ABPA and potential antifungal treatments but also to identify features of fungal strains that drive long-term fungal persistence in the lung. Consequently, these observations are a step toward helping resolve the long-standing question of when to utilize antifungal therapies in patients with ABPA and fungal allergic-type diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane T Jones
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ko-Wei Liu
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Xi Wang
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Caitlin H Kowalski
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Brandon S Ross
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Kathleen A M Mills
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joshua D Kerkaert
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Tobias M Hohl
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
- Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lotus A Lofgren
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Jason E Stajich
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Joshua J Obar
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Geisel School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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35
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Is It Time To Kill the Survival Curve? A Case for Disease Progression Factors in Microbial Pathogenesis and Host Defense Research. mBio 2021; 12:mBio.03483-20. [PMID: 33563835 PMCID: PMC7885121 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03483-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms of microbial virulence and host defense are most often studied using animal models and Koch's molecular postulates. A common rationale for these types of experiments is to identify therapeutic targets based on the assumption that microbial or host factors that confer extreme animal model survival phenotypes represent critical virulence and host defense factors. Yet null mutant strains of microbial (or host) factors often yield extreme survival curve phenotypes because they fail to establish an infection. The lack of infection and disease establishment prevents true assessment of the given factor's role(s) in disease progression. Here, we posit that the emphasis on extreme survival curve phenotypes in fungal infectious disease models is leading to missed opportunities to identify new fungal and host factors critical for disease progression. We simply do not yet have a sufficient understanding of fungal virulence and host defense mechanisms throughout the temporal course of an infection. We propose that there is a need to develop new approaches and to revisit tried and true methods to define infection site biology beyond the analysis of survival curve phenotypes. To stimulate these new approaches, we propose the (new) terms "disease initiation factor" and "disease progression factor" to distinguish functional roles at distinct temporal stages of an infection and give us targets to foster new discoveries.
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Zelante T, Choera T, Beauvais A, Fallarino F, Paolicelli G, Pieraccini G, Pieroni M, Galosi C, Beato C, De Luca A, Boscaro F, Romoli R, Liu X, Warris A, Verweij PE, Ballard E, Borghi M, Pariano M, Costantino G, Calvitti M, Vacca C, Oikonomou V, Gargaro M, Wong AYW, Boon L, den Hartog M, Spáčil Z, Puccetti P, Latgè JP, Keller NP, Romani L. Aspergillus fumigatus tryptophan metabolic route differently affects host immunity. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108673. [PMID: 33503414 PMCID: PMC7844877 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenases (IDOs) degrade l-tryptophan to kynurenines and drive the de novo synthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Unsurprisingly, various invertebrates, vertebrates, and even fungi produce IDO. In mammals, IDO1 also serves as a homeostatic regulator, modulating immune response to infection via local tryptophan deprivation, active catabolite production, and non-enzymatic cell signaling. Whether fungal Idos have pleiotropic functions that impact on host-fungal physiology is unclear. Here, we show that Aspergillus fumigatus possesses three ido genes that are expressed under conditions of hypoxia or tryptophan abundance. Loss of these genes results in increased fungal pathogenicity and inflammation in a mouse model of aspergillosis, driven by an alternative tryptophan degradation pathway to indole derivatives and the host aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Fungal tryptophan metabolic pathways thus cooperate with the host xenobiotic response to shape host-microbe interactions in local tissue microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Zelante
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy.
| | - Tsokyi Choera
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Anne Beauvais
- Unitè des Aspergillus, Pasteur Institute, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Francesca Fallarino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Paolicelli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pieraccini
- Mass Spectrometry Centre (CISM), University of Florence, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Pieroni
- P4T group, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Claudia Galosi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Claudia Beato
- Interdepartmental Centre for Measures (CIM) "G. Casnati," University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 23/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Antonella De Luca
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Francesca Boscaro
- Mass Spectrometry Centre (CISM), University of Florence, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Riccardo Romoli
- Mass Spectrometry Centre (CISM), University of Florence, 50019 Florence, Italy
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Adilia Warris
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Paul E Verweij
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Centre of Expertise in Mycology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eloise Ballard
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, Aberdeen Fungal Group, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Monica Borghi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Marilena Pariano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Costantino
- P4T group, Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy
| | - Mario Calvitti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Carmine Vacca
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Vasilis Oikonomou
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Marco Gargaro
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Alicia Yoke Wei Wong
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A(∗)STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Zdeněk Spáčil
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Puccetti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Jean-Paul Latgè
- Unitè des Aspergillus, Pasteur Institute, 75724 Paris, France
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Luigina Romani
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
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Zain Ul Arifeen M, Chu C, Yang X, Liu J, Huang X, Ma Y, Liu X, Xue Y, Liu C. The anaerobic survival mechanism of Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01, isolated from deep sediment 2 km below the seafloor. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:1174-1185. [PMID: 33215844 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Fungi dominated the eukaryotic group in the anaerobic sedimentary environment below the ocean floor where they play an essential ecological role. However, the adaptive mechanism of fungi to these anaerobic environments is still unclear. Here, we reported the anaerobic adaptive mechanism of Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01, isolated from deep coal-bearing sediment down to ~2 km below the seafloor, through biochemical, metabolomic and transcriptome analyses. The fungus grows well, but the morphology changes obviously and the fruit body develops incompletely under complete hypoxia. Compared with aerobic conditions, the fungus has enhanced branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis and ethanol fermentation under anaerobic conditions, and genes related to these metabolisms have been significantly up-regulated. Additionally, the fungus shows novel strategies for synthesizing ethanol by utilizing both glycolysis and ethanol fermentation pathways. These findings suggest that the subseafloor fungi may adopt multiple mechanisms to cope with lack of oxygen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Zain Ul Arifeen
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinyi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junzhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yunan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yarong Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Changhong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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38
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Yu QK, Han LT, Wu YJ, Liu TB. The Role of Oxidoreductase-Like Protein Olp1 in Sexual Reproduction and Virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8111730. [PMID: 33158259 PMCID: PMC7694259 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycete human fungal pathogen causing lethal meningoencephalitis, mainly in immunocompromised patients. Oxidoreductases are a class of enzymes that catalyze redox, playing a crucial role in biochemical reactions. In this study, we identified one Cryptococcus oxidoreductase-like protein-encoding gene OLP1 and investigated its role in the sexual reproduction and virulence of C. neoformans. Gene expression patterns analysis showed that the OLP1 gene was expressed in each developmental stage of Cryptococcus, and the Olp1 protein was located in the cytoplasm of Cryptococcus cells. Although it produced normal major virulence factors such as melanin and capsule, the olp1Δ mutants showed growth defects on the yeast extract peptone dextrose (YPD) medium supplemented with lithium chloride (LiCl) and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC). The fungal mating analysis showed that Olp1 is also essential for fungal sexual reproduction, as olp1Δ mutants show significant defects in hyphae growth and basidiospores production during bisexual reproduction. The fungal nuclei imaging showed that during the bilateral mating of olp1Δ mutants, the nuclei failed to undergo meiosis after fusion in the basidia, indicating that Olp1 is crucial for regulating meiosis during mating. Moreover, Olp1 was also found to be required for fungal virulence in C. neoformans, as the olp1Δ mutants showed significant virulence attenuation in a murine inhalation model. In conclusion, our results showed that the oxidoreductase-like protein Olp1 is required for both fungal sexual reproduction and virulence in C. neoformans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Kun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Q.-K.Y.); (L.-T.H.); (Y.-J.W.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Lian-Tao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Q.-K.Y.); (L.-T.H.); (Y.-J.W.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yu-Juan Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Q.-K.Y.); (L.-T.H.); (Y.-J.W.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Tong-Bao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (Q.-K.Y.); (L.-T.H.); (Y.-J.W.)
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-23-6825-1088
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39
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Beattie SR, Krysan DJ. Antifungal drug screening: thinking outside the box to identify novel antifungal scaffolds. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 57:1-6. [PMID: 32339892 PMCID: PMC7652037 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections are responsible for a significant disease burden worldwide. Drugs to treat these infections are limited to only four unique classes, and despite these available treatments, mortality rates remain unacceptably high. In this review, we will discuss antifungal drug screening and how the approach to identifying novel compounds needs move away from traditional growth-based assays in order to meet the demand for new drugs. We highlight specific examples of creative screening strategies that increase the likelihood of identifying compounds with desired activities and provide perspective to inspire development of novel screens for the identification of first-in-class antifungals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Beattie
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Damian J Krysan
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States.
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40
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Kowalski CH, Morelli KA, Schultz D, Nadell CD, Cramer RA. Fungal biofilm architecture produces hypoxic microenvironments that drive antifungal resistance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:22473-22483. [PMID: 32848055 PMCID: PMC7486789 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2003700117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human fungal infections may fail to respond to contemporary antifungal therapies in vivo despite in vitro fungal isolate drug susceptibility. Such a discrepancy between in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility and in vivo treatment outcomes is partially explained by microbes adopting a drug-resistant biofilm mode of growth during infection. The filamentous fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus forms biofilms in vivo, and during biofilm growth it has reduced susceptibility to all three classes of contemporary antifungal drugs. Specific features of filamentous fungal biofilms that drive antifungal drug resistance remain largely unknown. In this study, we applied a fluorescence microscopy approach coupled with transcriptional bioreporters to define spatial and temporal oxygen gradients and single-cell metabolic activity within A. fumigatus biofilms. Oxygen gradients inevitably arise during A. fumigatus biofilm maturation and are both critical for, and the result of, A. fumigatus late-stage biofilm architecture. We observe that these self-induced hypoxic microenvironments not only contribute to filamentous fungal biofilm maturation but also drive resistance to antifungal treatment. Decreasing oxygen levels toward the base of A. fumigatus biofilms increases antifungal drug resistance. Our results define a previously unknown mechanistic link between filamentous fungal biofilm physiology and contemporary antifungal drug resistance. Moreover, we demonstrate that drug resistance mediated by dynamic oxygen gradients, found in many bacterial biofilms, also extends to the fungal kingdom. The conservation of hypoxic drug-resistant niches in bacterial and fungal biofilms is thus a promising target for improving antimicrobial therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin H Kowalski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Kaesi A Morelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Daniel Schultz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755;
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41
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Obar JJ. Sensing the threat posed by Aspergillus infection. Curr Opin Microbiol 2020; 58:47-55. [PMID: 32898768 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian immune system can tune its inflammatory response to the threat level posed by an invading pathogen. It is well established that the host utilizes numerous 'patterns of pathogenicity', such as microbial growth, invasion, and viability, to achieve this tuning during bacterial infections. This review discusses how this notion fits during fungal infection, particularly regarding Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Moreover, how the environmental niches filled by A. fumigatus may drive the evolution of the fungal traits responsible for inducing the strain-specific inflammatory responses that have been experimentally observed will be discussed. Moving forward understanding the mechanisms of the fungal strain-specific inflammatory response due to the initial interactions with the host innate immune system will be essential for enhancing our therapeutic options for the treatment of invasive fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J Obar
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Hinman Box 7556, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA.
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42
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Furukawa T, Katayama H, Oikawa A, Negishi L, Ichikawa T, Suzuki M, Murase K, Takayama S, Sakuda S. Dioctatin Activates ClpP to Degrade Mitochondrial Components and Inhibits Aflatoxin Production. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:1396-1409.e10. [PMID: 32888498 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Aflatoxin contamination of crops is a serious problem worldwide. Utilization of aflatoxin production inhibitors is attractive, as the elucidation of their modes of action contributes to clarifying the mechanism of aflatoxin production. Here, we identified mitochondrial protease ClpP as the target of dioctatin, an inhibitor of aflatoxin production of Aspergillus flavus. Dioctatin conferred uncontrolled caseinolytic capacity on ClpP of A. flavus and Escherichia coli. Dioctatin-bound ClpP selectively degraded mitochondrial energy-related proteins in vitro, including a subunit of respiratory chain complex V, which was also reduced by dioctatin in a ClpP-dependent manner in vivo. Dioctatin enhanced glycolysis and alcohol fermentation while reducing tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites. These disturbances were accompanied by reduced histone acetylation and reduced expression of aflatoxin biosynthetic genes. Our results suggest that dioctatin inhibits aflatoxin production by inducing ClpP-mediated degradation of mitochondrial energy-related components, and that mitochondrial energy metabolism functions as a key determinant of aflatoxin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomohiro Furukawa
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi 320-0003, Japan
| | - Hidekazu Katayama
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, School of Engineering, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan
| | - Akira Oikawa
- Department of Food, Life, and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-4-12 Kojirakawa-machi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata 990-8560, Japan; RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, 1-7-22 Suehiro-chou, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Lumi Negishi
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Takuma Ichikawa
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, School of Engineering, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka-shi, Kanagawa 259-1292, Japan
| | - Michio Suzuki
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Kohji Murase
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Seiji Takayama
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
| | - Shohei Sakuda
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, 1-1 Toyosatodai, Utsunomiya-shi, Tochigi 320-0003, Japan.
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43
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Nojosa Oliveira L, Aguiar Gonçales R, Garcia Silva M, Melo Lima R, Vieira Tomazett M, Santana de Curcio J, Domiraci Paccez J, Milhomem Cruz-Leite VR, Rodrigues F, de Sousa Lima P, Pereira M, de Almeida Soares CM. Characterization of a heme-protein responsive to hypoxia in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 144:103446. [PMID: 32822859 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Oxygen is fundamental to the life of aerobic organisms and is not always available to Paracoccidioides cells. During the life cycle stages, reduced oxygen levels directly affect general metabolic processes and oxygen adaptation mechanisms may play a fundamental role on fungal ability to survive under such condition. Heme proteins can bind to oxygen and participate in important biological processes. Several fungi, including Paracoccidioides, express a heme-binding globin (fungoglobin - FglA) presumable to regulate fungal adaptation to hypoxia. However, the characterization of fungoglobin in Paracoccidioides spp. has not yet been performed. In this study, we predicted the structure of fungoglobin and determined its level of expression during hypoxic-mimetic conditions. Genomic screening revealed that the fungoglobin gene is conserved in all species of the Paracoccidioides genus. Molecular modeling showed biochemical and biophysical characteristics that support the hypothesis that FglA binds to the heme group and oxygen as well. The fungoglobin transcript and proteins are expressed at higher levels at the early treatment time, remaining elevated while oxygen is limited. A P. brasiliensis fglA knockdown strain depicted reduced growth in hypoxia indicating that this protein can be essential for growth at low oxygen. Biochemical analysis confirmed the binding of fungoglobin to heme. Initial analyzes were carried out to establish the relationship between FlglA and iron metabolism. The FglA transcript was up regulated in pulmonary infection, suggesting its potential role in the disease establishment. We believe that this study can contribute to the understanding of fungal biology and open new perspectives for scientific investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Nojosa Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Relber Aguiar Gonçales
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Marielle Garcia Silva
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Raisa Melo Lima
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Mariana Vieira Tomazett
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Juliana Santana de Curcio
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Juliano Domiraci Paccez
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Rafaela Milhomem Cruz-Leite
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Fernando Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia de Sousa Lima
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Maristela Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, ICB II, Campus II, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil.
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44
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Chung H, Lee YH. Hypoxia: A Double-Edged Sword During Fungal Pathogenesis? Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1920. [PMID: 32903454 PMCID: PMC7434965 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular oxygen functions as an electron acceptor for aerobic respiration and a substrate for key metabolisms and cellular processes. Most eukaryotes develop direct or indirect oxygen sensors and reprogram transcriptional and translational metabolisms to adapt to altered oxygen availability under varying oxygen concentrations. Human fungal pathogens manipulate transcriptional levels of genes related to virulence as well as oxygen-dependent metabolisms such as ergosterol homeostasis when they are confronted with oxygen limitation (hypoxia) during infection. Oxygen states in plant tissues also vary depending on site, species, and external environment, potentially providing hypoxia to plant pathogens during infection. In this review, knowledge on the regulation of oxygen sensing and adaptive mechanisms in eukaryotes and nascent understanding of hypoxic responses in plant pathogens are summarized and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjung Chung
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yong-Hwan Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.,Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, Plant Immunity Research Center, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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45
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Pang KL, Chiang MWL, Guo SY, Shih CY, Dahms HU, Hwang JS, Cha HJ. Growth study under combined effects of temperature, pH and salinity and transcriptome analysis revealed adaptations of Aspergillus terreus NTOU4989 to the extreme conditions at Kueishan Island Hydrothermal Vent Field, Taiwan. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233621. [PMID: 32453769 PMCID: PMC7250430 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
A high diversity of fungi was discovered on various substrates collected at the marine shallow-water Kueishan Island Hydrothermal Vent Field, Taiwan, using culture and metabarcoding methods but whether these fungi can grow and play an active role in such an extreme environment is unknown. We investigated the combined effects of different salinity, temperature and pH on growth of ten fungi (in the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fodinomyces, Microascus, Trichoderma, Verticillium) isolated from the sediment and the vent crab Xenograpsus testudinatus. The growth responses of the tested fungi could be referred to three groups: (1) wide pH, salinity and temperature ranges, (2) salinity-dependent and temperature-sensitive, and (3) temperature-tolerant. Aspergillus terreus NTOU4989 was the only fungus which showed growth at 45 °C, pH 3 and 30 ‰ salinity, and might be active near the vents. We also carried out a transcriptome analysis to understand the molecular adaptations of A. terreus NTOU4989 under these extreme conditions. Data revealed that stress-related genes were differentially expressed at high temperature (45 °C); for instance, mannitol biosynthetic genes were up-regulated while glutathione S-transferase and amino acid oxidase genes down-regulated in response to high temperature. On the other hand, hydrogen ion transmembrane transport genes and phenylalanine ammonia lyase were up-regulated while pH-response transcription factor was down-regulated at pH 3, a relative acidic environment. However, genes related to salt tolerance, such as glycerol lipid metabolism and mitogen-activated protein kinase, were up-regulated in both conditions, possibly related to maintaining water homeostasis. The results of this study revealed the genetic evidence of adaptation in A. terreus NTOU4989 to changes of environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka-Lai Pang
- Institute of Marine Biology and Centre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | | | - Sheng-Yu Guo
- Institute of Marine Biology and Centre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Yu Shih
- Institute of Marine Biology and Centre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Hans U Dahms
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environment Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jiang-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Marine Biology and Centre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
| | - Hyo-Jung Cha
- Institute of Marine Biology and Centre of Excellence for the Oceans, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung, Taiwan
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46
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Bieger BD, Rogers AM, Bates S, Egan MJ. Long-distance early endosome motility in Aspergillus fumigatus promotes normal hyphal growth behaviors in controlled microenvironments but is dispensable for virulence. Traffic 2020; 21:479-487. [PMID: 32378777 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In filamentous fungi, early endosomes are continuously trafficked to, and from, the growing hyphal tip by microtubule-based motor proteins, serving as platforms for the long-distance transport of diverse cargos including mRNA, signaling molecules, and other organelles which hitchhike on them. While the cellular machinery for early endosome motility in filamentous fungi is fairly well characterized, the broader physiological significance of this process remains less well understood. We set out to determine the importance of long-distance early endosome trafficking in Aspergillus fumigatus, an opportunistic human pathogenic fungus that can cause devastating pulmonary infections in immunocompromised individuals. We first characterized normal early endosome motile behavior in A. fumigatus, then generated a mutant in which early endosome motility is severely perturbed through targeted deletion of the gene encoding for FtsA, one of a complex of proteins that links early endosomes to their motor proteins. Using a microfluidics-based approach we show that contact-induced hyphal branching behaviors are impaired in ΔftsA mutants, but that FtsA-mediated early endosome motility is dispensable for virulence in an invertebrate infection model. Overall, our study provides new insight into early endosome motility in an important human pathogenic fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baronger Dowell Bieger
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas Systems Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Audra Mae Rogers
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas Systems Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Steven Bates
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Martin John Egan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas Systems Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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47
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Chung H, Kim S, Kim KT, Hwang BG, Kim HJ, Lee SJ, Lee YH. A novel approach to investigate hypoxic microenvironment during rice colonization by Magnaporthe oryzae. Environ Microbiol 2020; 21:1151-1169. [PMID: 30773773 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Because molecular oxygen functions as the final acceptor of electrons during aerobic respiration and a substrate for diverse enzymatic reactions, eukaryotes employ various mechanisms to maintain cellular homeostasis under varying oxygen concentration. Human fungal pathogens change the expression of genes involved in virulence and oxygen-required metabolisms such as ergosterol (ERG) synthesis when they encounter oxygen limitation (hypoxia) during infection. The oxygen level in plant tissues also fluctuates, potentially creating hypoxic stress to pathogens during infection. However, little is known about how in planta oxygen dynamics impact pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated oxygen dynamics in rice during infection by Magnaporthe oryzae via two approaches. First, rice leaves infected by M. oryzae were noninvasively probed using a microscopic oxygen sensor. Second, an immunofluorescence assay based on a chemical probe, pimonidazole, was used. Both methods showed that oxygen concentration in rice decreased after fungal penetration. We also functionally characterized five hypoxia-responsive genes participating in ERG biosynthesis for their role in pathogenesis. Resulting insights and tools will help study the nature of in planta oxygen dynamics in other pathosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunjung Chung
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Seongbeom Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ki-Tae Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Bae-Geun Hwang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Biofluid and Biomimic Research, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Hye-Jeong Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Biofluid and Biomimic Research, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Sang-Joon Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Center for Biofluid and Biomimic Research, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Yong-Hwan Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea.,Center for Fungal Genetic Resources, Plant Immunity Research Center, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, South Korea
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48
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Bastos RW, Valero C, Silva LP, Schoen T, Drott M, Brauer V, Silva-Rocha R, Lind A, Steenwyk JL, Rokas A, Rodrigues F, Resendiz-Sharpe A, Lagrou K, Marcet-Houben M, Gabaldón T, McDonnell E, Reid I, Tsang A, Oakley BR, Loures FV, Almeida F, Huttenlocher A, Keller NP, Ries LNA, Goldman GH. Functional Characterization of Clinical Isolates of the Opportunistic Fungal Pathogen Aspergillus nidulans. mSphere 2020; 5:e00153-20. [PMID: 32269156 PMCID: PMC7142298 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00153-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus nidulans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen in patients with immunodeficiency, and virulence of A. nidulans isolates has mainly been studied in the context of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), with characterization of clinical isolates obtained from non-CGD patients remaining elusive. This study therefore carried out a detailed biological characterization of two A. nidulans clinical isolates (CIs), obtained from a patient with breast carcinoma and pneumonia and from a patient with cystic fibrosis that underwent lung transplantation, and compared them to the reference, nonclinical FGSC A4 strain. Both CIs presented increased growth in comparison to that of the reference strain in the presence of physiologically relevant carbon sources. Metabolomic analyses showed that the three strains are metabolically very different from each other in these carbon sources. Furthermore, the CIs were highly susceptible to cell wall-perturbing agents but not to other physiologically relevant stresses. Genome analyses identified several frameshift variants in genes encoding cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling components. Significant differences in CWI signaling were confirmed by Western blotting among the three strains. In vivo virulence studies using several different models revealed that strain MO80069 had significantly higher virulence in hosts with impaired neutrophil function than the other strains. In summary, this study presents detailed biological characterization of two A. nidulanssensu stricto clinical isolates. Just as in Aspergillus fumigatus, strain heterogeneity exists in A. nidulans clinical strains that can define virulence traits. Further studies are required to fully characterize A. nidulans strain-specific virulence traits and pathogenicity.IMPORTANCE Immunocompromised patients are susceptible to infections with opportunistic filamentous fungi from the genus Aspergillus Although A. fumigatus is the main etiological agent of Aspergillus species-related infections, other species, such as A. nidulans, are prevalent in a condition-specific manner. A. nidulans is a predominant infective agent in patients suffering from chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). A. nidulans isolates have mainly been studied in the context of CGD although infection with A. nidulans also occurs in non-CGD patients. This study carried out a detailed biological characterization of two non-CGD A. nidulans clinical isolates and compared the results to those with a reference strain. Phenotypic, metabolomic, and genomic analyses highlight fundamental differences in carbon source utilization, stress responses, and maintenance of cell wall integrity among the strains. One clinical strain had increased virulence in models with impaired neutrophil function. Just as in A. fumigatus, strain heterogeneity exists in A. nidulans clinical strains that can define virulence traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Wesley Bastos
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Clara Valero
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Lilian Pereira Silva
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Taylor Schoen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Milton Drott
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Verônica Brauer
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rafael Silva-Rocha
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Abigail Lind
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jacob L Steenwyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Antonis Rokas
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Fernando Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute/3B's Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Agustin Resendiz-Sharpe
- Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Katrien Lagrou
- Laboratory of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- National Reference Center for Mycosis, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
- Life Sciences Program, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona, Spain
- Life Sciences Program, Barcelona Supercomputing Centre, Barcelona, Spain
- Mechanisms of Disease Program, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Erin McDonnell
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ian Reid
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adrian Tsang
- Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Berl R Oakley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Flávio Vieira Loures
- Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Fausto Almeida
- Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Anna Huttenlocher
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Gustavo H Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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Three-Dimensional Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscopy of Lungs To Dissect Local Host Immune-Aspergillus fumigatus Interactions. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.02752-19. [PMID: 32019790 PMCID: PMC7002341 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02752-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of animal models of infection is essential to advance our understanding of the complex host-pathogen interactions that take place during Aspergillus fumigatus lung infections. As in the case of humans, mice need to suffer an immune imbalance in order to become susceptible to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), the most serious infection caused by A. fumigatus. There are several immunosuppressive regimens that are routinely used to investigate fungal growth and/or immune responses in murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. However, the precise consequences of the use of each immunosuppressive model for the local immune populations and for fungal growth are not completely understood. Here, to pin down the scenarios involving commonly used IPA models, we employed light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) to analyze whole lungs at cellular resolution. Our results will be valuable to optimize and refine animal models to maximize their use in future research. Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that can cause life-threatening invasive lung infections in immunodeficient patients. The cellular and molecular processes of infection during onset, establishment, and progression of A. fumigatus infections are highly complex and depend on both fungal attributes and the immune status of the host. Therefore, preclinical animal models are of paramount importance to investigate and gain better insight into the infection process. Yet, despite their extensive use, commonly employed murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis are not well understood due to analytical limitations. Here, we present quantitative light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) to describe fungal growth and the local immune response in whole lungs at cellular resolution within its anatomical context. We analyzed three very common murine models of pulmonary aspergillosis based on immunosuppression with corticosteroids, chemotherapy-induced leukopenia, or myeloablative irradiation. LSFM uncovered distinct architectures of fungal growth and degrees of tissue invasion in each model. Furthermore, LSFM revealed the spatial distribution, interaction, and activation of two key immune cell populations in antifungal defense: alveolar macrophages and polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Interestingly, the patterns of fungal growth correlated with the detected effects of the immunosuppressive regimens on the local immune cell populations. Moreover, LSFM demonstrates that the commonly used intranasal route of spore administration did not result in complete intra-alveolar deposition, as about 80% of fungal growth occurred outside the alveolar space. Hence, characterization by LSFM is more rigorous than by previously used methods employing murine models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and pinpoints their strengths and limitations.
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Alteration of Fermentative Metabolism Enhances Mucor circinelloides Virulence. Infect Immun 2020; 88:IAI.00434-19. [PMID: 31685547 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00434-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The fungus Mucor circinelloides undergoes yeast-mold dimorphism, a developmental process associated with its capability as a human opportunistic pathogen. Dimorphism is strongly influenced by carbon metabolism, and hence the type of metabolism likely affects fungus virulence. We investigated the role of ethanol metabolism in M. circinelloides virulence. A mutant in the adh1 gene (M5 strain) exhibited higher virulence than the wild-type (R7B) and the complemented (M5/pEUKA-adh1 +) strains, which were nonvirulent when tested in a mouse infection model. Cell-free culture supernatant (SS) from the M5 mutant showed increased toxic effect on nematodes compared to that from R7B and M5/pEUKA-adh1 + strains. The concentration of acetaldehyde excreted by strain M5 in the SS was higher than that from R7B, which correlated with the acute toxic effect on nematodes. Remarkably, strain M5 showed higher resistance to H2O2, resistance to phagocytosis, and invasiveness in mouse tissues and induced an enhanced systemic inflammatory response compared with R7B. The mice infected with strain M5 under disulfiram treatment exhibited only half the life expectancy of those infected with M5 alone, suggesting that acetaldehyde produced by M. circinelloides contributes to the toxic effect in mice. These results demonstrate that the failure in fermentative metabolism, in the step of the production of ethanol in M. circinelloides, contributes to its virulence, inducing a more severe tissue burden and inflammatory response in mice as a consequence of acetaldehyde overproduction.
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