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Wrońska AK, Kaczmarek A, Sobich J, Boguś MI. The effect of infection with the entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomopthorales) on eighteen cytokine-like proteins in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera) larvae. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1385863. [PMID: 38774871 PMCID: PMC11106378 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1385863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In response to the replace mammal research models with insects in preliminary immunological studies, interest has grown in invertebrate defense systems. The immunological response is regulated by cytokines; however, while their role in mammals is well understood, little is known of their function in insects. A suitable target for studies into insect immunology is Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera), the wax moth: a common host for human fungal and bacterial pathogens. G. mellonella is also a perfect subject for studies into the presence of cytokine-like proteins. Specific objectives The main goal of present research was detection in insect immunocompetent cells the 18 mammalian cytokines (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-12, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, IL-19, IFN-γ, TNF-α, TNF-β, GM-CSF, M-CSF, G-CSF), which play important role in immunological response and indication how their level change after fungal infection. Methodology The changes of cytokine-like proteins level were detected in hemocytes taken from G. mellonella larvae infected with entomopathogenic fungus, C. coronatus. The presence of cytokine-proteins was confirmed with using fluorescence microscopy (in cultured hemocytes) and flow cytometry (in freshly collected hemolymph). The ELISA test was used to detect changes in concentration of examined cytokine-like proteins. Results Our findings indicated the presence of eighteen cytokine-like molecules in G. mellonella hemocytes during infection with C. coronatus. The hemocytes taken from infected larvae demonstrated higher fluorescence intensity for six cytokine-like proteins (GM-CSF, M-CSF, IL-3, IL-15, IL-1β and IL-19) compared to untreated controls. ELISA test indicated significantly higher IL-3 and IL-15. M-CSF, IL-1α and IL-19 concentration in the hemolymph after fungal infection, and significantly lower TNF-β and G-CSF. Conclusions Our findings confirm that the selected cytokine-like molecules are present in insect hemocytes and that their concentrations change after fungal infection, which might suggest that they play a role in the anti-fungal immunological response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agata Kaczmarek
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Justyna Sobich
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
- Dioscuri Centre for RNA-Protein Interactions in Human Health and Disease, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Ramage G, Borghi E, Rodrigues CF, Kean R, Williams C, Lopez-Ribot J. Our current clinical understanding of Candida biofilms: where are we two decades on? APMIS 2023; 131:636-653. [PMID: 36932821 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13310] [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: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Clinically we have been aware of the concept of Candida biofilms for many decades, though perhaps without the formal designation. Just over 20 years ago the subject emerged on the back of progress made from the bacterial biofilms, and academic progress pace has continued to mirror the bacterial biofilm community, albeit at a decreased volume. It is apparent that Candida species have a considerable capacity to colonize surfaces and interfaces and form tenacious biofilm structures, either alone or in mixed species communities. From the oral cavity, to the respiratory and genitourinary tracts, wounds, or in and around a plethora of biomedical devices, the scope of these infections is vast. These are highly tolerant to antifungal therapies that has a measurable impact on clinical management. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overight of our current clinical understanding of where these biofilms cause infections, and we discuss existing and emerging antifungal therapies and strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon Ramage
- School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Study Group for Biofilms (ESGB), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elisa Borghi
- Study Group for Biofilms (ESGB), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences, San Paolo Medical School, Università Degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Célia Fortuna Rodrigues
- Study Group for Biofilms (ESGB), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Basel, Switzerland
- LEPABE-Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário-CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
- ALiCE-Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário-CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
- TOXRUN-Toxicology Research Unit, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário-CESPU, Gandra, Portugal
| | - Ryan Kean
- Study Group for Biofilms (ESGB), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK
| | - Craig Williams
- Study Group for Biofilms (ESGB), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Basel, Switzerland
- Microbiology Department, Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Lancaster, UK
| | - Jose Lopez-Ribot
- Department of Biology and the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Budziaszek J, Pilarczyk-Zurek M, Dobosz E, Kozinska A, Nowicki D, Obszanska K, Szalewska-Pałasz A, Kern-Zdanowicz I, Sitkiewicz I, Koziel J. Studies of Streptococcus anginosus Virulence in Dictyostelium discoideum and Galleria mellonella Models. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0001623. [PMID: 37097148 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00016-23] [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: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
For many years, Streptococcus anginosus has been considered a commensal colonizing the oral cavity, as well as the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. However, recent epidemiological and clinical data designate this bacterium as an emerging opportunistic pathogen. Despite the reported pathogenicity of S. anginosus, the molecular mechanism underpinning its virulence is poorly described. Therefore, our goal was to develop and optimize efficient and simple infection models that can be applied to examine the virulence of S. anginosus and to study host-pathogen interactions. Using 23 S. anginosus isolates collected from different infections, including severe and superficial infections, as well as an attenuated strain devoid of CppA, we demonstrate for the first time that Dictyostelium discoideum is a suitable model for initial, fast, and large-scale screening of virulence. Furthermore, we found that another nonvertebrate animal model, Galleria mellonella, can be used to study the pathogenesis of S. anginosus infection, with an emphasis on the interactions between the pathogen and host innate immunity. Examining the profile of immune defense genes, including antimicrobial peptides, opsonins, regulators of nodulation, and inhibitors of proteases, by quantitative PCR (qPCR) we identified different immune response profiles depending on the S. anginosus strain. Using these models, we show that S. anginosus is resistant to the bactericidal activity of phagocytes, a phenomenon confirmed using human neutrophils. Notably, since we found that the data from these models corresponded to the clinical severity of infection, we propose their further application to studies of the virulence of S. anginosus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Budziaszek
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Pilarczyk-Zurek
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewelina Dobosz
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Kozinska
- Department of Drug Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dariusz Nowicki
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Obszanska
- Department of Drug Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Izabela Sitkiewicz
- Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Koziel
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Lima LS, Ramalho SR, Sandim GC, Parisotto EB, Orlandi Sardi JDC, Rodrigues Macedo ML. Prevention of hospital pathogen biofilm formation by antimicrobial peptide KWI18. Microb Pathog 2022; 172:105791. [PMID: 36150557 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of KWI18, a new synthetic peptide. KWI18 was tested against planktonic cells and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida parapsilosis biofilms. Time-kill and synergism assays were performed. Sorbitol, ergosterol, lipid peroxidation, and protein oxidation assays were used to gain insight into the mechanism of action of the peptide. Toxicity was evaluated against erythrocytes and Galleria mellonella. KWI18 showed antimicrobial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 0.5 to 10 μM. KWI18 at 10 × MIC reduced P. aeruginosa and C. parapsilosis biofilm formation and cell viability. Time-kill assays revealed that KWI18 inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa in 4 h and that of C. parapsilosis in 6 h. The mechanism of action was related to ergosterol as well as induction of oxidative damage in cells and biofilms. Furthermore, KWI18 demonstrated low toxicity to erythrocytes and G. mellonella. KWI18 proved to be an effective antibiofilm agent, opening opportunities for the development of new antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letícia Souza Lima
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Suellen Rodrigues Ramalho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde e Desenvolvimento na Região Centro-Oeste, Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Graziele Custódia Sandim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Benedetti Parisotto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Janaina de Cássia Orlandi Sardi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Odontológicas Integradas, Universidade de Cuiabá, Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Maria Lígia Rodrigues Macedo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição (FACFAN), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
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Cryptococcus spp. and Cryptococcosis: focusing on the infection in Brazil. Braz J Microbiol 2022; 53:1321-1337. [PMID: 35486354 PMCID: PMC9433474 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00744-y] [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: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a global fungal infection caused by the Cryptococcus neoformans/Cryptococcus gattii yeast complex. This infection is acquired by inhalation of propagules such as basidiospores or dry yeast, initially causing lung infections with the possibility of progressing to the meninges. This infection mainly affects immunocompromised HIV and transplant patients; however, immunocompetent patients can also be affected. This review proposes to evaluate cryptococcosis focusing on studies of this mycosis in Brazilian territory; moreover, recent advances in the understanding of its virulence mechanism, animal models in research are also assessed. For this, literature review as realized in PubMed, Scielo, and Brazilian legislation. In Brazil, cryptococcosis has been identified as one of the most lethal fungal infections among HIV patients and C. neoformans VNI and C. gattii VGII are the most prevalent genotypes. Moreover, different clinical settings published in Brazil were described. As in other countries, cryptococcosis is difficult to treat due to a limited therapeutic arsenal, which is highly toxic and costly. The presence of a polysaccharide capsule, thermo-tolerance, production of melanin, biofilm formation, mechanisms for iron use, and morphological alterations is an important virulence mechanism of these yeasts. The introduction of cryptococcosis as a compulsory notification disease could improve data regarding incidence and help in the management of these infections.
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Ménard G, Rouillon A, Cattoir V, Donnio PY. Galleria mellonella as a Suitable Model of Bacterial Infection: Past, Present and Future. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 11:782733. [PMID: 35004350 PMCID: PMC8727906 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.782733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing interest for Galleria mellonella larvae as an infection model is evidenced by the number of papers reporting its use, which increases exponentially since the early 2010s. This popularity was initially linked to limitation of conventional animal models due to financial, technical and ethical aspects. In comparison, alternative models (e.g. models using Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster or G. mellonella) were cheap, simple to use and not limited by ethical regulation. Since then, similar results have been established with G. mellonella model comparatively to vertebrates, and it is more and more often used as a robust model per se, not only as an alternative to the murine model. This review attempts to summarize the current knowledge supporting the development of this model, both on immunological and microbiological aspects. For that, we focus on investigation of virulence and new therapies for the most important pathogenic bacteria. We also discuss points out directions for standardization, as well as recent advances and new perspectives for monitoring host-pathogen interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Ménard
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, INSERM, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM), service de Bactériologie Hygiène-Hospitalière (SB2H), UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
| | - Astrid Rouillon
- Univ Rennes, INSERM, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM), UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
| | - Vincent Cattoir
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, INSERM, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM), service de Bactériologie Hygiène-Hospitalière (SB2H), UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Donnio
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, INSERM, Bacterial Regulatory RNAs and Medicine (BRM), service de Bactériologie Hygiène-Hospitalière (SB2H), UMR_S 1230, Rennes, France
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Therapeutic Effect of an Antibody-Derived Peptide in a Galleria mellonella Model of Systemic Candidiasis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222010904. [PMID: 34681564 PMCID: PMC8536055 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010904] [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: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetic peptide T11F (TCRVDHRGLTF), with sequence identical to a fragment of the constant region of human IgM, and most of its alanine-substituted derivatives proved to possess a significant candidacidal activity in vitro. In this study, the therapeutic efficacy of T11F, D5A, the derivative most active in vitro, and F11A, characterized by a different conformation, was investigated in Galleria mellonella larvae infected with Candida albicans. A single injection of F11A and D5A derivatives, in contrast with T11F, led to a significant increase in survival of larvae injected with a lethal inoculum of C. albicans cells, in comparison with infected animals treated with saline. Peptide modulation of host immunity upon C. albicans infection was determined by hemocyte analysis and larval histology, highlighting a different immune stimulation by the studied peptides. F11A, particularly, was the most active in eliciting nodule formation, melanization and fat body activation, leading to a better control of yeast infection. Overall, the obtained data suggest a double role for F11A, able to simultaneously target the fungus and the host immune system, resulting in a more efficient pathogen clearance.
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Lyons N, Softley I, Balfour A, Williamson C, O'Brien HE, Shetty AC, Bruno VM, Diezmann S. Tobacco Hornworm ( Manduca sexta) caterpillars as a novel host model for the study of fungal virulence and drug efficacy. Virulence 2021; 11:1075-1089. [PMID: 32842847 PMCID: PMC7549948 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2020.1806665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The two leading yeast pathogens of humans, Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, cause systemic infections in >1.4 million patients worldwide with mortality rates approaching 75%. It is thus imperative to study fungal virulence mechanisms, efficacy of antifungal drugs, and host response pathways. While this is commonly done in mammalian models, which are afflicted by ethical and practical concerns, invertebrate models, such as wax moth larvae and nematodes have been introduced over the last two decades. To complement existing invertebrate host models, we developed fifth instar caterpillars of the Tobacco Hornworm moth Manduca sexta as a novel host model. These caterpillars can be maintained at 37°C, are suitable for injections with defined amounts of yeast cells, and are susceptible to the most threatening yeast pathogens, including C. albicans, C. neoformans, C. auris, and C. glabrata. Importantly, fungal burden can be assessed daily throughout the course of infection in a single caterpillar’s feces and hemolymph. Infected caterpillars can be rescued by treatment with antifungal drugs. Notably, these animals are large enough for weight to provide a reliable and reproducible measure of fungal disease and to facilitate host tissue-specific expression analyses. M. sexta caterpillars combine a suite of parameters that make them suitable for the study of fungal virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Lyons
- School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel.,Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath, UK
| | - Isabel Softley
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath, UK
| | - Andrew Balfour
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath, UK
| | | | - Heath E O'Brien
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics & Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine & Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University , Cardiff, UK
| | - Amol C Shetty
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vincent M Bruno
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie Diezmann
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath, UK.,School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK
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Hickin M, Nadel H, Schal C, Cohen AC. Optimization of a Diet for the Greater Wax Moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Using Full Factorial and Mixture Design. JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 114:1091-1103. [PMID: 33822091 DOI: 10.1093/jee/toab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Diet optimization is an important process to increase the efficiency of rearing insects and can be used to develop high-quality insects with specific fitness and life-history traits. Galleria mellonella (L.), the greater wax moth, is widely used in research, microbiology assays, as pet food, and host for biological control agents. Although artificial diets for G. mellonella have been researched and optimized for decades, preliminary tests indicated that the predominantly utilized G. mellonella diet could be improved to yield larger larvae with a short development time. We used a design of experiments (DOE) approach that incorporated multiple full factorial designs and a final mixture design to test the qualitative and quantitative effects of ingredients and their interactions on larval mass and survival. Analysis of 17 ingredient variations in 35 diet formulations yielded an optimized diet that supported high survival and 2.4-fold greater larval body mass than the standard rearing diet. This study demonstrates the importance and efficiency of statistical DOE in guiding the optimization of insect diets to improve traits that represent the quality and fitness of the reared insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauri Hickin
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613, USA
- Otis Laboratory, USDA APHIS PPQ S&T, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA 02542, USA
| | - Hannah Nadel
- Otis Laboratory, USDA APHIS PPQ S&T, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA 02542, USA
| | - Coby Schal
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613, USA
| | - Allen C Cohen
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7613, Raleigh, NC 27695-7613, USA
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Lozoya-Pérez NE, García-Carnero LC, Martínez-Álvarez JA, Martínez-Duncker I, Mora-Montes HM. Tenebrio molitor as an Alternative Model to Analyze the Sporothrix Species Virulence. Infect Drug Resist 2021; 14:2059-2072. [PMID: 34113132 PMCID: PMC8184153 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s312553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Sporotrichosis is an increasing threat for humans, affecting mainly skin and subcutaneous tissues but that can cause disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients. Sporothrix schenckii, Sporothrix brasiliensis, and Sporothrix globosa are the main etiological agents of this mycosis, and each species show different virulence levels. The gold standard to assess fungal virulence is the mouse model that is expensive and time-consuming. Thus, invertebrate models have been reported as an alternative for the evaluation of fungal virulence. Here, we assessed whether Tenebrio molitor larvae could be a new alternative to study Sporothrix spp. virulence. Methods T. molitor larvae were inoculated with different doses of S. schenckii, S. brasiliensis, and S. globosa, and animal mortality, cytotoxicity, and immunological parameters were analyzed, including the ability to stimulate immunological priming. Results Mortality curves demonstrated that yeast-like cells were the best fungal morphology to kill larvae and showed a similar ranking in virulence than that reported in other animal models, ie, being S. brasiliensis and S. globosa the species with the highest and lowest virulence, respectively. The usefulness of this model was validated with the analysis of several S. schenckii strains with different virulence degrees, and changes in cytotoxicity, humoral and cellular immunological parameters. Low-virulence strains stimulated low levels of cytotoxicity, phenoloxidase activity, and hemocyte countings, and these immunological cells poorly uptake fungi. Moreover, using recombinant Gp70 from S. schenckii immunological priming was stimulated in larvae and this protected against a lethal dose of fungal cells from any of the three species under study. Conclusion The study demonstrated that T. molitor larvae are an appropriate alternative invertebrate model to analyze the virulence of S. schenckii, S. brasiliensis, and S. globosa. Additionally, hemocyte levels, phenoloxidase activity, cytotoxicity, uptake by hemocytes, and immunological priming are biological parameters that can be used to study the Sporothrix-T. molitor interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy E Lozoya-Pérez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36050, México
| | - Laura C García-Carnero
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36050, México
| | - José A Martínez-Álvarez
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36050, México
| | - Iván Martínez-Duncker
- Laboratorio de Glicobiología Humana y Diagnóstico Molecular; Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Héctor M Mora-Montes
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Campus Guanajuato, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36050, México
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Influences of the Culturing Media in the Virulence and Cell Wall of Sporothrix schenckii, Sporothrix brasiliensis, and Sporothrix globosa. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040323. [PMID: 33260702 PMCID: PMC7712150 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sporothrix schenckii, Sporothrix brasiliensis, and Sporothrix globosa are etiological agents of sporotrichosis, a human subcutaneous mycosis. Although the protocols to evaluate Sporothrix virulence in animal models are well described, the cell preparation before inoculation is not standardized, and several culturing media are used to grow yeast-like cells. Here, we found that carbon or nitrogen limitation during fungal cell preparation negatively impacted the ability of S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis to kill Galleria mellonella larvae, but not S. globosa. The fungal growth conditions associated with the short median survival of animals were accompanied by increased hemocyte countings, phenoloxidase activity, and cytotoxicity. The fungal growth under carbon or nitrogen limitation also affected the cell wall composition of both S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis and showed increased exposure of β-1,3-glucan at the cell surface, while those growing conditions had a minimal impact on the S.globosa wall, which had higher levels of this polysaccharide exposed on the wall regardless of the culture condition. This polysaccharide exposure was linked to the increased ability of insect hemocytes to uptake fungal cells, suggesting that this is one of the mechanisms behind the lower virulence of S.globosa or cells from the other species grown in carbon or nitrogen limitation.
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12
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Wojda I, Staniec B, Sułek M, Kordaczuk J. The greater wax moth Galleria mellonella: biology and use in immune studies. Pathog Dis 2020; 78:ftaa057. [PMID: 32970818 PMCID: PMC7683414 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftaa057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The greater wax moth Galleria mellonella is an invertebrate that is increasingly being used in scientific research. Its ease of reproduction, numerous offspring, short development cycle, and finally, its known genome and immune-related transcriptome provide a convenient research model for investigation of insect immunity at biochemical and molecular levels. Galleria immunity, consisting of only innate mechanisms, shows adaptive plasticity, which has recently become the subject of intensive scientific research. This insect serves as a mini host in studies of the pathogenicity of microorganisms and in vivo tests of the effectiveness of single virulence factors as well as new antimicrobial compounds. Certainly, the Galleria mellonella species deserves our attention and appreciation for its contribution to the development of research on innate immune mechanisms. In this review article, we describe the biology of the greater wax moth, summarise the main advantages of using it as a model organism and present some of the main techniques facilitating work with this insect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iwona Wojda
- Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Immunobiology, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Bernard Staniec
- Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Zoology and Nature Protection, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Michał Sułek
- Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Immunobiology, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
| | - Jakub Kordaczuk
- Maria Curie Sklodowska University, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Immunobiology, Akademicka 19, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
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13
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García-Carnero LC, Clavijo-Giraldo DM, Gómez-Gaviria M, Lozoya-Pérez NE, Tamez-Castrellón AK, López-Ramírez LA, Mora-Montes HM. Early Virulence Predictors during the Candida Species- Galleria mellonella Interaction. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6030152. [PMID: 32867152 PMCID: PMC7559698 DOI: 10.3390/jof6030152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections are a serious and increasing threat for human health, and one of the most frequent etiological agents for systemic mycoses is Candida spp. The gold standard to assess Candida virulence is the mouse model of systemic candidiasis, a restrictive, expensive, and time-consuming approach; therefore, invertebrate models have been proposed as alternatives. Galleria mellonella larvae have several traits that make them good candidates to study the fungal virulence. Here, we showed that a reduction in circulating hemocytes, increased melanin production, phenoloxidase, and lactate dehydrogenase activities were observed at 12 and 24 h postinoculation of highly virulent Candidatropicalis strains, while minimal changes in these parameters were observed in low-virulent strains. Similarly, the most virulent species Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida auris, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida orthopsilosis have led to significant changes in those parameters; while the low virulent species Candida guilliermondii, Candida krusei, and Candida metapsilosis induced modest variations in these immunological and cytotoxicity parameters. Since changes in circulating hemocytes, melanin production, phenoloxidase and lactate dehydrogenase activities showed a correlation with the larval median survival rates at 12 and 24 h postinoculation, we proposed them as candidates for early virulence predictors in G. mellonella.
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14
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Six A, Krajangwong S, Crumlish M, Zadoks RN, Walker D. Galleria mellonella as an infection model for the multi-host pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae reflects hypervirulence of strains associated with human invasive disease. Virulence 2020; 10:600-609. [PMID: 31230520 PMCID: PMC6592362 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1631660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus agalactiae, or group B Streptococcus (GBS), infects diverse hosts including humans and economically important species such as cattle and fishes. In the context of human health, GBS is a major cause of neonatal infections and an emerging cause of invasive disease in adults and of foodborne disease in Southeast Asia. Here we show that GBS is able to establish a systemic infection in Galleria mellonella larvae that is associated with extensive bacterial replication and dose-dependent larval survival. This infection model is suitable for use with GBS isolates from both homeothermic and poikilothermic hosts. Hypervirulent sequence types (ST) associated with invasive human disease in neonates (ST17) or adults (ST283) show increased virulence in this model, indicating it may be useful in studying GBS virulence determinants, albeit with limitations for some host-specific virulence factors. In addition, we demonstrate that larval survival can be afforded by antibiotic treatment and so the model may also be useful in the development of novel anti-GBS strategies. The use of G. mellonella in GBS research has the potential to provide a low-cost infection model that could reduce the number of vertebrates used in the study of GBS infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Six
- a Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences , University of Glasgow , Glasgow , UK
| | - Sakranmanee Krajangwong
- a Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences , University of Glasgow , Glasgow , UK
| | | | - Ruth N Zadoks
- c Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences , University of Glasgow , Glasgow , UK
| | - Daniel Walker
- a Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences , University of Glasgow , Glasgow , UK
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15
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Wrońska AK, Boguś MI. Heat shock proteins (HSP 90, 70, 60, and 27) in Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera) hemolymph are affected by infection with Conidiobolus coronatus (Entomophthorales). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228556. [PMID: 32027696 PMCID: PMC7004346 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Invertebrates are becoming more popular models for research on the immune system. The innate immunity possessed by insects shows both structural and functional similarity to the resistance displayed by mammals, and many processes occurring in insect hemocytes are similar to those that occur in mammals. The humoral immune response in insects acts by melanization, clotting and the production of reactive oxygen species and antimicrobial peptides, while the cellular immunity system is based on nodulation, encapsulation and phagocytosis. An increasingly popular insect model in biological research is Galleria mellonella, whose larvae are sensitive to infection by the entomopathogenic fungus Conidiobolus coronatus, which can also be dangerous to humans. One group of factors that modulate the response of the immune system during infection in mammals are heat shock proteins (HSPs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether infection by C. coronatus in G. mellonella hemolymph is accompanied by an increase of HSP90, HSP70, HSP60 and HSP27. Larvae (five-day-old last instar) were exposed for 24 hours to fully-grown and sporulating fungus. Hemolymph was collected either immediately after termination of exposure (F24) or 24 hours later (F48). The concentration of the HSPs in hemolymph was determined using ELISA. Immunolocalization in hemocytes was performed using fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. HSP90, HSP70, HSP60 and HSP27 were found to be present in the G. mellonella hemocytes. HSP60 and HSP90 predominated in healthy insects, with HSP70 and HSP27 being found in trace amounts; HSP60 and HSP27 were elevated in F24 and F48, and HSP90 was elevated in F48. The fungal infection had no effect on HSP70 levels. These findings shed light on the mechanisms underlying the interaction between the innate insect immune response and entomopathogen infection. The results of this innovative study may have a considerable impact on research concerning innate immunology and insect physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Katarzyna Wrońska
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Warsaw, Poland
- * E-mail:
| | - Mieczysława Irena Boguś
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Warsaw, Poland
- BIOMIBO, Warsaw, Poland
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Singulani JDL, Galeane MC, Ramos MD, Gomes PC, Dos Santos CT, de Souza BM, Palma MS, Fusco Almeida AM, Mendes Giannini MJS. Antifungal Activity, Toxicity, and Membranolytic Action of a Mastoparan Analog Peptide. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:419. [PMID: 31867293 PMCID: PMC6908851 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections, such as cryptococcosis and paracoccidioidomycosis are associated with significant rates of morbidity and mortality. Cryptococcosis, caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, is distributed worldwide and has received much attention as a common complication in patients with HIV. Invasive fungal infections are usually treated with a combination of amphotericin B and azoles. In addition, 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) is applied in cryptococcosis, specifically to treat central nervous system infection. However, host toxicity, high cost, emerging number of resistant strains, and difficulty in developing new selective antifungals pose challenges. The need for new antifungals has therefore prompted a screen for inhibitory peptides, which have multiple mechanisms of action. The honeycomb moth Galleria mellonella has been widely used as a model system for evaluating efficacy of antifungal agents. In this study, a peptide analog from the mastoparan class of wasps (MK58911) was tested against Cryptococcus spp. and Paracoccidioides spp. In addition, peptide toxicity tests on lung fibroblasts (MRC5) and glioblastoma cells (U87) were performed. Subsequent tests related to drug interaction and mechanism of action were also performed, and efficacy and toxicity of the peptide were evaluated in vivo using the G. mellonella model. Our results reveal promising activity of the peptide, with an MIC in the range of 7.8-31.2 μg/mL, and low toxicity in MRC and U87 cells (IC50 > 500 μg/mL). Taken together, these results demonstrate that MK58911 is highly toxic in fungal cells, but not mammalian cells (SI > 16). The mechanism of toxicity involved disruption of the plasma membrane, leading to death of the fungus mainly by necrosis. In addition, no interaction with the drugs amphotericin B and fluconazole was found either in vitro or in vivo. Finally, the peptide showed no toxic effects on G. mellonella, and significantly enhanced survival rates of larvae infected with C. neoformans. Although not statistically significant, treatment of larvae with all doses of MK58911 showed a similar trend in decreasing the fungal burden of larvae. These effects were independent of any immunomodulatory activity. Overall, these results present a peptide with potential for use as a new antifungal drug to treat systemic mycoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya de Lacorte Singulani
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Mariana Cristina Galeane
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Marina Dorisse Ramos
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Paulo César Gomes
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Claudia Tavares Dos Santos
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Bibiana Monson de Souza
- Department of Biology, Center for the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Mario Sergio Palma
- Department of Biology, Center for the Study of Social Insects, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Rio Claro, Brazil
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco Almeida
- Department of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
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Cutuli MA, Petronio Petronio G, Vergalito F, Magnifico I, Pietrangelo L, Venditti N, Di Marco R. Galleria mellonella as a consolidated in vivo model hosts: New developments in antibacterial strategies and novel drug testing. Virulence 2019; 10:527-541. [PMID: 31142220 PMCID: PMC6550544 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2019.1621649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A greater ethical conscience, new global rules and a modified perception of ethical consciousness entail a more rigorous control on utilizations of vertebrates for in vivo studies. To cope with this new scenario, numerous alternatives to rodents have been proposed. Among these, the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella had a preponderant role, especially in the microbiological field, as demonstrated by the growing number of recent scientific publications. The reasons for its success must be sought in its peculiar characteristics such as the innate immune response mechanisms and the ability to grow at a temperature of 37°C. This review aims to describe the most relevant features of G. mellonella in microbiology, highlighting the most recent and relevant research on antibacterial strategies, novel drug tests and toxicological studies. Although solutions for some limitations are required, G. mellonella has all the necessary host features to be a consolidated in vivo model host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Alfio Cutuli
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Giulio Petronio Petronio
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Franca Vergalito
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Irene Magnifico
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Laura Pietrangelo
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Noemi Venditti
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Roberto Di Marco
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “Vincenzo Tiberio”, Università degli Studi del Molise Italy - III Ed Polifunzionale, Campobasso, Italy
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18
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Caenorhabditis elegans as a model animal for investigating fungal pathogenesis. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 209:1-13. [PMID: 31555911 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00635-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The morbidity and mortality associated with systemic fungal infections in humans cannot be underestimated. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become popular for the in vivo study of the pathogenesis of human fungal pathogens and as an antifungal drug-screening tool. C. elegans offers many advantages as a model organism for the study of human fungal diseases, including lack of ethics requirements, easy maintenance in the laboratory, fully sequenced genome, availability of genetic mutants, and the possibility of liquid assays for high-throughput antifungal screening. Its major drawbacks include the inability to grow at 37 °C and absence of an adaptive immune response. However, several virulence factors involved in the pathogenesis of medically important fungal pathogens have been identified using the C. elegans model, consequently providing new leads for drug discovery and potential drug targets. We review the use of C. elegans as a model animal to understand the pathogenesis of medically important human fungal pathogens and the discovery of novel antifungal compounds. The review makes a case for C. elegans as a suitable invertebrate model for a plethora of practical applications in the investigation of fungal pathogenesis as well as its amenability for liquid-based high-throughput screening of potential antifungal compounds.
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19
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Jiang Y, Wang J, Yang B, Wang Q, Zhou J, Yu W. Molecular Characterization of a Debilitation-Associated Partitivirus Infecting the Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus flavus. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:626. [PMID: 30984147 PMCID: PMC6447663 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus flavus is known to be infected with mycoviruses. In this study, we report a novel mycovirus A. flavus partitivirus 1 (AfPV1) that was originally isolated from the abnormal colonial morphology isolate LD-3-8 of A. flavus. AfPV1 has spherical virus-like particles about 40 nm in diameter, and three double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments (dsRNA1, 2, and 3 with lengths of 1.7, 1.4, and 1.1 kbp, respectively) were packaged in the virions. dsRNA1, dsRNA2, and dsRNA3 each contained a single open reading frame and potentially encoded 62, 42, and 32 kDa proteins, respectively. The dsRNA1 encoded protein shows similarity to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of partitiviruses, and the dsRNA2 product has no significant similarity to any other capsid protein (CP) in the GenBank databases, beside some homology with the hypothetical "capsid" protein of a few partitiviruses. The dsRNA3 encodes a protein with no similarity to any protein in the GenBank database. SDS-PAGE and polypeptide mass fingerprint-mass spectrum (PMF-MS) analyses indicated that the CP of the AfPV1 was encoded by dsRNA2. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the AfPV1 and relative viruses were found in an unclassified group inside the Partitiviridae family. AfPV1 seems to result in debilitation symptoms, but had no significant effects to murine pathogenicity. These findings provide new insights into the partitiviruses taxonomy and the interactions between viruses and A. flavus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinhui Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Guizhou Medical University, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jingxian Wang
- Experiment Center of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Bi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Guizhou Medical University, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Qinrong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Guizhou Medical University, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Jianjiang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Guizhou Medical University, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Wenfeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Guizhou Medical University, Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
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20
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Lu M, Yang X, Yu C, Gong Y, Yuan L, Hao L, Sun S. Linezolid in Combination With Azoles Induced Synergistic Effects Against Candida albicans and Protected Galleria mellonella Against Experimental Candidiasis. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3142. [PMID: 30766527 PMCID: PMC6365414 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of resistant Candida isolates has increased continuously in recent decades, especially Candida albicans. To overcome this resistance, research on antifungal sensitizers has attracted considerable attention. Linezolid was found to inhibit the growth of Pythium insidiosum and synergize with amphotericin B against Cryptococcus neoformans. The objective of this study was to determine the interactions of linezolid and azoles against C. albicans in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, linezolid combined with azoles induced synergistic effects not only against some susceptible C. albicans isolates, but also against all tested resistant C. albicans isolates. For all resistant isolates, exposure to the combination of linezolid with azoles induced a significant decrease in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of azoles, from >512 to 0.5–1 μg/mL for fluconazole, from >16 to 0.25–1 μg/mL for itraconazole, and from >16 to 0.03–0.25 μg/mL for voriconazole. Additionally, linezolid synergized with fluconazole against biofilms that were preformed for ≤ 12 h from both susceptible and resistant C. albicans, and the sessile MIC of fluconazole decreased from >1024 to 1–4 μg/mL. In vivo, linezolid plus azoles prolonged the survival rate of infected Galleria mellonella larvae twofold compared with the azole monotherapy group, significantly decreased the fungal burden of the infected larvae, and reduced the damage of resistant C. albicans to the larval tissue. These findings will contribute to antifungal agent discovery and new approaches for the treatment of candidiasis caused by C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiao Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Baodi People's Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinmei Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Cuixiang Yu
- Department of Respiration Medicine, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Ying Gong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Lei Yuan
- Department of Pharmacy, Baodi People's Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Lina Hao
- Qilu Children's Hospital of Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
| | - Shujuan Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Ji'nan, China
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21
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Pereira TC, de Barros PP, Fugisaki LRDO, Rossoni RD, Ribeiro FDC, de Menezes RT, Junqueira JC, Scorzoni L. Recent Advances in the Use of Galleria mellonella Model to Study Immune Responses against Human Pathogens. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4040128. [PMID: 30486393 PMCID: PMC6308929 DOI: 10.3390/jof4040128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of invertebrates for in vivo studies in microbiology is well established in the scientific community. Larvae of Galleria mellonella are a widely used model for studying pathogenesis, the efficacy of new antimicrobial compounds, and immune responses. The immune system of G. mellonella larvae is structurally and functionally similar to the innate immune response of mammals, which makes this model suitable for such studies. In this review, cellular responses (hemocytes activity: phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation) and humoral responses (reactions or soluble molecules released in the hemolymph as antimicrobial peptides, melanization, clotting, free radical production, and primary immunization) are discussed, highlighting the use of G. mellonella as a model of immune response to different human pathogenic microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Cristine Pereira
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Patrícia Pimentel de Barros
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Luciana Ruano de Oliveira Fugisaki
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Rodnei Dennis Rossoni
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Felipe de Camargo Ribeiro
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Raquel Teles de Menezes
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Juliana Campos Junqueira
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
| | - Liliana Scorzoni
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Institute of Science and Technology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José dos Campos, São Paulo 12245-000, Brazil.
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22
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An Invertebrate Host to Study Fungal Infections, Mycotoxins and Antifungal Drugs: Tenebrio molitor. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4040125. [PMID: 30424549 PMCID: PMC6308941 DOI: 10.3390/jof4040125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 11/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Faced with ethical conflict and social pressure, researchers have increasingly chosen to use alternative models over vertebrates in their research. Since the innate immune system is evolutionarily conserved in insects, the use of these animals in research is gaining ground. This review discusses Tenebrio molitor as a potential model host for the study of pathogenic fungi. Larvae of T. molitor are known as cereal pests and, in addition, are widely used as animal and human feed. A number of studies on mechanisms of the humoral system, especially in the synthesis of antimicrobial peptides, which have similar characteristics to vertebrates, have been performed. These studies demonstrate the potential of T. molitor larvae as a model host that can be used to study fungal virulence, mycotoxin effects, host immune responses to fungal infection, and the action of antifungal compounds.
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23
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Elkabti AB, Issi L, Rao RP. Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model Host to Monitor the Candida Infection Processes. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:E123. [PMID: 30405043 PMCID: PMC6309157 DOI: 10.3390/jof4040123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
C. elegans has several advantages as an experimental host for the study of infectious diseases. Worms are easily maintained and propagated on bacterial lawns. The worms can be frozen for long term storage and still maintain viability years later. Their short generation time and large brood size of thousands of worms grown on a single petri dish, makes it relatively easy to maintain at a low cost. The typical wild type adult worm grows to approximately 1.5 mm in length and are transparent, allowing for the identification of several internal organs using an affordable dissecting microscope. A large collection of loss of function mutant strains are readily available from the C. elegans genetic stock center, making targeted genetic studies in the nematode possible. Here we describe ways in which this facile model host has been used to study Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen that poses a serious public health threat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Issi
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA.
| | - Reeta P Rao
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA.
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Singulani JL, Scorzoni L, de Oliveira HC, Marcos CM, Assato PA, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Applications of Invertebrate Animal Models to Dimorphic Fungal Infections. J Fungi (Basel) 2018; 4:jof4040118. [PMID: 30347646 PMCID: PMC6308930 DOI: 10.3390/jof4040118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dimorphic fungi can be found in the yeast form during infection and as hyphae in the environment and are responsible for a large number of infections worldwide. Invertebrate animals have been shown to be convenient models in the study of fungal infections. These models have the advantages of being low cost, have no ethical issues, and an ease of experimentation, time-efficiency, and the possibility of using a large number of animals per experiment compared to mammalian models. Invertebrate animal models such as Galleria mellonella, Caenorhabditis elegans, and Acanthamoebacastellanii have been used to study dimorphic fungal infections in the context of virulence, innate immune response, and the efficacy and toxicity of antifungal agents. In this review, we first summarize the features of these models. In this aspect, the growth temperature, genome sequence, availability of different strains, and body characteristics should be considered in the model choice. Finally, we discuss the contribution and advances of these models, with respect to dimorphic fungi Paracoccidioides spp., Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporothrix spp., and Talaromyces marneffei (Penicillium marneffei).
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya L Singulani
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
| | - Liliana Scorzoni
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
| | - Haroldo C de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
| | - Caroline M Marcos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
| | - Patricia A Assato
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo 14800-903, Brazil.
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Pathogenesis of the Candida parapsilosis Complex in the Model Host Caenorhabditis elegans. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9080401. [PMID: 30096852 PMCID: PMC6116074 DOI: 10.3390/genes9080401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditiselegans is a valuable tool as an infection model toward the study of Candida species. In this work, we endeavored to develop a C. elegans-Candidaparapsilosis infection model by using the fungi as a food source. Three species of the C. parapsilosis complex (C. parapsilosis (sensu stricto), Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis) caused infection resulting in C. elegans killing. All three strains that comprised the complex significantly diminished the nematode lifespan, indicating the virulence of the pathogens against the host. The infection process included invasion of the intestine and vulva which resulted in organ protrusion and hyphae formation. Importantly, hyphae formation at the vulva opening was not previously reported in C. elegans-Candida infections. Fungal infected worms in the liquid assay were susceptible to fluconazole and caspofungin and could be found to mount an immune response mediated through increased expression of cnc-4, cnc-7, and fipr-22/23. Overall, the C. elegans-C. parapsilosis infection model can be used to model C. parapsilosis host-pathogen interactions.
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26
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Novohradská S, Ferling I, Hillmann F. Exploring Virulence Determinants of Filamentous Fungal Pathogens through Interactions with Soil Amoebae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:497. [PMID: 29259922 PMCID: PMC5723301 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections with filamentous fungi are common to all animals, but attention is rising especially due to the increasing incidence and high mortality rates observed in immunocompromised human individuals. Here, Aspergillus fumigatus and other members of its genus are the leading causative agents. Attributes like their saprophytic life-style in various ecological niches coupled with nutritional flexibility and a broad host range have fostered the hypothesis that environmental predators could have been the actual target for some of their virulence determinants. In this mini review, we have merged the recent findings focused on the potential dual-use of fungal defense strategies against innate immune cells and soil amoebae as natural phagocytes. Well-established virulence attributes like the melanized surface of fungal conidia or their capacity to produce toxic secondary metabolites have also been found to be protective against the model amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. Some of the recent advances during interaction studies with human cells have further promoted the adaptation of other amoeba infection models, including the wide-spread generalist Acanthamoeba castellanii, or less prominent representatives like Vermamoeba vermiformis. We further highlight prospects and limits of these natural phagocyte models with regard to the infection biology of filamentous fungi and in comparison to the phagocytes of the innate immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Novohradská
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Iuliia Ferling
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Falk Hillmann
- Evolution of Microbial Interactions, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
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Gu W, Yu Q, Yu C, Sun S. In vivo activity of fluconazole/tetracycline combinations in Galleria mellonella with resistant Candida albicans infection. J Glob Antimicrob Resist 2017; 13:74-80. [PMID: 29191612 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgar.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Treatment of azole-resistant Candida albicans infections continues to pose significant challenges. With limited options of licensed agents, drug combinations may be a practical treatment alternative. In our previous studies, the combinations minocycline/fluconazole (MINO/FLC) and doxycycline/fluconazole (DOXY/FLC) shown synergistic effects in vitro. It is necessary to explore their appropriate dosage, potential toxicity and in vivo efficacy. METHODS The Galleria mellonella infection model was employed to study the in vivo efficacy of MINO/FLC and DOXY/FLC by survival analysis, quantification of C. albicans fungal burden and histological studies. RESULTS The survival rates of G. mellonella larvae infected with lethal doses of resistant C. albicans CA10 increased significantly when treated with the drug combinations compared with FLC treatment alone, and the fungal burden was reduced by almost four-fold. The histopathological study showed that fewer infected areas in larvae were observed and the destructive degree was less when larvae were exposed to the drug combinations. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that combination of a tetracycline antibiotic (MINO or DOXY) with FLC has antifungal activity against azole-resistant C. albicans in vivo. This is in agreement with several previous in vitro studies and provides preliminary in vivo evidence that such a combination might be useful therapeutically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenrui Gu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, PR China; Department of Pharmacy, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Qiong Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Cuixiang Yu
- Respiration Medicine, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Shujuan Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, PR China.
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28
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Monteiro MC, Garcia-Rubio R, Alcazar-Fuoli L, Peláez T, Mellado E. Could the determination of Aspergillus fumigatus mating type have prognostic value in invasive aspergillosis? Mycoses 2017; 61:172-178. [PMID: 29082564 DOI: 10.1111/myc.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A clear link between mating type and virulence has been demonstrated for some fungal pathogens, but not for Aspergillus fumigatus as of yet. An association between mating type and invasiveness has recently been established. The mating type proportion (MAT1-1:MAT1-2) of 213 A. fumigatus strains was determined (48.5%:51.5%) and results were in agreement with previous studies. However, these percentages changed when the strain collection was divided into azole-susceptible and -resistant strains. The 163 susceptible strains kept these proportions, but among the 50 azole-resistant strains 60.0% MAT1-1 and 40% MAT1-2 were found. Moreover, looking at the clinical outcome associated to 27 azole-resistant strains, we found that MAT1-1 was linked to a high mortality rate (64%), whereas the rate associated to MAT1-2 genotype was markedly lower (15%). The pathogenicity linked to the Mat type was tested in a Galleria mellonella model of infection, showing that MAT1-1 strains were consistently more pathogenic than MAT1-2, independently of their susceptibility phenotype. This data would suggest that A. fumigatus mating type determination at the time of diagnosis could have a prognostic value in invasive aspergillosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Candida Monteiro
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocio Garcia-Rubio
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Alcazar-Fuoli
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Peláez
- Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica, Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilia Mellado
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, Centro Nacional de Microbiologia, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Ames L, Duxbury S, Pawlowska B, Ho HL, Haynes K, Bates S. Galleria mellonella as a host model to study Candida glabrata virulence and antifungal efficacy. Virulence 2017; 8:1909-1917. [PMID: 28658597 PMCID: PMC5750810 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2017.1347744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Ames
- a Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter , Devon , UK
| | - Sarah Duxbury
- a Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter , Devon , UK
| | - Bogna Pawlowska
- a Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter , Devon , UK
| | - Hsueh-Lui Ho
- a Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter , Devon , UK
| | - Ken Haynes
- a Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter , Devon , UK
| | - Steven Bates
- a Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter , Exeter , Devon , UK
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30
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Ortega-Riveros M, De-la-Pinta I, Marcos-Arias C, Ezpeleta G, Quindós G, Eraso E. Usefulness of the Non-conventional Caenorhabditis elegans Model to Assess Candida Virulence. Mycopathologia 2017; 182:785-795. [PMID: 28523422 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-017-0142-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Invasive candidiasis is caused mainly by Candida albicans, but other Candida species have increasing etiologies. These species show different virulence and susceptibility levels to antifungal drugs. The aims of this study were to evaluate the usefulness of the non-conventional model Caenorhabditis elegans to assess the in vivo virulence of seven different Candida species and to compare the virulence in vivo with the in vitro production of proteinases and phospholipases, hemolytic activity and biofilm development capacity. One culture collection strain of each of seven Candida species (C. albicans, Candida dubliniensis, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida metapsilosis, Candida orthopsilosis and Candida parapsilosis) was studied. A double mutant C. elegans AU37 strain (glp-4;sek-1) was infected with Candida by ingestion, and the analysis of nematode survival was performed in liquid medium every 24 h until 120 h. Candida establishes a persistent lethal infection in the C. elegans intestinal tract. C. albicans and C. krusei were the most pathogenic species, whereas C. dubliniensis infection showed the lowest mortality. C. albicans was the only species with phospholipase activity, was the greatest producer of aspartyl proteinase and had a higher hemolytic activity. C. albicans and C. krusei caused higher mortality than the rest of the Candida species studied in the C. elegans model of candidiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Ortega-Riveros
- Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar 'Microbios y Salud' (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
| | - Iker De-la-Pinta
- Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar 'Microbios y Salud' (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
| | - Cristina Marcos-Arias
- Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar 'Microbios y Salud' (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
| | - Guillermo Ezpeleta
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.,Servicio de Medicina Preventiva e Higiene Hospitalaria, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Guillermo Quindós
- Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar 'Microbios y Salud' (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain
| | - Elena Eraso
- Departamento de Inmunología, Microbiología y Parasitología, Unidad de formación e investigación multidisciplinar 'Microbios y Salud' (UFI 11/25), Facultad de Medicina y Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.
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31
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Unexplored endemic fruit species from Brazil: Antibiofilm properties, insights into mode of action, and systemic toxicity of four Eugenia spp. Microb Pathog 2017; 105:280-287. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2017.02.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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32
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Scorzoni L, Sangalli-Leite F, de Lacorte Singulani J, de Paula e Silva ACA, Costa-Orlandi CB, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Searching new antifungals: The use of in vitro and in vivo methods for evaluation of natural compounds. J Microbiol Methods 2016; 123:68-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2016.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 01/29/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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33
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Benaducci T, Sardi JDCO, Lourencetti NMS, Scorzoni L, Gullo FP, Rossi SA, Derissi JB, de Azevedo Prata MC, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Virulence of Cryptococcus sp. Biofilms In Vitro and In Vivo using Galleria mellonella as an Alternative Model. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:290. [PMID: 27014214 PMCID: PMC4783715 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are fungal pathogens that are most commonly found in infections of the central nervous system, which cause life-threatening meningoencephalitis and can grow as a biofilm. Biofilms are structures conferring protection and resistance of microorganism to the antifungal drugs. This study compared the virulence of planktonic and biofilm cells of C. neoformans and C. gattii in Galleria mellonella model, as well as, the quantification of gene transcripts LAC1, URE1, and CAP59 by real time PCR. All three of the genes showed significantly increased expressions in the biofilm conditions for two species of Cryptococcus, when compared to planktonic cells. C. neoformans and C. gattii cells in the biofilm forms were more virulent than the planktonic cells in G. mellonella. This suggests that the biofilm conditions may contribute to the virulence profile. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the agents of cryptococcosis in the host-yeast aspects of the interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiane Benaducci
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Janaina de C O Sardi
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Natalia M S Lourencetti
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Liliana Scorzoni
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Fernanda P Gullo
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Suélen A Rossi
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline B Derissi
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | | | - Ana M Fusco-Almeida
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Maria J S Mendes-Giannini
- Laboratório de Micologia, Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara, Universidade Estadual Paulista Araraquara, Brazil
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Alcazar-Fuoli L, Buitrago M, Gomez-Lopez A, Mellado E. An alternative host model of a mixed fungal infection by azole susceptible and resistant Aspergillus spp strains. Virulence 2016; 6:376-84. [PMID: 26065322 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1025192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common mold involved in human infections. However, the number of non-fumigatus species able to cause disease is continuously increasing. Among them, Aspergillus lentulus is reported in hematological and cystic fibrosis patients and in those treated with corticosteroids. A. lentulus differs from A. fumigatus in some clinically relevant aspects such as virulence and antifungal susceptibility, showing high MICs to most antifungals. Previous studies proved that A. lentulus was pathogenic in immunocompromised mice, although the course of the infection was delayed compared to A. fumigatus. These differences could explain why A. lentulus is mostly found in mixed infections with A. fumigatus challenging the diagnosis and treatment. We used the alternative model host Galleria mellonella to compare virulence, host interaction, fungal burden and antifungal response when larvae were infected with A. fumigatus or A. lentulus alone, and with a mixture of both species. A. lentulus was pathogenic in G. mellonella but infected larvae did not respond to therapeutic doses of voriconazole. We were able to simultaneously detect A. fumigatus and A. lentulus by a multiplex Nested Real Time PCR (MN-PCR). Comparative analysis of larvae histological sections showed melanization of both species but presented a different pattern of immune response by haemocytes. Analysis of fungal burden and histology showed that A. lentulus survived in the G. mellonella despite the antifungal treatment in single and mixed infections. We conclude that the simultaneous presence of antifungal susceptible and resistant Aspergillus species would likely complicate the management of these infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Alcazar-Fuoli
- a Mycology Reference Laboratory; Centro Nacional de Microbiologia ; Instituto de Salud Carlos III ; Madrid , Spain
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35
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Scorzoni L, de Paula e Silva ACA, Singulani JDL, Leite FS, de Oliveira HC, Moraes da Silva RA, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Comparison of virulence between Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii using Galleria mellonella as a host model. Virulence 2015; 6:766-76. [PMID: 26552324 PMCID: PMC4826127 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2015.1085277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis, endemic in Latin America. The etiologic agents of this mycosis are composed of 2 species: Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii. Murine animal models are the gold standard for in vivo studies; however, ethical, economical and logistical considerations limit their use. Galleria mellonella is a suitable model for in vivo studies of fungal infections. In this study, we compared the virulence of P. brasiliensis and P. lutzii in G. mellonella model. The deaths of larvae infected with P. brasiliensis or P. lutzii were similar, and both species were able to reduce the number of hemocytes, which were estimated by microscopy and flow cytometer. Additionally, the phagocytosis percentage was similar for both species, but when we analyze hemocyte-Paracoccidioides spp. interaction using flow cytometer, P. lutzii showed higher interactions with hemocytes. The gene expression of gp43 as well as this protein was higher for P. lutzii, and this expression may contribute to a greater adherence to hemocytes. These results helped us evaluate the behavior of Paracoccidioides spp in G. mellonella, which is a convenient model for investigating the host-Paracoccidioides spp. interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Scorzoni
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Alves de Paula e Silva
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Junya de Lacorte Singulani
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sangalli Leite
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Haroldo Cesar de Oliveira
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosangela Aparecida Moraes da Silva
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria José Soares Mendes-Giannini
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas; UNESP-Univ Estadual Paulista; Campus Araraquara; Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Núcleo de Proteômica; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica; Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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36
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de Souza PC, Morey AT, Castanheira GM, Bocate KP, Panagio LA, Ito FA, Furlaneto MC, Yamada-Ogatta SF, Costa IN, Mora-Montes HM, Almeida RS. Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) as an alternative host to study fungal infections. J Microbiol Methods 2015; 118:182-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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A Madurella mycetomatis Grain Model in Galleria mellonella Larvae. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003926. [PMID: 26173126 PMCID: PMC4501544 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Eumycetoma is a chronic granulomatous subcutaneous infectious disease, endemic in tropical and subtropical regions and most commonly caused by the fungus Madurella mycetomatis. Interestingly, although grain formation is key in mycetoma, its formation process and its susceptibility towards antifungal agents are not well understood. This is because grain formation cannot be induced in vitro; a mammalian host is necessary to induce its formation. Until now, invertebrate hosts were never used to study grain formation in M. mycetomatis. In this study we determined if larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella could be used to induce grain formation when infected with M. mycetomatis. Three different M. mycetomatis strains were selected and three different inocula for each strain were used to infect G. mellonella larvae, ranging from 0.04 mg/larvae to 4 mg/larvae. Larvae were monitored for 10 days. It appeared that most larvae survived the lowest inoculum, but at the highest inoculum all larvae died within the 10 day observation period. At all inocula tested, grains were formed within 4 hours after infection. The grains produced in the larvae resembled those formed in human and in mammalian hosts. In conclusion, the M. mycetomatis grain model in G. mellonella larvae described here could serve as a useful model to study the grain formation and therapeutic responses towards antifungal agents in the future. Mycetoma is a chronic subcutaneous infectious disease affecting different parts of the body but commonly seen in the foot. It can be caused by bacteria and fungi. Especially for fungi, the treatment options are meagre and therapeutic failures are common. In order to develop better therapeutic strategies for this disease, models are needed which mimic the state of the causative agent inside the patient. Unlike other fungal pathogens, mycetoma causative agents produce a protective structure surrounding the hyphae. The hyphae embedded in this protective material are called a grain. This grain cannot be produced in vitro. A mammalian host is needed. In search for alternatives for animal use, larvae of the greater wax moth are often used as model systems for various infectious diseases. We therefore determined if these larvae were able to produce mycetoma grains. In this paper we describe the development of a Madurella mycetomatis grain model in Galleria mellonella larvae. We compare the grains formed in the larvae with those obtained from human patients and a previously developed mouse model.
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Brunke S, Quintin J, Kasper L, Jacobsen ID, Richter ME, Hiller E, Schwarzmüller T, d'Enfert C, Kuchler K, Rupp S, Hube B, Ferrandon D. Of mice, flies--and men? Comparing fungal infection models for large-scale screening efforts. Dis Model Mech 2015; 8:473-86. [PMID: 25786415 PMCID: PMC4415897 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.019901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying infectious diseases requires suitable hosts for experimental in vivo infections. Recent years have seen the advent of many alternatives to murine infection models. However, the use of non-mammalian models is still controversial because it is often unclear how well findings from these systems predict virulence potential in humans or other mammals. Here, we compare the commonly used models, fruit fly and mouse (representing invertebrate and mammalian hosts), for their similarities and degree of correlation upon infection with a library of mutants of an important fungal pathogen, the yeast Candida glabrata. Using two indices, for fly survival time and for mouse fungal burden in specific organs, we show a good agreement between the models. We provide a suitable predictive model for estimating the virulence potential of C. glabrata mutants in the mouse from fly survival data. As examples, we found cell wall integrity mutants attenuated in flies, and mutants of a MAP kinase pathway had defective virulence in flies and reduced relative pathogen fitness in mice. In addition, mutants with strongly reduced in vitro growth generally, but not always, had reduced virulence in flies. Overall, we demonstrate that surveying Drosophila survival after infection is a suitable model to predict the outcome of murine infections, especially for severely attenuated C. glabrata mutants. Pre-screening of mutants in an invertebrate Drosophila model can, thus, provide a good estimate of the probability of finding a strain with reduced microbial burden in the mouse host. Summary: Can the fitness of deletion mutants in a murine model be predicted by their virulence in Drosophila melanogaster? For a fungal pathogen, the answer is, mostly, yes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Brunke
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Jessica Quintin
- Equipe Fondation Recherche Médicale, Unité Propre de Recherche 9022 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IBMC), Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Ilse D Jacobsen
- Research Group Microbial Immunology, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Martin E Richter
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Jena University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Ekkehard Hiller
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Tobias Schwarzmüller
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, 75015 Paris, France INRA, USC2019, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Karl Kuchler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Medical University Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Steffen Rupp
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knöll Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Dominique Ferrandon
- Equipe Fondation Recherche Médicale, Unité Propre de Recherche 9022 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IBMC), Université de Strasbourg, 67084 Strasbourg, France
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Hill J, O’Meara T, Cowen L. Fitness Trade-Offs Associated with the Evolution of Resistance to Antifungal Drug Combinations. Cell Rep 2015; 10:809-819. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 12/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Özkan S, Coutts RHA. Aspergillus fumigatus mycovirus causes mild hypervirulent effect on pathogenicity when tested on Galleria mellonella. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 76:20-6. [PMID: 25626171 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mycoviruses are a specific group of viruses that naturally infect and replicate in fungi. The importance of mycoviruses was revealed after their effects were identified not only in economically important fungi but also in the human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. The latter was shown recently to harbor at least three different types of mycoviruses including a chrysovirus, a partitivirus and an as yet uncharacterized virus. Assessment of virulence in the presence and absence of mycoviruses in A. fumigatus is pivotal to understanding its pathogenicity. Here, we have investigated, for the first time, the effects of mycoviruses on the pathogenicity of A. fumigatus as assessed using larvae of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella. In order to observe the effects of mycoviruses on pathogenicity, G. mellonella were injected with virus-free and virus-infected isolates of A. fumigatus and post-infection survival times were analyzed along with the fungal burden. Neither chrysovirus nor partitivirus infection affected fungal pathogenicity when survival rates were assessed which, for the chrysovirus, agreed with a previous study on murine pathogenicity. However statistically significant differences were observed in survival rates and fungal burden in the presence of the uncharacterized A78 virus. Here we show, for the first time, the effects of a partitivirus and an uncharacterized A78 virus on the pathogenicity of A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Özkan
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Robert H A Coutts
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, Imperial College Road, London SW7 2AZ, UK; Geography, Environment and Agriculture, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9AB, UK
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41
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Alkurashi MM, May ST, Kong K, Bacardit J, Haig D, Elsheikha HM. Susceptibility to experimental infection of the invertebrate locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) with the apicomplexan parasite Neospora caninum. PeerJ 2014; 2:e674. [PMID: 25493211 PMCID: PMC4260130 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.674] [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: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathogenesis is a feature of Neospora caninum infection. In order to explore this in the absence of acquired host immunity to the parasite, we have tested infection in locusts (Schistocerca gregaria). We show for the first time that locusts are permissive to intra-hemocoel infection with N. caninum tachyzoites. This was characterized by alteration in body weight, fecal output, hemoparasitemia, and sickness-related behavior. Infected locusts exhibited progressive signs of sickness leading to mortality. Also, N. caninum showed neuropathogenic affinity, induced histological changes in the brain and was able to replicate in the brain of infected locusts. Fatty acid (FA) profiling analysis of the brains by gas chromatography and multi-variate prediction models discriminated with high accuracy (98%) between the FA profiles of the infected and control locusts. DNA microarray gene expression profiling distinguished infected from control S. gregaria brain tissues on the basis of distinct differentially-expressed genes. These data indicate that locusts are permissible to infection with N. caninum and that the parasite retains its tropism for neural tissues in the invertebrate host. Locusts may facilitate preclinical testing of interventional strategies to inhibit the growth of N. caninum tachyzoites. Further studies on how N. caninum brings about changes in locust brain tissue are now warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamdowh M Alkurashi
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham , Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire , UK ; Animal Production Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia
| | - Sean T May
- Nottingham Arabidopsis Stock Centre, Division of Plant and Crop Sciences, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham , Leicestershire , UK
| | - Kenny Kong
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham , UK
| | - Jaume Bacardit
- The Interdisciplinary Computing and Complex BioSystems (ICOS) Research Group, School of Computing Science, Newcastle University , Newcastle-upon-Tyne , UK
| | - David Haig
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham , Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire , UK
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham , Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire , UK
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Borghi E, Romagnoli S, Fuchs BB, Cirasola D, Perdoni F, Tosi D, Braidotti P, Bulfamante G, Morace G, Mylonakis E. Correlation between Candida albicans biofilm formation and invasion of the invertebrate host Galleria mellonella. Future Microbiol 2014; 9:163-73. [PMID: 24571071 DOI: 10.2217/fmb.13.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The aim of our study was to investigate whether biofilm production by Candida albicans clinical isolates could be a hallmark of virulence in vivo. MATERIALS & METHODS Twenty clinical isolates of C. albicans were examined via histological studies on larvae infected with various fungal doses (from 10(3) to 10(5) CFU/larva) of biofilm producer and nonproducer strains. RESULTS The poor prognostic role of infection due to a biofilm-producing isolate was confirmed by the Wald test (hazard ratio: 2.63; 95% CI: 2.03-3.41). Histological examinations at 24 h showed a strong innate immune response, with evidence of melanization for both infection groups. However, at 48 h, we found huge differences in filamentation and tissue invasion capability between biofilm nonproducing and producing isolates, the latter being highly organized into biofilm and invading the larval intestinal tract. Invasion corroborated survival data. CONCLUSION The histological results demonstrate that the production of biofilm could enhance the invasiveness of C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Borghi
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, via di Rudinì, 8 - 20142 Milan, Italy
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Perdoni F, Falleni M, Tosi D, Cirasola D, Romagnoli S, Braidotti P, Clementi E, Bulfamante G, Borghi E. A histological procedure to study fungal infection in the wax moth Galleria mellonella. Eur J Histochem 2014; 58:2428. [PMID: 25308852 PMCID: PMC4194400 DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2014.2428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The invertebrate model Galleria mellonella is a widely used factitious host to study the microbial pathogenesis in vivo. However, a specific procedure for the recovery and the processing of the infected tissues, important for a better understanding of the host-pathogen interactions, has not been reported to our knowledge. In the present study we describe a new procedure of fixation and processing of larval tissue that allows studying the larval topographic anatomy and assessing the morphological changes due to the fungal infection. Lepidopteran larvae were infected with Candida albicans strains displaying various biofilm-forming abilities. The whole larvae were then examined for tissue changes by histological techniques. We show that comparing cutting planes, serial transversal sections of paraffin-embedded larva result in better accuracy and information recovering. Using this technique, it was possible to preserve the integrity of G. mellonella internal structures allowing the detailed analysis of morphological differences in different experimental groups (i.e., healthy vs infected larvae). We were also able to study strain-related differences in the pathogenesis of C. albicans by observing the immune response elicited and the invasiveness of two isolates within the larval tissues. In general, by processing the whole larva and optimizing routinely histochemical stainings, it is possible to visualize and analyse infected tissues. Various degrees of pathogenicity (strain- or inoculum-related), and the infection time course can be described in details. Moreover, the host immune response events can be followed throughout the infectious process leading to a comprehensive picture of the studied phenomenon.
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44
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Desalermos A, Tan X, Rajamuthiah R, Arvanitis M, Wang Y, Li D, Kourkoumpetis TK, Fuchs BB, Mylonakis E. A multi-host approach for the systematic analysis of virulence factors in Cryptococcus neoformans. J Infect Dis 2014; 211:298-305. [PMID: 25114160 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiu441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A multi-host approach was followed to screen a library of 1201 signature-tagged deletion strains of Cryptococcus neoformans mutants to identify previously unknown virulence factors. The primary screen was performed using a Caenorhabditis elegans-C. neoformans infection assay. The hits among these strains were reconfirmed as less virulent than the wild type in the insect Galleria mellonella-C. neoformans infection assay. After this 2-stage screen, and to prioritize hits, we performed serial evaluations of the selected strains, using the C. elegans model. All hit strains identified through these studies were validated in a murine model of systemic cryptococcosis. Twelve strains were identified through a stepwise screening assay. Among them, 4 (CSN1201, SRE1, RDI1, and YLR243W) were previously discovered, providing proof of principle for this approach, while the role of the remaining 8 genes (CKS101, CNC5600, YOL003C, CND1850, MLH3, HAP502, MSL5, and CNA2580) were not previously described in cryptococcal virulence. The multi-host approach is an efficient method of studying the pathogenesis of C. neoformans. We used diverse model hosts, C. elegans, G. mellonella, and mice, with physiological differences and identified 12 genes associated with mammalian infection. Our approach may be suitable for large pathogenesis screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Desalermos
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Xiaojiang Tan
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Rajmohan Rajamuthiah
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Marios Arvanitis
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Yan Wang
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Dedong Li
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | | | - Beth Burgwyn Fuchs
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Eleftherios Mylonakis
- Division of Infectious diseases, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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45
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Hohl TM. Overview of vertebrate animal models of fungal infection. J Immunol Methods 2014; 410:100-12. [PMID: 24709390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Fungi represent emerging infectious threats to human populations worldwide. Mice and other laboratory animals have proved invaluable in modeling clinical syndromes associated with superficial and life-threatening invasive mycoses. This review outlines salient features of common vertebrate animal model systems to study fungal pathogenesis, host antifungal immune responses, and antifungal compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias M Hohl
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Box 9, New York, NY 10075, United States.
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Li DD, Deng L, Hu GH, Zhao LX, Hu DD, Jiang YY, Wang Y. Using Galleria mellonella-Candida albicans infection model to evaluate antifungal agents. Biol Pharm Bull 2014; 36:1482-7. [PMID: 23995660 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b13-00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen. Galleria mellonella is widely used as an infection model host. Nevertheless, the G. mellonella-C. albicans infection model had not been optimized for drug evaluation before this study. In this work, we revealed that 5 × 10(5) colony forming unit (CFU)/larva was a suitable inoculum to optimize the G. mellonella-C. albicans infection model in order to evaluate antifungal agents. Using our optimized model, the antifungal effect of fluconazole, amphotericin B and flucytosine, and the synergy between amphotericin B and flucytosine were successfully verified. Thus, this study provides a rapid, inexpensive and reliable way to evaluate antifungals in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Dong Li
- New Drug Research and Development Center, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University
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Rueda C, Cuenca-Estrella M, Zaragoza O. Paradoxical growth of Candida albicans in the presence of caspofungin is associated with multiple cell wall rearrangements and decreased virulence. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 58:1071-83. [PMID: 24295973 PMCID: PMC3910852 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00946-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, echinocandins have emerged as an important family of antifungal drugs because of their fungicidal activity against Candida spp. Echinocandins inhibit the enzyme β-1,3-d-glucan synthase, encoded by the FKS genes, and resistance to echinocandins is associated with mutations in this gene. In addition, echinocandin exposure can produce paradoxical growth, defined as the ability to grow at high antifungal concentrations but not at intermediate concentrations. In this work, we have demonstrated that paradoxical growth of Candida albicans in the presence of caspofungin is not due to antifungal degradation or instability. Media with high caspofungin concentrations recovered from wells where C. albicans showed paradoxical growth inhibited the growth of a Candida krusei reference strain. Cells exhibiting paradoxical growth at high caspofungin concentrations showed morphological changes such as enlarged size, abnormal septa, and absence of filamentation. Chitin content increased from the MIC to high caspofungin concentrations. Despite the high chitin levels, around 23% of cells died after treatment with caspofungin, indicating that chitin is required but not sufficient to protect the cells from the fungicidal effect of caspofungin. Moreover, we found that after paradoxical growth, β-1,3-glucan was exposed at the cell wall surface. Cells grown at high caspofungin concentrations had decreased virulence in the invertebrate host Galleria mellonella. Cells grown at high caspofungin concentrations also induced a proinflammatory response in murine macrophages compared to control cells. Our work highlights important aspects about fungal adaptation to caspofungin, and although this adaptation is associated with reduced virulence, the clinical implications remain to be elucidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rueda
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Center for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
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48
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Gago S, García-Rodas R, Cuesta I, Mellado E, Alastruey-Izquierdo A. Candida parapsilosis, Candida orthopsilosis, and Candida metapsilosis virulence in the non-conventional host Galleria mellonella. Virulence 2013; 5:278-85. [PMID: 24193303 DOI: 10.4161/viru.26973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of fungal infections due to C. parapsilosis and closely related cryptic species (-psilosis complex) has increased in the last few years, but differences in virulence among these species have not been widely studied. Fifteen clinical isolates of C. parapsilosis, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis, including the type strains, were used to evaluate their virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae. Fluctuations in the hemocyte density and in the phagocytic activity were also tested. Differences in the median survival for these species were demonstrated at 37 °C (2.6 ± 1.02, 2.3 ± 0.92, and 4.53 ± 1.65 d for C. parapsilosis, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis, respectively). Galleria mellonella hemocytes phagocytosed C. metapsilosis strains more effectively than did for C. orthopsilosis and C. parapsilosis (P<0.05). The phagocytosis rate was lower for C. parapsilosis than for C. orthopsilosis (P<0.05). The hemocyte density was increased in larvae infected with C. metapsilosis compared with those infected with C. parapsilosis or C. orthopsilosis (P<0.05). Moreover, in vitro studies of virulence factors such as pseudohyphae production and hydrolytic enzyme secretion showed that the capability of C. metapsilosis strains to produce those virulence factors was reduced. Infections due to -psilosis complex species produced tissue damage in G. mellonella and pseudohyphae could be also observed during infection with C. parapsilosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Gago
- Mycology Reference Laboratory; Centro Nacional de Microbiologia; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío García-Rodas
- Mycology Reference Laboratory; Centro Nacional de Microbiologia; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Cuesta
- Bioinformatic Unit; Centro Nacional de Microbiología; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilia Mellado
- Mycology Reference Laboratory; Centro Nacional de Microbiologia; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Alastruey-Izquierdo
- Mycology Reference Laboratory; Centro Nacional de Microbiologia; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Madrid, Spain; Spanish Network for the Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI RD12/0015); Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Madrid, Spain
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49
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Chibebe Junior J, Sabino CP, Tan X, Junqueira JC, Wang Y, Fuchs BB, Jorge AOC, Tegos GP, Hamblin MR, Mylonakis E. Selective photoinactivation of Candida albicans in the non-vertebrate host infection model Galleria mellonella. BMC Microbiol 2013; 13:217. [PMID: 24083556 PMCID: PMC3849975 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Candida spp. are recognized as a primary agent of severe fungal infection in immunocompromised patients, and are the fourth most common cause of bloodstream infections. Our study explores treatment with photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an innovative antimicrobial technology that employs a nontoxic dye, termed a photosensitizer (PS), followed by irradiation with harmless visible light. After photoactivation, the PS produces either singlet oxygen or other reactive oxygen species (ROS) that primarily react with the pathogen cell wall, promoting permeabilization of the membrane and cell death. The emergence of antifungal-resistant Candida strains has motivated the study of antimicrobial PDT (aPDT) as an alternative treatment of these infections. We employed the invertebrate wax moth Galleria mellonella as an in vivo model to study the effects of aPDT against C. albicans infection. The effects of aPDT combined with conventional antifungal drugs were also evaluated in G. mellonella. Results We verified that methylene blue-mediated aPDT prolonged the survival of C. albicans infected G. mellonella larvae. The fungal burden of G. mellonella hemolymph was reduced after aPDT in infected larvae. A fluconazole-resistant C. albicans strain was used to test the combination of aPDT and fluconazole. Administration of fluconazole either before or after exposing the larvae to aPDT significantly prolonged the survival of the larvae compared to either treatment alone. Conclusions G. mellonella is a useful in vivo model to evaluate aPDT as a treatment regimen for Candida infections. The data suggests that combined aPDT and antifungal therapy could be an alternative approach to antifungal-resistant Candida strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Chibebe Junior
- Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, SP 12245000, Brazil.
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50
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Candida tropicalis antifungal cross-resistance is related to different azole target (Erg11p) modifications. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2013; 57:4769-81. [PMID: 23877676 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00477-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida tropicalis ranks between third and fourth among Candida species most commonly isolated from clinical specimens. Invasive candidiasis and candidemia are treated with amphotericin B or echinocandins as first-line therapy, with extended-spectrum triazoles as acceptable alternatives. Candida tropicalis is usually susceptible to all antifungal agents, although several azole drug-resistant clinical isolates are being reported. However, C. tropicalis resistant to amphotericin B is uncommon, and only a few strains have reliably demonstrated a high level of resistance to this agent. The resistance mechanisms operating in C. tropicalis strains isolated from clinical samples showing resistance to azole drugs alone or with amphotericin B cross-resistance were elucidated. Antifungal drug resistance was related to mutations of the azole target (Erg11p) with or without alterations of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. The antifungal drug resistance shown in vitro correlated very well with the results obtained in vivo using the model host Galleria mellonella. Using this panel of strains, the G. mellonella model system was validated as a simple, nonmammalian minihost model that can be used to study in vitro-in vivo correlation of antifungals in C. tropicalis. The development in C. tropicalis of antifungal drug resistance with different mechanisms during antifungal treatment has potential clinical impact and deserves specific prospective studies.
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