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Valdez AF, de Souza TN, Bonilla JJA, Zamith-Miranda D, Piffer AC, Araujo GRS, Guimarães AJ, Frases S, Pereira AK, Fill TP, Estevao IL, Torres A, Almeida IC, Nosanchuk JD, Nimrichter L. Traversing the Cell Wall: The Chitinolytic Activity of Histoplasma capsulatum Extracellular Vesicles Facilitates Their Release. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1052. [PMID: 37998859 PMCID: PMC10672645 DOI: 10.3390/jof9111052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is the causative agent of histoplasmosis. Treating this fungal infection conventionally has significant limitations, prompting the search for alternative therapies. In this context, fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold relevant potential as both therapeutic agents and targets for the treatment of fungal infections. To explore this further, we conducted a study using pharmacological inhibitors of chitinase (methylxanthines) to investigate their potential to reduce EV release and its subsequent impact on fungal virulence in an in vivo invertebrate model. Our findings revealed that a subinhibitory concentration of the methylxanthine, caffeine, effectively reduces EV release, leading to a modulation of H. capsulatum virulence. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported instance of a pharmacological inhibitor that reduces fungal EV release without any observed fungicidal effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro F. Valdez
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (A.F.V.); (T.N.d.S.); (J.J.A.B.); (A.C.P.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Taiane Nascimento de Souza
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (A.F.V.); (T.N.d.S.); (J.J.A.B.); (A.C.P.)
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Jhon Jhamilton Artunduaga Bonilla
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (A.F.V.); (T.N.d.S.); (J.J.A.B.); (A.C.P.)
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Alicia Corbellini Piffer
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (A.F.V.); (T.N.d.S.); (J.J.A.B.); (A.C.P.)
- Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Départament de Mycologie, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Glauber R. S. Araujo
- Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (G.R.S.A.); (S.F.)
| | - Allan J. Guimarães
- Instituto Biomédico, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia—MIP, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói 24210-130, RJ, Brazil;
- Rede Micologia, RJ, FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Susana Frases
- Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (G.R.S.A.); (S.F.)
- Rede Micologia, RJ, FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alana Kelyene Pereira
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, SP, Brazil; (A.K.P.); (T.P.F.)
| | - Taicia Pacheco Fill
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo 13083-970, SP, Brazil; (A.K.P.); (T.P.F.)
| | - Igor L. Estevao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, USA; (I.L.E.); (A.T.); (I.C.A.)
| | - Angel Torres
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, USA; (I.L.E.); (A.T.); (I.C.A.)
| | - Igor C. Almeida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas El Paso, El Paso, TX 79902, USA; (I.L.E.); (A.T.); (I.C.A.)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (A.F.V.); (T.N.d.S.); (J.J.A.B.); (A.C.P.)
- Rede Micologia, RJ, FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
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Mendoza SR, Liedke SC, de La Noval CR, da Silva Ferreira M, Gomes KX, Honorato L, Nimrichter L, Peralta JM, Guimarães AJ. In vitro and in vivo efficacies of Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) fusion proteins against invasive fungal infections. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6648754. [PMID: 35867978 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections have increased in the last years, particularly associated to an increment in the number of immunocompromised individuals and the emergence of known or new resistant species, despite the difficulties in the often time-consuming diagnosis. The controversial efficacy of the currently available strategies for their clinical management, apart from their high toxicity and severe side effects, have renewed the interest in the research and development of new broad antifungal alternatives. These encompass vaccines and passive immunization strategies with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), recognizing ubiquitous fungal targets, such as fungal cell wall β-1,3-glucan polysaccharides, which could be used in early therapeutic intervention without the need for the diagnosis at species-level. As additional alternatives, based on the Dectin-1 great affinity to β-1,3-glucan, our group developed broad antibody-like Dectin1-Fc(IgG)(s) from distinct subclasses (IgG2a and IgG2b) and compared their antifungal in vitro and passive immunizations in vivo performances. Dectin1-Fc(IgG2a) and Dectin1-Fc(IgG2b) demonstrated high affinity to laminarin and the fungal cell wall by ELISA, flow cytometry and microscopy. Both Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) inhibited H. capsulatum and C. neoformans growth in a dose-dependent fashion. For C. albicans, such inhibitory effect was observed with concentrations as low as 0.098 and 0.049 µg/mL, respectively, which correlated with the impairment of the kinetics and lengths of germ tubes in comparison to controls. Previous opsonization with Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) enhanced considerably the macrophage antifungal effector functions, increasing the fungi macrophages-interactions and significantly reducing the intraphagosome fungal survival, as lower CFUs were observed. The administration of both Dectin1-Fc(IgG)(s) reduced the fungal burden and mortality in murine histoplasmosis and candidiasis models, in accordance with previous evaluations in aspergillosis model. These results altogether strongly suggested that therapeutic interventions with Dectin-1-Fc(IgG)(s) fusion proteins could directly impact the innate immunity and disease outcome in favor of the host, by direct neutralization, opsonization, phagocytosis, and fungal elimination, providing interesting information on the potential of these new strategies for the control of invasive fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Mendoza
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - S C Liedke
- Laboratório de Diagnóstico Imunológico e Molecular de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - C R de La Noval
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - M da Silva Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - K X Gomes
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Rede Micologia RJ - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - L Honorato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - L Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Rede Micologia RJ - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), RJ, Brazil
| | - J M Peralta
- Laboratório de Diagnóstico Imunológico e Molecular de Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - A J Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Imunologia e Inflamação, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Rede Micologia RJ - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), RJ, Brazil.,Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia e Parasitologia Aplicadas, Instituto Biomédico, Fluminense Federal University, Brazil
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