Fonsecaea pedrosoi produces ferricrocin and can utilize different host iron sources

The survival of living organisms depends on iron, one of the most abundant metals in the Earth's crust. Nevertheless, this micronutrient is poorly available in our aerobic atmosphere as well as inside the mammalian host. This problem is circumvented by the expression of high affinity iron uptake machineries, including the production of siderophores, in pathogenic fungi. Here we demonstrated that F. pedrosoi, the causative agent of the neglected tropical disease chromoblastomycosis, presents gene clusters for siderophore production. In addition, ten putative siderophore transporters were identified. Those genes are upregulated under iron starvation, a condition that induces the secretion of hydroxamates, as revealed by chrome azurol S assays. RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry analysis allowed the identification of ferricrocin as an intra- and extracellular siderophore. F. pedrosoi can grow in different iron sources, including the bacterial ferrioxamine B and the host proteins ferritin, hemoglobin and holotransferrin. Of note, addition of hemoglobin, lactoferrin and holotransferrin to the growth medium of macrophages infected with F. pedrosoi enhanced significantly fungal survival. The ability to produce siderophores in iron limited conditions added to the versatility to utilize different sources of iron are strategies that certainly may contribute to fungal survival inside the host.

Iron Starvation Induces Ferricrocin Production and the Reductive Iron Acquisition System in the Chromoblastomycosis Agent Cladophialophora carrionii

Iron is a micronutrient required by almost all living organisms. Despite being essential, the availability of this metal is low in aerobic environments. Additionally, mammalian hosts evolved strategies to restrict iron from invading microorganisms. In this scenario, the survival of pathogenic fungi depends on high-affinity iron uptake mechanisms. Here, we show that the production of siderophores and the reductive iron acquisition system (RIA) are employed by Cladophialophora carrionii under iron restriction. This black fungus is one of the causative agents of chromoblastomycosis, a neglected subcutaneous tropical disease. Siderophore biosynthesis genes are arranged in clusters and, interestingly, two RIA systems are present in the genome. Orthologs of putative siderophore transporters were identified as well. Iron starvation regulates the expression of genes related to both siderophore production and RIA systems, as well as of two transcription factors that regulate iron homeostasis in fungi. A chrome azurol S assay demonstrated the secretion of hydroxamate-type siderophores, which were further identified via RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry as ferricrocin. An analysis of cell extracts also revealed ferricrocin as an intracellular siderophore. The presence of active high-affinity iron acquisition systems may surely contribute to fungal survival during infection.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Histoplasma capsulatum Yeast and Mycelium Reveals Differential Metabolic Shifts and Cell Wall Remodeling Processes in the Different Morphotypes

Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermally dimorphic fungus distributed worldwide, but with the highest incidence in the Americas within specific geographic areas, such as the Mississippi River Valley and regions in Latin America. This fungus is the etiologic agent of histoplasmosis, an important life-threatening systemic mycosis. Dimorphism is an important feature for fungal survival in different environments and is related to the virulence of H. capsulatum, and essential to the establishment of infection. Proteomic profiles have made important contributions to the knowledge of metabolism and pathogenicity in several biological models. However, H. capsulatum proteome studies have been underexplored. In the present study, we report the first proteomic comparison between the mycelium and the yeast cells of H. capsulatum. Liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to evaluate the proteomic profile of the two phases of H. capsulatum growth, mycelium, and yeast. In summary, 214 and 225 proteins were only detected/or preferentially abundant in mycelium or yeast cells, respectively. In mycelium, enzymes related to the glycolytic pathway and to the alcoholic fermentation occurred in greater abundance, suggesting a higher use of anaerobic pathways for energy production. In yeast cells, proteins related to the tricarboxylic acid cycle and response to temperature stress were in high abundance. Proteins related to oxidative stress response or involved with cell wall metabolism were identified with differential abundance in both conditions. Proteomic data validation was performed by enzymatic activity determination, Western blot assays, or immunofluorescence microscopy. These experiments corroborated, directly or indirectly, the abundance of isocitrate lyase, 2-methylcitrate synthase, catalase B, and mannosyl-oligosaccharide-1,2-alpha-mannosidase in the mycelium and heat shock protein (HSP) 30, HSP60, glucosamine-fructose-6-phosphate aminotransferase, glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase, and N-acetylglucosamine-phosphate mutase in yeast cells. The proteomic profile-associated functional classification analyses of proteins provided new and interesting information regarding the differences in metabolism between the two distinct growth forms of H. capsulatum.

Proteomic analysis of A-549 cells infected with human adenovirus 40 by LC-MS

Human Adenoviruses (HAdVs) are etiological agents of different syndromes such as gastroenteritis, cystitis, ocular, and respiratory diseases, and infection by these viruses may cause alterations in cellular homeostasis. The objective of the study was the proteomic analysis of A-549 cells infected with HAdV-40 using LC-MS. At 30 h of infection, the quantitative analysis revealed 336 differentially expressed proteins. From them, 206 were induced (up-regulated) and 130 were suppressed (down-regulated). The majority of up-regulated proteins were related to energy, cellular organization, stress response, and apoptosis pathways. It was observed alteration of cell metabolism with increase of the glycolytic pathway, β-oxidation, and respiratory chain. Also, the results suggest cytoskeleton reorganization and apoptosis induction. The data can improve knowledge about the replication of HAdV-40 in cell culture considering the proteins related to distinct metabolic pathways induced by viral infection in A-549 cells.

Analysis of Paracoccidioides lutzii mitochondria: a proteomic approach

The genus Paracoccidioides is composed of thermal dimorphic fungi, causative agents of paracoccidioidomycosis, one of the most frequent systemic mycoses in Latin America. Mitochondria have sophisticated machinery for ATP production, which involves metabolic pathways such as citric acid and glyoxylate cycles, electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, this organelle performs a variety of functions in the cell, working as an exceptional metabolic signalling centre that contributes to cellular stress responses, as autophagy and apoptosis in eukaryotic organisms. The aim of this work was to perform a descriptive proteomic analysis of mitochondria in Paracoccidioides lutzii yeast cells. After mitochondria fractionation, samples enriched in mitochondrial proteins were digested with trypsin and analysed using a NanoUPLC-MS^E system (Waters Corporation, Manchester, UK). Ours results revealed that the established protocol for purification of mitochondria was very effective for P. lutzii, and 298 proteins were identified as primarily mitochondrial, in our analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first compilation of mitochondrial proteins from P. lutzii, to date. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In silico characterization of hypothetical proteins from Paracoccidioides lutzii

Nearly 60% of Paracoccidioides lutzii genes encode products annotated as hypothetical or predicted proteins (HPs). In this study, we describe the global detection and functional inference of HPs, using computational methods based on sequence similarity, identification of targeting signals, presence of known protein domains, and use of the Gene Ontology functional classification scheme. Our analysis enabled a high-throughput characterization of predicted cellular localization and presence of protein domains, clustering HPs into different functional categories including metabolism, localization, cell cycle, response to stimulus, and signaling. To investigate P. lutzii HP expression profiles, we used data obtained from the expressed sequence tag database (dbEST). These analyses revealed 2364 HPs expressed in different situations, namely in mycelial and yeast forms, during the transition from mycelium to yeast, and under conditions mimicking infection. Based on this transcriptomic data, we performed a functional enrichment analysis according to the domains present in the HPs expressed in each condition. The most overrepresented functional domains were those involved in the regulation of gene expression, suggesting important and as yet undescribed roles for these HPs in the adaptation of P. lutzii to environmental conditions. In addition, the expression profiles of six randomly selected HPs were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in order to verify their expression in the complementary DNA libraries analyzed in this investigation. The approach used in this study should improve functional characterization of P. lutzii HPs.

Comparative analyses of the structure of the 1,3-beta-glucan synthase gene in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates

The evolutionary origin and significance of spliceosomal introns have been the subject of many investigations. Two theories, "introns-early" theory and "introns-late" theory, have been proposed to explain the evolution of introns in eukaryotic genes. Intron position is generally conserved in paralogue and orthologue genes. Some introns occur at similar but not necessarily identical positions in homologous genes, which were separated by great evolutionary distances. This event can be explained by insertion, loss or movement of the intron over short distances. Intron loss and gain events are unique in evolution and can be useful as markers for phylogenetic analyses. The insertion of introns at an identical position suggests a common ancestor gene. Here we analyzed, using PCR and RT-PCR, the structure of the 1,3-beta-glucan synthase gene (FKS) in several clinical isolates of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb): isolates Pb 01, Pb 4940, Pb 8515, Pb 8311, Pb 8334, Pb 4268, Pb 1668, and Pb E. Our results showed that seven of the isolates examined showed identical structures concerning the position of introns in PbFKS1. PbFKS4940 showed the intron described at the 3' end and had lost that one at the 5' end. The presence of the PbFKS4940 transcript suggests that it could be a functional gene. These data suggest a divergent evolution for introns with regard to the 1,3-beta-glucan synthase gene in P. brasiliensis isolates.

Molecular and serological characterization of group a rotavirus isolates obtained from hospitalized children in Goiânia, Brazil, 1998-2000

Fecal samples positive for rotavirus group A ( n=120) were analyzed by enzyme immunoassay-monoclonal antibody (EIA-MAb) serotyping and/or reverse transcription/multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification to determine the prevalence of the [P] and G genotypes. The most prevalent G genotype/serotype detected was G1 (76.7%), followed by G2 (5.0%). Six samples were characterized as G9 by multiplex PCR, and one sample was characterized as G3 by EIA-MAb. The combinations of [P] and G genotypes found were P[8] and G1 (20.8%), P[6] and G1 (10.8%), P[6] and G9 (4.2%), P[8] and G2 (1.7%), and P[6] and G2 (0.8%). The diversity of rotavirus group A [P] and G genotypes/serotypes reinforces the need for continuous characterization of rotaviruses circulating in populations in Brazil.

Transcriptome characterization of the dimorphic and pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis by EST analysis

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a pathogenic fungus that undergoes a temperature-dependent cell morphology change from mycelium (22 degrees C) to yeast (36 degrees C). It is assumed that this morphological transition correlates with the infection of the human host. Our goal was to identify genes expressed in the mycelium (M) and yeast (Y) forms by EST sequencing in order to generate a partial map of the fungus transcriptome. Individual EST sequences were clustered by the CAP3 program and annotated using Blastx similarity analysis and InterPro Scan. Three different databases, GenBank nr, COG (clusters of orthologous groups) and GO (gene ontology) were used for annotation. A total of 3,938 (Y = 1,654 and M = 2,274) ESTs were sequenced and clustered into 597 contigs and 1,563 singlets, making up a total of 2,160 genes, which possibly represent one-quarter of the complete gene repertoire in P. brasiliensis. From this total, 1,040 were successfully annotated and 894 could be classified in 18 functional COG categories as follows: cellular metabolism (44%); information storage and processing (25%); cellular processes-cell division, posttranslational modifications, among others (19%); and genes of unknown functions (12%). Computer analysis enabled us to identify some genes potentially involved in the dimorphic transition and drug resistance. Furthermore, computer subtraction analysis revealed several genes possibly expressed in stage-specific forms of P. brasiliensis. Further analysis of these genes may provide new insights into the pathology and differentiation of P. brasiliensis.

Epidemiological features of rotavirus infection in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, from 1986 to 2000

A total of 2,605 faecal specimens from children up to 10 years old with or without diarrhoea were collected. Samples were obtained from 1986 to 2000 in hospitals, outpatient clinics and day-care centers in Goiânia, Goiás. Two methodologies for viral detection were utilized: a combined enzyme immunoassay for rotavirus and adenovirus and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Results showed 374 (14.4%) faecal specimens positive for Rotavirus A, most of them collected from hospitalized children. A significant detection rate of rotavirus during the period from April to August, dry season in Goiânia, and different frequencies of viral detection throughout the years of study were also observed. Rotavirus was significantly related to hospitalization and to diarrhoeal illness in children up to 24 months old. This study reinforces the importance of rotavirus as a cause of diarrhoea in children and may be important in regards to the implementation of rotavirus vaccination strategies in our country.

Identification of differentially expressed transcripts in the human pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis by differential display

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a dimorphic human pathogenic fungus that is the causal agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic disease that predominantly affects rural communities in South and Central America. Dimorphism is a common characteristic of systemic human pathogenic fungi. Here we describe the use of differential display (DD) to isolate and identify differentially expressed genes of P. brasiliensis, in the two cell types, yeast (Y) and mycelium (M), as well as at different time intervals during temperature-induced M to Y transition. Using two oligo-deoxythymidine-anchored primers combined with 10 arbitrary ones, we were able to detect the presence of at least 20 differentially transcribed cDNA fragments. Some of these fragments were further analysed by reverse-northern blot and northern blot in order to confirm their differential expression. The M32, M51 and M73 cDNA fragments were specific for the mycelial form of P. brasiliensis. Furthermore, we found two cDNA fragments (M-Y1 and M-Y2) that were upregulated during M-Y transition. This method was efficient and useful in the detection of differentially expressed genes in P. brasiliensis.