1
|
Spruijtenburg B, de Souza Lima BJF, Tosar STG, Borman AM, Andersen CT, Nizamuddin S, Ahmad S, de Almeida Junior JN, Vicente VA, Nosanchuk JD, Buil JB, de Hoog S, Meijer EFJ, Meis JF, de Groot T. The yeast genus Tardiomyces gen. nov. with one new species and two new combinations. Infection 2024:10.1007/s15010-024-02229-6. [PMID: 38573472 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-024-02229-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Rare yeasts species are increasingly reported as causative agents of invasive human infection. Proper identification and antifungal therapy are essential to manage these infections. Candida blankii is one of these emerging pathogens and is known for its reduced susceptibility to multiple antifungals. METHODS To obtain more insight into the characteristics of this species, 26 isolates reported as C. blankii were investigated using genetic and phenotypical approaches. RESULTS Among the 26 isolates, seven recovered either from blood, sputum, urine, or the oral cavity, displayed substantial genetic and some phenotypical differences compared to the other isolates, which were confirmed as C. blankii. We consider these seven strains to represent a novel species, Tardiomyces depauwii. Phylogenomics assigned C. blankii, C. digboiensis, and the novel species in a distinct branch within the order Dipodascales, for which the novel genus Tardiomyces is erected. The new combinations Tardiomyces blankii and Tardiomyces digboiensis are introduced. Differences with related, strictly environmental genera Sugiyamaella, Crinitomyces, and Diddensiella are enumerated. All three Tardiomyces species share the rare ability to grow up to 42 °C, display slower growth in nutrient-poor media, and show a reduced susceptibility to azoles and echinocandins. Characteristics of T. depauwii include high MIC values with voriconazole and a unique protein pattern. CONCLUSION We propose the novel yeast species Tardiomyces depauwii and the transfer of C. blankii and C. digboiensis to the novel Tardiomyces genus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bram Spruijtenburg
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ)/Dicoon, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Bruna Jacomel Favoreto de Souza Lima
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ)/Dicoon, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Sonia T Granadillo Tosar
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ)/Dicoon, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew M Borman
- UK Health Security Agency National Mycology Reference Laboratory, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, BS10 5NB, UK
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | | | - Summiya Nizamuddin
- Section of Microbiology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Suhail Ahmad
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait
| | | | - Vânia Aparecida Vicente
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Bioprocess Engineering and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Microbiological Collections of Paraná Network (CMRP/Taxonline), Department of Basic Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jochem B Buil
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sybren de Hoog
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Microbiology, Parasitology and Pathology Post-Graduation Program, Department of Pathology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Eelco F J Meijer
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ)/Dicoon, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques F Meis
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Institute of Translational Research, Cologne Excellence Cluster On Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD) and Excellence Center for Medical Mycology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Theun de Groot
- Radboudumc-CWZ Center of Expertise for Mycology, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ)/Dicoon, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Amsri A, Pruksaphon K, Thammasit P, Nosanchuk JD, Youngchim S. Adaptation to an amoeba host drives selection of virulence-associated traits and genetic variation in saprotrophic Candida albicans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1367656. [PMID: 38550616 PMCID: PMC10976851 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1367656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Amoebae are micropredators that play an important role in controlling fungal populations in ecosystems. However, the interaction between fungi and their amoebic predators suggests that the pressure from predatory selection can significantly influence the development of fungal virulence and evolutionary processes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation of saprotrophic Candida albicans strains during their interactions with Acanthamoeba castellanii. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of survival after co-culture by colony counting of the yeast cells and examining yeast cell phenotypic and genetic characteristics. Our results indicated that exposure to amoebae enhanced the survival capacity of environmental C. albicans and induced visible morphological alterations in C. albicans, particularly by an increase in filamentation. These observed phenotypic changes were closely related to concurrent genetic variations. Notably, mutations in genes encoding transcriptional repressors (TUP1 and SSN6), recognized for their negative regulation of filamentous growth, were exclusively identified in amoeba-passaged isolates, and absent in unexposed isolates. Furthermore, these adaptations increased the exposed isolates' fitness against various stressors, simultaneously enhancing virulence factors and demonstrating an increased ability to invade A549 lung human epithelial cells. These observations indicate that the sustained survival of C. albicans under ongoing amoebic predation involved a key role of mutation events in microevolution to modulate the ability of these isolates to change phenotype and increase their virulence factors, demonstrating an enhanced potential to survive in diverse environmental niches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Artid Amsri
- Office of Research Administration, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Department of Medical Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
- Center of Excellence Research for Melioidosis and Microorganisms (CERMM), Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
| | - Patcharin Thammasit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Brown Harding H, Kwaku GN, Reardon CM, Khan NS, Zamith-Miranda D, Zarnowski R, Tam JM, Bohaen CK, Richey L, Mosallanejad K, Crossen AJ, Reedy JL, Ward RA, Vargas-Blanco DA, Basham KJ, Bhattacharyya RP, Nett JE, Mansour MK, van de Veerdonk FL, Kumar V, Kagan JC, Andes DR, Nosanchuk JD, Vyas JM. Candida albicans extracellular vesicles trigger type I IFN signalling via cGAS and STING. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:95-107. [PMID: 38168615 PMCID: PMC10959075 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01546-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The host type I interferon (IFN) pathway is a major signature of inflammation induced by the human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. However, the molecular mechanism for activating this pathway in the host defence against C. albicans remains unknown. Here we reveal that mice lacking cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of IFN genes (STING) pathway components had improved survival following an intravenous challenge by C. albicans. Biofilm-associated C. albicans DNA packaged in extracellular vesicles triggers the cGAS-STING pathway as determined by induction of interferon-stimulated genes, IFNβ production, and phosphorylation of IFN regulatory factor 3 and TANK-binding kinase 1. Extracellular vesicle-induced activation of type I IFNs was independent of the Dectin-1/Card9 pathway and did not require toll-like receptor 9. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in cGAS and STING potently altered inflammatory cytokine production in human monocytes challenged by C. albicans. These studies provide insights into the early innate immune response induced by a clinically significant fungal pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Brown Harding
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Geneva N Kwaku
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M Reardon
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nida S Khan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Robert Zarnowski
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jenny M Tam
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Collins K Bohaen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Lauren Richey
- Tufts Comparative Medicine Services, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenta Mosallanejad
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Arianne J Crossen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Reedy
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Ward
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diego A Vargas-Blanco
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyle J Basham
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roby P Bhattacharyya
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jeniel E Nett
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Michael K Mansour
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frank L van de Veerdonk
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Nitte University Centre for Science Education and Research, Medical Sciences Complex, Mangaluru, India
| | - Jonathan C Kagan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David R Andes
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Jatin M Vyas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rodrigues ML, Nosanchuk JD, Nimrichter L, Puccia R. A tribute to a man of science: lessons from Professor Luiz R. Travassos (1938-2020). Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:2537-2539. [PMID: 36662440 PMCID: PMC10689595 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00908-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Luiz Rodolpho Raja Gabaglia Travassos, MD, PhD was a world-class microbiologist and cell biologist whose contributions to science were remarkable at multiple levels and across diverse fields. Besides being responsible for the creation of a scientific school that contributed to the transmission of multidisciplinary knowledge through several generations in Brazil and abroad, Professor Travassos was a pioneer in the fields of Microbiology, Glycobiology, Mycology, Parasitology, and Cancer Biology. To fully measure his contribution to science is an impossible task. We, some of his former students, post-docs, and collaborators, will illustrate the joy of having Professor Travassos as a mentor and friend through highlighting some of his breakthroughs in the fields of microbial physiology, infection, and cancer biology immersed in backstage stories of how he influenced so many people in many aspects of life. We hope that our future scientific generations and all who are passionate about discovery will see Travassos as an inspiration and example of a love for science.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcio L Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil.
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA.
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Rosana Puccia
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Immunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Bohner F, Papp C, Takacs T, Varga M, Szekeres A, Nosanchuk JD, Vágvölgyi C, Tóth R, Gacser A. Acquired Triazole Resistance Alters Pathogenicity-Associated Features in Candida auris in an Isolate-Dependent Manner. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:1148. [PMID: 38132749 PMCID: PMC10744493 DOI: 10.3390/jof9121148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fluconazole resistance is commonly encountered in Candida auris, and the yeast frequently displays resistance to other standard drugs, which severely limits the number of effective therapeutic agents against this emerging pathogen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of acquired azole resistance on the viability, stress response, and virulence of this species. Fluconazole-, posaconazole-, and voriconazole- resistant strains were generated from two susceptible C. auris clinical isolates (0381, 0387) and compared under various conditions. Several evolved strains became pan-azole-resistant, as well as echinocandin-cross-resistant. While being pan-azole-resistant, the 0381-derived posaconazole-evolved strain colonized brain tissue more efficiently than any other strain, suggesting that fitness cost is not necessarily a consequence of resistance development in C. auris. All 0387-derived evolved strains carried a loss of function mutation (R160S) in BCY1, an inhibitor of the PKA pathway. Sequencing data also revealed that posaconazole treatment can result in ERG3 mutation in C. auris. Despite using the same mechanisms to generate the evolved strains, both genotype and phenotype analysis highlighted that the development of resistance was unique for each strain. Our data suggest that C. auris triazole resistance development is a highly complex process, initiated by several pleiotropic factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flora Bohner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Csaba Papp
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Tamas Takacs
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Mónika Varga
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - András Szekeres
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA;
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Renáta Tóth
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Attila Gacser
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (F.B.); (C.P.); (T.T.); (M.V.); (A.S.); (C.V.)
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- HUN-REN-USZ Pathomechanisms of Fungal Infections Research Group, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Erives VH, Munzen ME, Zamith-Miranda D, Hernandez H, Manepalli S, Nguyen LN, Hamed MF, Nosanchuk JD, Martinez LR. Correction for Erives et al., "Methamphetamine Enhances Cryptococcus neoformans Melanization, Antifungal Resistance, and Pathogenesis in a Murine Model of Drug Administration and Systemic Infection". Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0036623. [PMID: 37877710 PMCID: PMC10652936 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00366-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
|
7
|
Valdez AF, Zamith-Miranda D, Nimrichter L, Nosanchuk JD. Micro- and nanoparticles as platforms for the treatment of fungal infections: present and future perspectives. Future Microbiol 2023; 18:1007-1011. [PMID: 37721209 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2023-0079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro F Valdez
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) & Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) & Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
- Rede Micologia RJ, FAPERJ, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) & Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Shu F, Pruksaphon K, Nosanchuk JD, Thammasit P, Youngchim S. Evaluation of the yeast phase-specific monoclonal antibody 4D1 and Galanthus nivalis agglutinin sandwich ELISA to detect Talaromyces marneffei antigen in human urine. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1163868. [PMID: 37705932 PMCID: PMC10495985 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1163868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei (TM) is an important, but neglected, thermally dimorphic fungus. It is the pathogenic cause of talaromycosis, which is strongly associated with the immunodeficiency state present in individuals with advanced HIV disease. The purpose of this study was to develop a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sandwich ELISA) for the detection of T. marneffei cytoplasmic yeast antigen (TM CYA) in human urine. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 4D1 specifically binds to TM CYA. Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA), a mannose -binding lectin, recognizes and binds to mannose residues of TM CYA. For the sandwich ELISA, the microplate was coated with GNA as the capturing molecule for absorbing immune complexes of MAb 4D1-TM CYA. The MAb 4D1-GNA sandwich ELISA did not detect a cross-reaction with other antigens from other fungi or bacteria. Seventy-four urine samples from patients with blood culture -confirmed talaromycosis and 229 urine samples from people without talaromycosis residing in the endemic area were subjected to the MAb 4D1-GNA sandwich ELISA. At an optical density (OD) cutoff value of 0.356, the sensitivity was 89.19% [95% confidence interval (CI): 79.80% -95.22%]; the specificity was 98.69% (95% CI: 96.22% -99.73%). The diagnostic performance of the MAb 4D1-GNA sandwich ELISA was highly consistent with those of blood culture and the Platelia Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) ELISA kit. Collectively, the MAb 4D1-GNA sandwich ELISA is a promising technique for the rapid diagnosis of T. marneffei infection, which would facilitate the early treatment of patients with talaromycosis and it may be used to monitor treatment responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangyi Shu
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Department of Anatomy, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Patcharin Thammasit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Alder-Rangel A, Bailão AM, Herrera-Estrella A, Rangel AEA, Gácser A, Gasch AP, Campos CBL, Peters C, Camelim F, Verde F, Gadd GM, Braus G, Eisermann I, Quinn J, Latgé JP, Aguirre J, Bennett JW, Heitman J, Nosanchuk JD, Partida-Martínez LP, Bassilana M, Acheampong MA, Riquelme M, Feldbrügge M, Keller NP, Keyhani NO, Gunde-Cimerman N, Nascimento R, Arkowitz RA, Mouriño-Pérez RR, Naz SA, Avery SV, Basso TO, Terpitz U, Lin X, Rangel DEN. The IV International Symposium on Fungal Stress and the XIII International Fungal Biology Conference. Fungal Biol 2023; 127:1157-1179. [PMID: 37495306 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
For the first time, the International Symposium on Fungal Stress was joined by the XIII International Fungal Biology Conference. The International Symposium on Fungal Stress (ISFUS), always held in Brazil, is now in its fourth edition, as an event of recognized quality in the international community of mycological research. The event held in São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil, in September 2022, featured 33 renowned speakers from 12 countries, including: Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, México, Pakistan, Spain, Slovenia, USA, and UK. In addition to the scientific contribution of the event in bringing together national and international researchers and their work in a strategic area, it helps maintain and strengthen international cooperation for scientific development in Brazil.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandre Melo Bailão
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - Alfredo Herrera-Estrella
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada-Langebio, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados Del IPN, Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - Attila Gácser
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Audrey P Gasch
- Center for Genomic Science Innovation, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Claudia B L Campos
- Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São José Dos Campos, SP, Brazil
| | - Christina Peters
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Office Latin America, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Francine Camelim
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), DWIH, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Fulvia Verde
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Geoffrey Michael Gadd
- Geomicrobiology Group, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Gerhard Braus
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics, Goettingen Center for Molecular Biosciences, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Iris Eisermann
- The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, UK
| | - Janet Quinn
- Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, UK
| | - Jean-Paul Latgé
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology FORTH and School of Medicine, University of Crete Heraklion, Greece
| | - Jesus Aguirre
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Del Desarrollo, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Joan W Bennett
- Department of Plant Biology, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Martine Bassilana
- Institute of Biology Valrose, University Côte D'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France
| | | | - Meritxell Riquelme
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Michael Feldbrügge
- Institute of Microbiology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nancy P Keller
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nemat O Keyhani
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Nina Gunde-Cimerman
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Raquel Nascimento
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Office Latin America, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Robert A Arkowitz
- Institute of Biology Valrose, University Côte D'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France
| | - Rosa Reyna Mouriño-Pérez
- Department of Microbiology, Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Ensenada, Mexico
| | - Sehar Afshan Naz
- Lab of Applied Microbiology and Clinical Mycology, Department of Microbiology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Gulshan Iqbal, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Simon V Avery
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, UK
| | - Thiago Olitta Basso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Escola Politécnica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ulrich Terpitz
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Theodor-Boveri-Institute, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Xiaorong Lin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liu S, Zamith-Miranda D, Almeida-Paes R, da Silva LBR, Nacharaju P, Nosanchuk JD. Nitric oxide-loaded nano- and microparticle platforms serving as potential new antifungal therapeutics. Fungal Biol 2023; 127:1224-1230. [PMID: 37495312 PMCID: PMC10372338 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Fungal diseases are a leading threat to human health, especially in individuals with compromised immunity. Although there have been recent important advances in antifungal drug development, antifungal resistance, drug-drug interactions and difficulties in delivery remain major challenges. Among its pleiotropic actions, nitric oxide (NO) is a key molecule in host defense. We have developed a flexible nanoparticle platform that delivers sustained release of NO and have demonstrated the platform's efficacy against diverse bacteria as well as some fungal species. In this work, we investigate the effects of two NO-releasing particles against a panel of important human yeast. Our results demonstrate that the compounds are both effective against diverse yeast, including ascomycota and basidiomycota species, and that NO-releasing particles may be a potent addition to our armamentarium for the treatment of focal and disseminated mycoses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sichen Liu
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leandro Buffoni Roque da Silva
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Parimala Nacharaju
- Department of Biophysics and Physiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Pruksaphon K, Amsri A, Thammasit P, Nosanchuk JD, Youngchim S. Extracellular vesicles derived from Talaromyces marneffei contain immunogenic compounds and modulate THP-1 macrophage responses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1192326. [PMID: 37457708 PMCID: PMC10339390 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1192326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic eukaryotes including fungi release extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are composed of a variety of bioactive components, including peptides, nucleic acids, polysaccharides, and membrane lipids. EVs contain virulence-associated molecules suggesting a crucial role of these structures in disease pathogenesis. EVs derived from the pathogenic yeast phase of Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei, a causative agent of systemic opportunistic mycoses "talaromycosis," were studied for their immunogenic components and immunomodulatory properties. Some important virulence factors in EVs including fungal melanin and yeast phase specific mannoprotein were determined by immunoblotting. Furthermore, fluorescence microscopy revealed that T. marneffei EVs were internalized by THP-1 human macrophages. Co-incubation of T. marneffei EVs with THP-1 human macrophages resulted in increased levels of supernatant interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10. The expression of THP-1 macrophage surface CD86 was significantly increased after exposed to T. marneffei EVs. These findings support the hypothesis that fungal EVs play an important role in macrophage "classical" M1 polarization. T. marneffei EVs preparations also increased phagocytosis, suggesting that EV components stimulate THP-1 macrophages to produce effective antimicrobial compounds. In addition, T. marneffei EVs stimulated THP-1 macrophages were more effective at killing T. marneffei conidia. These results indicate that T. marneffei EVs can potently modulate macrophage functions, resulting in the activation of these innate immune cells to enhance their antimicrobial activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Artid Amsri
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Patcharin Thammasit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Santos SS, Rampazo E, Taborda CP, Nosanchuk JD, Boscardin SB, Almeida SR. Targeting the P10 Peptide in Maturing Dendritic Cells via the DEC205 Receptor In Vivo: A New Therapeutic Strategy against Paracoccidioidomycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9050548. [PMID: 37233259 DOI: 10.3390/jof9050548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermally dimorphic fungus, which is the most frequent endemic systemic mycosis in many Latin American countries, where ~10 million people are believed to be infected. In Brazil, it is ranked as the tenth most common cause of death among chronic infectious diseases. Hence, vaccines are in development to combat this insidious pathogen. It is likely that effective vaccines will need to elicit strong T cell-mediated immune responses composed of IFNγ secreting CD4+ helper and CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes. To induce such responses, it would be valuable to harness the dendritic cell (DC) system of antigen-presenting cells. To assess the potential of targeting P10, which is a peptide derived from gp43 secreted by the fungus, directly to DCs, we cloned the P10 sequence in fusion with a monoclonal antibody to the DEC205 receptor, an endocytic receptor that is abundant on DCs in lymphoid tissues. We verified that a single injection of the αDEC/P10 antibody caused DCs to produce a large amount of IFNγ. Administration of the chimeric antibody to mice resulted in a significant increase in the levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 in lung tissue relative to control animals. In therapeutic assays, mice pretreated with αDEC/P10 had significantly lower fungal burdens compared to control infected mice, and the architecture of the pulmonary tissues of αDEC/P10 chimera-treated mice was largely normal. Altogether, the results obtained so far indicate that targeting P10 through a αDEC/P10 chimeric antibody in the presence of polyriboinosinic: polyribocytidylic acid is a promising strategy in vaccination and therapeutic protocols to combat PCM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suelen S Santos
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Eline Rampazo
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Silvia B Boscardin
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Sandro R Almeida
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
de Macedo PM, Benko LMP, Falcão EMM, Nosanchuk JD, Almeida-Paes R, do Valle ACF. COVID-19 in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011322. [PMID: 37155708 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2020, we reported the first patient with concomitant COVID-19 and paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Since then, no other cases have been recorded in the literature. We aim to update information on the occurrence of COVID-19 in patients with PCM followed at a reference center for infectious diseases at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. METHODS We reviewed the medical records from patients diagnosed with PCM who presented with clinical symptoms, radiological findings, and/or laboratory diagnosis of COVID-19 at any time during their acute or follow-up care. The clinical profiles of these patients were described. RESULTS Between March 2020 and September 2022, we identified six individuals with COVID-19 among the 117 patients with PCM evaluated. The median age was 38 years and the male to female ratio 2:1. Most patients (n = 5) presented for evaluation due to acute PCM. The severity of COVID-19 ranged from mild to severe in acute PCM and only the single patient with chronic PCM died. CONCLUSIONS There is a range of disease severity in COVID-19 and PCM co-infection and concomitant disease may represent a severe association, especially in the chronic type of the mycosis with pulmonary involvement. As COVID-19 and chronic PCM share similar clinical aspects and PCM is neglected, it is probable that COVID-19 has been hampering simultaneous PCM diagnosis, which can explain the absence of new co-infection reports. With the continued persistence of COVID-19 globally, these findings further suggest that more attention by providers is necessary to identify co-infections with Paracoccidioides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Marques de Macedo
- Laboratory of Clinical Research on Infectious Dermatology, Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lorena Macedo Pestana Benko
- Laboratory of Clinical Research on Infectious Dermatology, Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão
- Laboratory of Clinical Research on Infectious Dermatology, Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Mycology Laboratory, Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Antonio Carlos Francesconi do Valle
- Laboratory of Clinical Research on Infectious Dermatology, Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Rodrigues ML, Nosanchuk JD. Recognition of fungal priority pathogens: What next? PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011136. [PMID: 36893096 PMCID: PMC9997940 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- * E-mail: (MLR); (JDN)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MLR); (JDN)
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Thammasit P, Laliam A, Chaicumpar K, Pruksaphon K, Nosanchuk JD, Youngchim S. Differential lipase virulence in Malassezia furfur dimorphism isolated from pityriasis versicolor patients and healthy individuals. Mycoses 2023; 66:540-549. [PMID: 36840378 DOI: 10.1111/myc.13580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malassezia furfur is a member of the human skin microbiomes that can cause various skin diseases. Dimorphism plays a role as the yeast phase predominates during skin colonisation whereas mycelial forms are observed in the scales of patients with pityriasis versicolor (PV). However, due to their condition-dependence for growth, it is difficult to culture M. furfur and this is an additional challenge for studying the pathogenicity of this fungus. OBJECTIVE To describe different media suitable for culturing Malassezia from the yeast phase into mycelial forms, with a particular focus on nutritional supplements and pH conditions. METHODS Clinical M. furfur isolates from patients with PV and healthy individuals were used to investigate Malassezia dimorphism as well as the activity and expression of lipase enzymes. RESULTS Our experimental media were significantly more likely to promote mycelial growth in strains from healthy individuals compared to those from patients with PV. Lipase activity was increased in the mycelial phase cells compared to yeast forms for all strains tested. Assessment of the relative transcriptional expression of lipase within M. furfur revealed that LIP-coding genes were upregulated in mycelium relative to yeast forms for the strains tested. However, the increases in LIP3, LIP5 and LIP6 gene expressions were significantly greater in strains from healthy individuals compared to those from patients with PV. CONCLUSION Overall, this study validated effective growth conditions to study M. furfur virulence factors and demonstrated that lipase is associated with M. furfur dimorphism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patcharin Thammasit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Angkana Laliam
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Kunyaluk Chaicumpar
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Santos Júnior SRD, Barbalho FV, Nosanchuk JD, Amaral AC, Taborda CP. Biodistribution and Adjuvant Effect of an Intranasal Vaccine Based on Chitosan Nanoparticles against Paracoccidioidomycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020245. [PMID: 36836359 PMCID: PMC9964167 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a fungal infection caused by the thermodimorphic Paracoccidioides sp. PCM mainly affects the lungs, but, if it is not contained by the immune response, the disease can spread systemically. An immune response derived predominantly from Th1 and Th17 T cell subsets facilitates the elimination of Paracoccidioides cells. In the present work, we evaluated the biodistribution of a prototype vaccine based on the immunodominant and protective P. brasiliensis P10 peptide within chitosan nanoparticles in BALB/c mice infected with P. brasiliensis strain 18 (Pb18). The generated fluorescent (FITC or Cy5.5) or non-fluorescent chitosan nanoparticles ranged in diameter from 230 to 350 nm, and both displayed a Z potential of +20 mV. Most chitosan nanoparticles were found in the upper airway, with smaller amounts localized in the trachea and lungs. The nanoparticles complexed or associated with the P10 peptide were able to reduce the fungal load, and the use of the chitosan nanoparticles reduced the necessary number of doses to achieve fungal reduction. Both vaccines were able to induce a Th1 and Th17 immune response. These data demonstrates that the chitosan P10 nanoparticles are an excellent candidate vaccine for the treatment of PCM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Rodrigues Dos Santos Júnior
- Laboratory of Pathogenic Dimorphic Fungi, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508000, Brazil
- Correspondence: (S.R.D.S.J.); (C.P.T.)
| | - Filipe Vieira Barbalho
- Laboratory of Pathogenic Dimorphic Fungi, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508000, Brazil
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine and Department of Microbiology and Immunology—The Bronx, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Andre Correa Amaral
- Laboratory of Nano&Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605050, Brazil
| | - Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
- Laboratory of Pathogenic Dimorphic Fungi, Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508000, Brazil
- Laboratory of Medical Mycology, School of Medicine/IMT/SP-LIM53, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403000, Brazil
- Correspondence: (S.R.D.S.J.); (C.P.T.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Chechi JL, da Costa FAC, Figueiredo JM, de Souza CM, Valdez AF, Zamith-Miranda D, Camara AC, Taborda CP, Nosanchuk JD. Vaccine development for pathogenic fungi: current status and future directions. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:1136-1153. [PMID: 37936254 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2279570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fungal infections are caused by a broad range of pathogenic fungi that are found worldwide with different geographic distributions, incidences, and mortality rates. Considering that there are relatively few approved medications available for combating fungal diseases and no vaccine formulation commercially available, multiple groups are searching for new antifungal drugs, examining drugs for repurposing and developing antifungal vaccines, in order to control deaths, sequels, and the spread of these complex infections. AREAS COVERED This review provides a summary of advances in fungal vaccine studies and the different approaches under development, such as subunit vaccines, whole organism vaccines, and DNA vaccines, as well as studies that optimize the use of adjuvants. We conducted a literature search of the PubMed with terms: fungal vaccines and genus of fungal pathogens (Cryptococcus spp. Candida spp. Coccidioides spp. Aspergillus spp. Sporothrix spp. Histoplasma spp. Paracoccidioides spp. Pneumocystis spp. and the Mucorales order), a total of 177 articles were collected from database. EXPERT OPINION Problems regarding the immune response development in an immunocompromised organism, the similarity between fungal and mammalian cells, and the lack of attention by health organizations to fungal infections are closely related to the fact that, at present, there are no fungal vaccines available for clinical use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica L Chechi
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe A C da Costa
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Julia M Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Cássia M de Souza
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Biologia Molecular de Fungos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo, Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alessandro F Valdez
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Aline C Camara
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Valdez AF, Miranda DZ, Guimarães AJ, Nimrichter L, Nosanchuk JD. Pathogenicity & Virulence of Histoplasma capsulatum - a multifaceted organism adapted to intracellular environments. Virulence 2022; 13:1900-1919. [PMID: 36266777 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2022.2137987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the thermally dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Although healthy individuals can develop histoplasmosis, the disease is particularly life-threatening in immunocompromised patients, with a wide range of clinical manifestations depending on the inoculum and virulence of the infecting strain. In this review, we discuss the established virulence factors and pathogenesis traits that make H. capsulatum highly adapted to a wide variety of hosts, including mammals. Understanding and integrating these mechanisms is a key step towards devising new preventative and therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro F Valdez
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel Zamith Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Allan Jefferson Guimarães
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Instituto Biomédico, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia - MIP, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Smith DFQ, Mudrak NJ, Zamith-Miranda D, Honorato L, Nimrichter L, Chrissian C, Smith B, Gerfen G, Stark RE, Nosanchuk JD, Casadevall A. Melanization of Candida auris Is Associated with Alteration of Extracellular pH. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101068. [PMID: 36294632 PMCID: PMC9604884 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida auris is a recently emerged global fungal pathogen, which causes life-threatening infections, often in healthcare settings. C. auris infections are worrisome because the fungus is often resistant to multiple antifungal drug classes. Furthermore, C. auris forms durable and difficult to remove biofilms. Due to the relatively recent, resilient, and resistant nature of C. auris, we investigated whether it produces the common fungal virulence factor melanin. Melanin is a black-brown pigment typically produced following enzymatic oxidation of aromatic precursors, which promotes fungal virulence through oxidative stress resistance, mammalian immune response evasion, and antifungal peptide and pharmaceutical inactivation. We found that certain strains of C. auris oxidized L-DOPA and catecholamines into melanin. Melanization occurred extracellularly in a process mediated by alkalinization of the extracellular environment, resulting in granule-like structures that adhere to the fungus’ external surface. C. auris had relatively high cell surface hydrophobicity, but there was no correlation between hydrophobicity and melanization. Melanin protected the fungus from oxidative damage, but we did not observe a protective role during infection of macrophages or Galleria mellonella larvae. In summary, C. auris alkalinizes the extracellular medium, which promotes the non-enzymatic oxidation of L-DOPA to melanin that attaches to its surface, thus illustrating a novel mechanism for fungal melanization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel F. Q. Smith
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nathan J. Mudrak
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Krieger School of Arts & Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Leandro Honorato
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
| | - Christine Chrissian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Barbara Smith
- Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences Microscope Facility, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gary Gerfen
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ruth E. Stark
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York and CUNY Institute for Macromolecular Assemblies, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA
- Correspondence: (J.D.N.); (A.C.)
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Correspondence: (J.D.N.); (A.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Li KL, Miranda DZ, Cleare LG, Akbar NA, Friedman JM, Draganski A, Nosanchuk JD, Abuzeid WM. Nitric Oxide Generating Microparticles: An In Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Biofilm Efficacy and Sinonasal Epithelial Cell Cytotoxicity. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2022; 13:954-957. [PMID: 36208141 DOI: 10.1002/alr.23096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Z Miranda
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Levi G Cleare
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Nadeem A Akbar
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joel M Friedman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Waleed M Abuzeid
- Department of Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Pruksaphon K, Nosanchuk JD, Thammasit P, Pongpom M, Youngchim S. Interaction of Talaromyces marneffei with free living soil amoeba as a model of fungal pathogenesis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1023067. [PMID: 36262181 PMCID: PMC9574045 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1023067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei is an important dimorphic mycosis endemic in Southeast Asia and Southern China, but the origin and maintenance of virulence traits in this organism remains obscure. Several pathogenic fungi, including Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporothrix schenckii, Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides spp. interact with free living soil amoebae and data suggests that fungal pathogenic strategies may emerge from environmental interactions of these fungi with ubiquitous phagocytic microorganisms. In this study, we examined the interactions of T. marneffei with the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. T. marneffei was rapidly ingested by A. castellanii and phagocytosis of fungal cells resulted in amoeba death after 24 h of contact. Co-culture also resulted in a rapid transition for conidia to the fission-yeast form. In addition, well-established virulence factors such as melanin and a yeast specific mannoprotein of T. marneffei were expressed during interaction with A. castellanii at 37°C. Our findings support the assumption that soil amoebae environmental predators play a role in the selection and maintenance of particular features in T. marneffei that impart virulence to this clinically important dimorphic fungus in mammalian hosts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Patcharin Thammasit
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Monsicha Pongpom
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Sirida Youngchim,
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Swaminathan N, Anderson K, Nosanchuk JD, Akiyama MJ. Candida glabrata Empyema Thoracis—A Post-COVID-19 Complication. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8090923. [PMID: 36135649 PMCID: PMC9502712 DOI: 10.3390/jof8090923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a significant increase in the incidence of invasive mycosis, including pulmonary aspergillosis, mucormycosis, and candidiasis. Fungal empyema thoracis (FET) is an uncommon clinical presentation of invasive fungal disease (IFD) associated with significant mortality. Here, we describe the first report of a patient with post-COVID-19 multifocal necrotizing pneumonia complicated by a polymicrobial empyema that included Candida glabrata. Candida empyemas represent another manifestation of a COVID-19-associated fungal opportunistic infection, and this infrequently encountered entity requires a high degree of clinical suspicion for timely identification and management. Therapy for empyemas and other non-bloodstream Candida infections may differ from candidemia due to several pharmacokinetic parameters impacting bioavailability of the antifungal in the affected tissue (e.g., pleural space) and is an area that needs more investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neeraja Swaminathan
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Katherine Anderson
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| | - Matthew J. Akiyama
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
de Oliveira HC, Castelli RF, Reis FCG, Samby K, Nosanchuk JD, Alves LR, Rodrigues ML. Screening of the Pandemic Response Box Reveals an Association between Antifungal Effects of MMV1593537 and the Cell Wall of Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus deuterogattii, and Candida auris. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0060122. [PMID: 35471056 PMCID: PMC9241760 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00601-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent unmet need for novel antifungals. In this study, we searched for novel antifungal activities in the Pandemic Response Box, a collection of 400 structurally diverse compounds in various phases of drug discovery. We identified five molecules which could control the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus deuterogattii, and the emerging global threat Candida auris. After eliminating compounds which demonstrated paradoxical antifungal effects or toxicity to mammalian macrophages, we selected compound MMV1593537 as a nontoxic, fungicidal molecule for further characterization of antifungal activity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that MMV1593537 affected cellular division in all three pathogens. In Cryptococcus, MMV1593537 caused a reduction in capsular dimensions. Treatment with MMV1593537 resulted in increased detection of cell wall chitooligomers in these three species. Since chitooligomers are products of the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitin, we investigated whether surface chitinase activity was altered in response to MMV1593537 exposure. We observed peaks of enzyme activity in C. neoformans and C. deuterogattii in response to MMV1593537. We did not detect any surface chitinase activity in C. auris. Our results suggest that MMV1593537 is a promising, nontoxic fungicide whose mechanism of action, at least in Cryptococcus spp, requires chitinase-mediated hydrolysis of chitin. IMPORTANCE The development of novel antifungals is a matter of urgency. In this study, we evaluated antifungal activities in a collection of 400 molecules, using highly lethal fungal pathogens as targets. One of these molecules, namely, MMV1593537, was not toxic to host cells and controlled the growth of isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans, C. deuterogattii, C. gattii, Candida auris, C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei. We tested the mechanisms of antifungal action of MMV1593537 in the Cryptococcus and C. auris models and concluded that the compound affects the cell wall, a structure which is essential for fungal life. At least in Cryptococcus, this effect involved chitinase, an enzyme which is required for remodeling the cell wall. Our results suggest that MMV1593537 is a candidate for future antifungal development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael F. Castelli
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Flavia C. G. Reis
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde (CDTS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lysangela R. Alves
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
de Oliveira HC, Castelli RF, Alves LR, Nosanchuk JD, Salama EA, Seleem M, Rodrigues ML. Identification of 4 compounds from the Pharmakon library with antifungal activity against Candida auris and species of Cryptococcus. Med Mycol 2022; 60:6586341. [PMID: 35575621 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myac033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop novel antifungals. In this study, we screened 1600 compounds for antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida auris. We evaluated 4 promising compounds against 24 additional isolates of C. neoformans, C. auris, Cryptococcus deuterogattii, and Cryptococcus gattii. The 4 compounds, dequalinium chloride (DQC), bleomycin sulfate (BMS), pentamidine isethionate salt (PIS), and clioquinol (CLQ), varied in their efficacy against these pathogens but were generally more effective against cryptococci. The compounds exerted their antifungal effect via multiple mechanisms including interference with the capsule of cryptococci and induction of hyphal-like morphology in C. auris. Our results indicate that DQC, BMS, PIS, and CLQ represent potential prototypes for the future development of antifungals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rafael F Castelli
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lysangela R Alves
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Ehab A Salama
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mohamed Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil.,Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Erives VH, Munzen ME, Zamith-Miranda D, Hernandez H, Manepalli S, Nguyen LN, Hamed MF, Nosanchuk JD, Martinez LR. Methamphetamine Enhances Cryptococcus neoformans Melanization, Antifungal Resistance, and Pathogenesis in a Murine Model of Drug Administration and Systemic Infection. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0009122. [PMID: 35357221 PMCID: PMC9022586 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00091-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a major public health and safety problem in the United States. Chronic METH abuse is associated with a 2-fold-higher risk of HIV infection and, possibly, additional infections, particularly those that enter through the respiratory tract or skin. Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated opportunistic yeast-like fungus that is a relatively frequent cause of meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients, especially in individuals with AIDS. C. neoformans melanizes during mammalian infection in a process that presumably uses host-supplied compounds such as catecholamines. l-3,4-Dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-Dopa) is a natural catecholamine that is frequently used to induce melanization in C. neoformans. l-Dopa-melanized cryptococci manifest resistance to radiation, phagocytosis, detergents, and heavy metals. Using a systemic mouse model of infection and in vitro assays to critically assess the impact of METH on C. neoformans melanization and pathogenesis, we demonstrated that METH-treated mice infected with melanized yeast cells showed increased fungal burdens in the blood and brain, exacerbating mortality. Interestingly, analyses of cultures of METH-exposed cryptococci supplemented with l-Dopa revealed that METH accelerates fungal melanization, an event of adaptation to external stimuli that can be advantageous to the fungus during pathogenesis. Our findings provide novel evidence of the impact of METH abuse on host homeostasis and increased permissiveness to opportunistic microorganisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor H. Erives
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
| | - Melissa E. Munzen
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Hazael Hernandez
- Department of Biological Sciences, The Border Biomedical Research Center, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Swetha Manepalli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Long Island University-Post, Brookville, New York, USA
| | - Long N. Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mohamed F. Hamed
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Luis R. Martinez
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida College of Dentistry, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Long Island University-Post, Brookville, New York, USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Center for Immunology and Transplantation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are structures released by a variety of cells from all kingdoms of life. EVs are typically involved in communication between tissues and organs, between distinct organisms, or inside microbial communities. The plasticity of these structures is reflected in the range of biological effects they are able to induce or inhibit. The study of fungal EVs is relatively new with the first report in 2007, but investigators have already demonstrated in several model systems that fungal EVs significantly modulate the host immune system and that the immunogenic materials in EV can be harnessed as vaccination platforms. This chapter describes the two main procedures used to isolate EVs from an emerging pathogenic fungus, Candida auris.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Lysangela R Alves
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil, Curitiba, Brazil
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Sinclair T, Bell BI, Perez K, Klyde D, Veith M, Weinstock R, Cassese T, Nosanchuk JD. Rapid Mobilization of Medical Student Volunteers to Administer Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Med Educ Curric Dev 2022; 9:23821205211073092. [PMID: 35036568 PMCID: PMC8755923 DOI: 10.1177/23821205211073092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In December 2020, the first COVID-19 vaccines were approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and vaccination efforts rapidly launched across the country. Concurrently, New York City experienced an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. This created an immediate need to inoculate frontline workers in a strained health system that lacked sufficient personnel to meet the demand. In response, New York State permitted medical students with appropriate clinical experience to administer vaccinations. Albert Einstein College of Medicine students rapidly stepped in to administer vaccines and serve as clinic navigators. Student leaders at Einstein collaborated with Montefiore Medical Center to rapidly implement a student vaccination initiative. Medical students underwent virtual and on-site training regarding COVID-19 vaccines and their administration. In January 2021, students began to staff vaccine clinics across the Bronx. By July 2021, 291 out of 830 eligible medical and Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) students (35.1%) had volunteered >2400 h. Of the 291 volunteers, 77 (26.5%) worked as vaccinators and administered approximately 2929 COVID-19 vaccines from January to May 2021. We demonstrate success using the concept of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) in the context of training medical students in a specific clinical skill. Our framework resulted in the administration of approximately 2929 COVID-19 vaccines from January to May 2021. The authors believe that this framework can be implemented at peer institutions to alleviate the burden on hospital systems and outpatient clinics vaccinating their communities against COVID-19, or to meet future clinical needs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brett I. Bell
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Karol Perez
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Daniel Klyde
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Mitchell Veith
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | - Rachel Weinstock
- Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Lawrence, MA, United States
| | - Todd Cassese
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Munhoz da Rocha IF, Martins ST, Amatuzzi RF, Zamith-Miranda D, Nosanchuk JD, Rodrigues ML, Alves LR. Cellular and Extracellular Vesicle RNA Analysis in the Global Threat Fungus Candida auris. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0153821. [PMID: 34908466 PMCID: PMC8672890 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01538-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging and reemerging pathogens are a worldwide concern, and it is predicted that these microbes will cause severe outbreaks. Candida auris affects people with weakened immune systems, particularly those who are hospitalized or are in health care facilities. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer structures released by organisms from all domains of life. EVs can deliver functional molecules to target cells, including proteins and nucleic acids, especially RNA molecules. EVs from several pathogenic fungi species play diverse biological roles related to cell-cell communication and pathogen-host interaction. In this study, we describe a data set which we produced by sequencing the RNA content of EVs from C. auris under normal growth conditions and in the presence of the antifungal caspofungin, a first-line drug to treat this fungus. To generate a more complete data set for future comparative studies, we also sequenced the RNA cellular content of EVs under the same conditions. This data set addresses a previously unexplored area of fungal biology regarding cellular small RNA and EV RNA. Our data will provide a molecular basis for the study of the aspects associated with antifungal treatment, gene expression response, and EV composition in C. auris. These data will also allow the exploration of small RNA content in the fungal kingdom and might serve as an informative basis for studies on the mechanisms by which molecules are directed to fungal EVs. IMPORTANCE Candida auris, a relevant emerging human-pathogenic yeast, is the first fungus to be called a global public health threat by the WHO. This is because of its rapid spread on all inhabited continents, together with its extremely high frequency of drug and multidrug resistance. In our study, we generated a large data set for 3 distinct strains of C. auris and obtained cellular small RNA fraction as well as extracellular vesicle RNA (EV-RNA) during normal growth conditions and after treatment with caspofungin, the first-line drug used to treat C. auris infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sharon T. Martins
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Rafaela F. Amatuzzi
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Microbiology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lysangela R. Alves
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Kischkel B, Boniche-Alfaro C, Menezes IDG, Rossi SA, Angeli CB, de Almeida SR, Palmisano G, Lopes-Bezerra L, Nosanchuk JD, Taborda CP. Immunoproteomic and Immunopeptidomic Analyses of Histoplasma capsulatum Reveal Promiscuous and Conserved Epitopes Among Fungi With Vaccine Potential. Front Immunol 2021; 12:764501. [PMID: 34880863 PMCID: PMC8645968 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.764501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As there are more than 6 million human deaths due to mycoses each year, there is an urgent need to develop fungal vaccines. Moreover, given the similarities among pathogenic fungi, it may be possible to create a multi-fungi vaccine. In this study, we combined immunoproteomic and immunopeptidomic methods, for which we have adapted a technique based on co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) that made it possible to map Histoplasma capsulatum epitopes for the first time in a natural context using murine dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages (Mφ). Although polysaccharide epitopes exist, this research focused on mapping protein epitopes as these are more immunogenic. We used different algorithms to screen proteins and peptides identified by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-D) and Co-IP. Seventeen proteins were revealed by 2-D gels, and 45 and 24 peptides from distinct proteins were presented by DCs and Mφ, respectively. We then determined which epitopes were restricted to MHC-I and II from humans and mice and showed high promiscuity, but lacked identity with human proteins. The 4 most promising peptides were synthesized, and the peptides with and without incorporation into glucan particles induced CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation and produced a Th1 and Th17 response marked by the secretion of high levels of IFN-γ, IL-17 and IL-2. These epitopes were from heat shock protein 60, enolase, and the ATP-dependent molecular chaperone HSC82, and they each have a high degree of identity with proteins expressed by other medically important pathogenic fungi. Thus, the epitopes described in this study have the potential for use in the development of vaccines that could result in cross-protection among fungal species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Kischkel
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Camila Boniche-Alfaro
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Isabela de Godoy Menezes
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Suelen Andreia Rossi
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Dermatology, Tropical Medicine Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia Blanes Angeli
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandro Rogério de Almeida
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leila Lopes-Bezerra
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Dermatology, Tropical Medicine Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Souza TN, Valdez AF, Rizzo J, Zamith-Miranda D, Guimarães AJ, Nosanchuk JD, Nimrichter L. Host cell membrane microdomains and fungal infection. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13385. [PMID: 34392593 PMCID: PMC8664998 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Lipid microdomains or lipid rafts are dynamic and tightly ordered regions of the plasma membrane. In mammalian cells, they are enriched in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids, Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored and signalling-related proteins. Several studies have suggested that mammalian pattern recognition receptors are concentrated or recruited to lipid domains during host-pathogen association to enhance the effectiveness of host effector processes. However, pathogens have also evolved strategies to exploit these domains to invade cells and survive. In fungal organisms, a complex cell wall network usually mediates the first contact with the host cells. This cell wall may contain virulence factors that interfere with the host membrane microdomains dynamics, potentially impacting the infection outcome. Indeed, the microdomain disruption can dampen fungus-host cell adhesion, phagocytosis and cellular immune responses. Here, we provide an overview of regulatory strategies employed by pathogenic fungi to engage with and potentially subvert the lipid microdomains of host cells. TAKE AWAY: Lipid microdomains are ordered regions of the plasma membrane enriched in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids (GSL), GPI-anchored and signalling-related proteins. Pathogen recognition by host immune cells can involve lipid microdomain participation. During this process, these domains can coalesce in larger complexes recruiting receptors and signalling proteins, significantly increasing their signalling abilities. The antifungal innate immune response is mediated by the engagement of pathogen-associated molecular patterns to pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) at the plasma membrane of innate immune cells. Lipid microdomains can concentrate or recruit PRRs during host cell-fungi association through a multi-interactive mechanism. This association can enhance the effectiveness of host effector processes. However, virulence factors at the fungal cell surface and extracellular vesicles can re-assembly these domains, compromising the downstream signalling and favouring the disease development. Lipid microdomains are therefore very attractive targets for novel drugs to combat fungal infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taiane N Souza
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alessandro F Valdez
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Juliana Rizzo
- Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Allan Jefferson Guimarães
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia-MIP, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zamith-Miranda D, Amatuzzi RF, Munhoz da Rocha IF, Martins ST, Lucena ACR, Vieira AZ, Trentin G, Almeida F, Rodrigues ML, Nakayasu ES, Nosanchuk JD, Alves LR. Transcriptional and translational landscape of Candida auris in response to caspofungin. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5264-5277. [PMID: 34630944 PMCID: PMC8481930 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida auris has emerged as a serious worldwide threat by causing opportunistic infections that are frequently resistant to one or more conventional antifungal medications resulting in high mortality rates. Against this backdrop, health warnings around the world have focused efforts on understanding C. auris fungal biology and effective prevention and treatment approaches to combat this fungus. To date, there is little information about the differentially expressed genes when this fungus is treated with conventional antifungals, and caspofungin is a standard echinocandin deployed in the therapy against C. auris. In this work, we treated two distinct strains of C. auris for 24 h with caspofungin, and the cellular responses were evaluated at the morphological, translational and transcriptional levels. We first observed that the echinocandin caused morphological alterations, aggregation of yeast cells, and modifications in the cell wall composition of C. auris. Transcriptomic analysis revealed an upregulation of genes related to the synthesis of the cell wall, ribosome, and cell cycle after exposure to caspofungin. Supporting these findings, the integrated proteomic analysis showed that caspofungin-treated cells were enriched in ribosome-related proteins and cell wall, especially mannoproteins. Altogether, these results provide further insights into the biology of C. auris and expands our understanding regarding the antifungal activity of caspofungin and reveal cellular targets, as the mannose metabolism, that can be further explored for the development of novel antifungals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rafaela F Amatuzzi
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Sharon T Martins
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Aline C R Lucena
- Laboratory for Applied Sciences and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Z Vieira
- Laboratory for Applied Sciences and Technology in Health, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Trentin
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fausto Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil.,Microbiology Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Lysangela R Alves
- Gene Expression Regulation Laboratory, Carlos Chagas Institute, FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Costa-Orlandi CB, Martinez LR, Bila NM, Friedman JM, Friedman AJ, Mendes-Giannini MJS, Nosanchuk JD. Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanoparticles Are Similar to Efinaconazole in Their Capacity to Eradicate Trichophyton rubrum Biofilms. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:684150. [PMID: 34336712 PMCID: PMC8319823 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.684150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Filamentous fungi such as Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes, the main causative agents of onychomycosis, have been recognized as biofilm-forming microorganisms. Nitric oxide-releasing nanoparticles (NO-np) are currently in development for the management of superficial and deep bacterial and fungal infections, with documented activity against biofilms. In this context, this work aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the in vitro anti-T. rubrum biofilm potential of NO-np using standard ATCC MYA-4438 and clinical BR1A strains and compare it to commonly used antifungal drugs including fluconazole, terbinafine and efinaconazole. The biofilms formed by the standard strain produced more biomass than those from the clinical strain. NO-np, fluconazole, terbinafine, and efinaconazole inhibited the in vitro growth of planktonic T. rubrum cells. Similarly, NO-np reduced the metabolic activities of clinical strain BR1A preformed biofilms at the highest concentration tested (SMIC50 = 40 mg/mL). Scanning electron and confocal microscopy revealed that NO-np and efinaconazole severely damaged established biofilms for both strains, resulting in collapse of hyphal cell walls and reduced the density, extracellular matrix and thickness of the biofilms. These findings suggest that biofilms should be considered when developing and testing new drugs for the treatment of dermatophytosis. Development of a biofilm phenotype by these fungi may explain the resistance of dermatophytes to some antifungals and why prolonged treatment is usually required for onychomycosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Barcelos Costa-Orlandi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States.,Deparment of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Luis R Martinez
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Níura Madalena Bila
- Deparment of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil.,Department of Para-Clinic, School of Veterinary, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Joel M Friedman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Adam J Friedman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States.,Department of Dermatology, George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States.,Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Maria José S Mendes-Giannini
- Deparment of Clinical Analysis, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Dias LDS, Silva LBR, Nosanchuk JD, Taborda CP. Neutrophil Cells Are Essential for The Efficacy of a Therapeutic Vaccine against Paracoccidioidomycosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7060416. [PMID: 34073466 PMCID: PMC8226764 DOI: 10.3390/jof7060416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), caused by the Paracoccidioides species, is a systemic disease endemic in several Latin American countries, mainly in Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Venezuela. Current treatment approaches are challenging as they require prolonged durations of antifungal drugs that have potential toxicities, and despite antifungals, relapses are common. Hence, new therapeutic approaches, such as vaccines, are being investigated. The therapeutic vaccine consisting of peptide P10 associated with lipid cationic DODAB (P10+DODAB) is effective in murine models of PCM. However, the specific immune mechanisms required for the protective response has not been fully elucidated. The present work aims at evaluating the participation of neutrophils in the immune response induced by P10+DODAB. We found that the vaccine reduced both the influx of pulmonary neutrophils and the fungal load in comparison to infected animals that did not receive this treatment. The parenchymal architecture of the lungs of P10+DODAB-treated animals was largely preserved with only a few granulomas present, and tissue cytokine analysis showed a Th1 cytokine profile with augmented levels of IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF-α, and low levels of IL-4. When neutrophils were depleted 24 h prior to each treatment, the effectiveness of the P10+DODAB vaccine was completely lost as the fungal burdens remained high and histological examination showed a marked inflammation and fungal dissemination with a dysregulated cytokine response. In conclusion, these findings indicate that neutrophils are vital to ensure the triggering of an effective immune response to P10+DODAB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucas dos Santos Dias
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (L.d.S.D.); (L.B.R.S.)
| | - Leandro B. R. Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (L.d.S.D.); (L.B.R.S.)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases), Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (L.d.S.D.); (L.B.R.S.)
- Laboratory of Medical Mycology, Tropical Medicine Institute USP-LIM53, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Silva LBR, Taira CL, Cleare LG, Martins M, Junqueira M, Nosanchuk JD, Taborda CP. Identification of Potentially Therapeutic Immunogenic Peptides From Paracoccidioides lutzii Species. Front Immunol 2021; 12:670992. [PMID: 34046037 PMCID: PMC8144467 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.670992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an endemic mycosis in Latin America caused by the thermodimorphic fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides spp. Paracoccidioides lutzii (PL) is one of the 5 species that constitute the Paracoccidioides genus. PL expresses low amounts of glycoprotein (Gp) 43 (PLGp43) and PLGp43 displays few epitopes in common with the P. brasiliensis (PB) immunodominant antigen PBGp43, which is commonly used for serological diagnosis of PCM. This difference in structure between the glycoproteins markedly reduces the efficiency of serological diagnosis in patients infected with PL. We previously demonstrated that peptide 10 (P10) from the PBGp43 induces protective immune responses in in vitro and in vivo models of PB PCM. Since, P10 has proven to be a promising therapeutic to combat PB, we sought to identify peptides in PL that could similarly be applied for the treatment of PCM. PL yeast cell proteins were isolated from PL: dendritic cell co-cultures and subjected to immunoproteomics. This approach identified 18 PL peptides that demonstrated in silico predictions for immunogenicity. Eight of the most promising peptides were synthesized and applied to lymphocytes obtained from peptide-immunized or PL-infected mice as well as to in vitro cultures with peptides or dendritic cells pulsed the peptides. The peptides LBR5, LBR6 and LBR8 efficiently promoted CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation and dendritic cells pulsed with LBR1, LBR3, LBR7 or LBR8 stimulated CD4+ T cell proliferation. We observed increases of IFN-γ in the supernatants from primed T cells for the conditions with peptides without or with dendritic cells, although IL-2 levels only increased in response to LBR8. These novel immunogenic peptides derived from PL will be employed to develop new peptide vaccine approaches and the proteins from which they are derived can be used to develop new diagnostic assays for PL and possibly other Paracoccidioides spp. These findings identify and characterize new peptides with a promising therapeutic profile for future against this important neglected systemic mycosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leandro B R Silva
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Cleison L Taira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Levi G Cleare
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michele Martins
- Proteomics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Magno Junqueira
- Proteomics Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratorio de Micologia Medica (LIM53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Sao Paulo, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Horváth M, Nagy G, Zsindely N, Bodai L, Horváth P, Vágvölgyi C, Nosanchuk JD, Tóth R, Gácser A. Oral Epithelial Cells Distinguish between Candida Species with High or Low Pathogenic Potential through MicroRNA Regulation. mSystems 2021; 6:6/3/e00163-21. [PMID: 33975967 PMCID: PMC8125073 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00163-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oral epithelial cells monitor microbiome composition and initiate immune response upon dysbiosis, as in the case of Candida imbalances. Candida species, such as C. albicans and C. parapsilosis, are the most prevalent yeasts in the oral cavity. Comparison of healthy oral epithelial cell responses revealed that while C. albicans infection robustly activated inflammation cascades, C. parapsilosis primarily activated various inflammation-independent pathways. In posttranscriptional regulatory processes, several miRNAs were altered by both species. For C. parapsilosis, the dose of yeast cells directly correlated with changes in transcriptomic responses with higher fungal burdens inducing significantly different and broader changes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) associated with carbohydrate metabolism-, hypoxia-, and vascular development-related responses dominated with C. parapsilosis infection, whereas C. albicans altered miRNAs linked to inflammatory responses. Subsequent analyses of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1-α) and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation pathways predicted target genes through which miRNA-dependent regulation of yeast-specific functions may occur, which also supported the observed species-specific responses. Our findings suggest that C. parapsilosis is recognized as a commensal at low doses by the oral epithelium; however, increased fungal burden activates different pathways, some of which overlap with the inflammatory processes robustly induced by C. albicans IMPORTANCE A relatively new topic within the field of immunology involves the role of miRNAs in innate as well as adaptive immune response regulation. In recent years, posttranscriptional regulation of host-pathogenic fungal interactions through miRNAs was also suggested. Our study reveals that the distinct nature of human oral epithelial cell responses toward C. parapsilosis and C. albicans is possibly due to species-specific fine-tuning of host miRNA regulatory processes. The findings of this study also shed new light on the nature of early host cell transcriptional responses to the presence of C. parapsilosis and highlight the species' potential inflammation-independent host activation processes. These findings contribute to our better understanding of how miRNA deregulation at the oral immunological barrier, in noncanonical immune cells, may discriminate between fungal species, particularly Candida species with high or low pathogenic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Márton Horváth
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gábor Nagy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Nóra Zsindely
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Bodai
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Horváth
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Biological Research Centre (BRC), Szeged, Hungary
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Renáta Tóth
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Gácser
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- MTA-SZTE Lendület Mycobiome Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Almeida-Paes R, Figueiredo-Carvalho MH, da Silva LB, Gerfen G, S Araújo GRD, Frases S, Zancopé-Oliveira RM, Nosanchuk JD. Candida glabrata produces a melanin-like pigment that protects against stress conditions encountered during parasitism. Future Microbiol 2021; 16:509-520. [PMID: 33960816 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2020-0228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Melanin has been linked to pathogenesis in several fungi. They often produce melanin-like pigments in the presence of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA), but this is poorly studied in Candida glabrata. Methods & materials: C. glabrata was grown in minimal medium with or without L-DOPA supplementation and submitted to a chemical treatment with denaturant and hot acid. Results: C. glabrata turned black when grown in the presence of L-DOPA, whereas cells grown without L-DOPA supplementation remained white. Biophysical properties demonstrated that the pigment was melanin. Melanized C. glabrata cells were effectively protected from azoles and amphotericin B, incubation at 42°C and macrophage killing. Conclusion: In the presence of L-DOPA, C. glabrata produces melanin, increases antifungal resistance and enhances host survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Almeida-Paes
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) & Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Maria Hg Figueiredo-Carvalho
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Leandro Br da Silva
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) & Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.,Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Gary Gerfen
- Department of Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Glauber R de S Araújo
- Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Susana Frases
- Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Rosely M Zancopé-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) & Microbiology & Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Pruksaphon K, Intaramat A, Simsiriwong P, Mongkolsuk S, Ratanabanangkoon K, Nosanchuk JD, Kaltsas A, Youngchim S. An inexpensive point-of-care immunochromatographic test for Talaromyces marneffei infection based on the yeast phase specific monoclonal antibody 4D1 and Galanthus nivalis agglutinin. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009058. [PMID: 33945531 PMCID: PMC8096094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Talaromyces marneffei is a thermally dimorphic fungus that causes opportunistic systemic mycoses in patients with AIDS or other immunodeficiency syndromes. The purpose of this study was to develop an immunochromatographic strip test (ICT) based on a solid phase sandwich format immunoassay for the detection of T. marneffei antigens in clinical urine specimens. The T. marneffei yeast phase specific monoclonal antibody 4D1 (MAb4D1) conjugated with colloidal gold nanoparticle was used as a specific signal reporter. Galanthus nivalis Agglutinin (GNA) was adsorbed onto nitrocellulose membrane to serve as the test line. Similarly, a control line was created above the test line by immobilization of rabbit anti-mouse IgG. The immobilized GNA served as capturing molecule and as non-immune mediated anti-terminal mannose of T. marneffei antigenic mannoprotein. The MAb4D1–GNA based ICT showed specific binding activity with yeast phase antigen of T. marneffei, and it did not react with other common pathogenic fungal antigens. The limit of detection of this ICT for T. marneffei antigen spiked in normal urine was approximately 0.6 μg/ml. The diagnostic performance of the ICT was validated using 341 urine samples from patents with culture- confirmed T. marneffei infection and from a control group of healthy individuals and patients with other infections in an endemic area. The ICT exhibited 89.47% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 97.65% accuracy. Our results demonstrate that the urine-based GNA–MAb4D1 based ICT produces a visual result within 30 minutes and that the test is highly specific for the diagnosis of T. marneffei infection. The findings validate the deployment of the ICT for clinical use. Talaromycosis (Penicilliosis marneffei) is a neglected disease that causes an opportunistic systemic mycoses in AIDS and other immune-deficient patients living in Southeast Asia, China and the Indian subcontinent. Although laboratory culture remains a gold standard diagnostic method, it lacks sensitivity and is time-consuming, which results in delayed patient’s treatment and needed care. In this study, we develop an immunochromatographic strip test (ICT) by utilizing a yeast phase specific monoclonal antibody 4D1 and Galanthus nivalis agglutinin for detection of T. marneffei antigens in clinical urine specimens. Our data showed that the assay exhibited high sensitivity (89.47%) and specificity (100%), with its result available within 30 minutes. In addition, this diagnostic assay is inexpensive, reproducible, and simple to perform. Therefore, the T. marneffei ICT should be considered for clinical application in the context of rapid and affordable point-of-care diagnostic test to reduce the burden of talaromycosis mortality in patients in low resource countries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kritsada Pruksaphon
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Akarin Intaramat
- Translational Research Unit, Laboratory of Immunology and Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pavinee Simsiriwong
- Translational Research Unit, Laboratory of Immunology and Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Skorn Mongkolsuk
- Translational Research Unit, Laboratory of Immunology and Laboratory of Biotechnology, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kavi Ratanabanangkoon
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna Kaltsas
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, United States of America
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Zamith-Miranda D, Peres da Silva R, Couvillion SP, Bredeweg EL, Burnet MC, Coelho C, Camacho E, Nimrichter L, Puccia R, Almeida IC, Casadevall A, Rodrigues ML, Alves LR, Nosanchuk JD, Nakayasu ES. Omics Approaches for Understanding Biogenesis, Composition and Functions of Fungal Extracellular Vesicles. Front Genet 2021; 12:648524. [PMID: 34012462 PMCID: PMC8126698 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.648524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer structures released by organisms from all kingdoms of life. The diverse biogenesis pathways of EVs result in a wide variety of physical properties and functions across different organisms. Fungal EVs were first described in 2007 and different omics approaches have been fundamental to understand their composition, biogenesis, and function. In this review, we discuss the role of omics in elucidating fungal EVs biology. Transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics have each enabled the molecular characterization of fungal EVs, providing evidence that these structures serve a wide array of functions, ranging from key carriers of cell wall biosynthetic machinery to virulence factors. Omics in combination with genetic approaches have been instrumental in determining both biogenesis and cargo loading into EVs. We also discuss how omics technologies are being employed to elucidate the role of EVs in antifungal resistance, disease biomarkers, and their potential use as vaccines. Finally, we review recent advances in analytical technology and multi-omic integration tools, which will help to address key knowledge gaps in EVs biology and translate basic research information into urgently needed clinical applications such as diagnostics, and immuno- and chemotherapies to fungal infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | | | - Sneha P. Couvillion
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Erin L. Bredeweg
- Environmental and Molecular Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Meagan C. Burnet
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| | - Carolina Coelho
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Camacho
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Laboratório de Glicobiologia de Eucariotos, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rosana Puccia
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina-Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Igor C. Almeida
- Department of Biological Sciences, Border Biomedical Research Center, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Regulação da Expressão Gênica, Instituto Carlos Chagas-FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lysangela R. Alves
- Laboratório de Regulação da Expressão Gênica, Instituto Carlos Chagas-FIOCRUZ PR, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ernesto S. Nakayasu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Liu S, Youngchim S, Zamith-Miranda D, Nosanchuk JD. Fungal Melanin and the Mammalian Immune System. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7040264. [PMID: 33807336 PMCID: PMC8066723 DOI: 10.3390/jof7040264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanins are ubiquitous complex polymers that are commonly known in humans to cause pigmentation of our skin. Melanins are also present in bacteria, fungi, and helminths. In this review, we will describe the diverse interactions of fungal melanin with the mammalian immune system. We will particularly focus on Cryptococcus neoformans and also discuss other major melanotic pathogenic fungi. Melanin interacts with the immune system through diverse pathways, reducing the effectiveness of phagocytic cells, binding effector molecules and antifungals, and modifying complement and antibody responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sichen Liu
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (S.L.); (D.Z.-M.)
| | - Sirida Youngchim
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand;
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (S.L.); (D.Z.-M.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; (S.L.); (D.Z.-M.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
Candida parapsilosis is a leading cause of invasive mycoses and the major cause of nosocomial fungaemia amongst low and very low birth weight neonates. However, the molecular and physiological characteristics of this fungus remain understudied. To advance our knowledge about the pathobiology of this pathogen, we sought to develop and validate an effective method for chemical transformation of C. parapsilosis. Chemical transformation is the primary procedure for introducing foreign DNA into Candida yeast as it requires no special equipment, although its performance efficacy drops rapidly when the size of the transforming DNA increases. To define optimal conditions for chemical transformation in C. parapsilosis, we selected a leucine auxotroph laboratory strain. We identified optimal cell density for transformation, incubation times, inclusion of specific enhancing chemicals, and size and amounts of DNA fragments that resulted in maximized transformation efficiency. We determined that the inclusion of dimethyl sulfoxide was beneficial, but dithiothreitol pretreatment reduced colony recovery. As a result, the modified protocol led to a 20–55-fold increase in transformation efficiency, depending on the size of the transforming fragment. We validated the modified methodology with prototrophic isolates and demonstrated that the new approach resulted in the recovery of significantly more transformants in 5 of 6 isolates. Additionally, we identified a medium in which transformation competent yeast cells could safely be maintained at −80°C for up to 6 weeks that reduces laboratory work and shortens the overall procedure. These modifications will significantly aid further investigations into the genetic basis for virulence in C. parapsilosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tibor Németh
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Csaba Vagvolgyi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Gacser
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE Lendület Mycobiome Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Pál SE, Tóth R, Nosanchuk JD, Vágvölgyi C, Németh T, Gácser A. A Candida parapsilosis Overexpression Collection Reveals Genes Required for Pathogenesis. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7020097. [PMID: 33572958 PMCID: PMC7911391 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Relative to the vast data regarding the virulence mechanisms of Candida albicans, there is limited knowledge on the emerging opportunistic human pathogen Candida parapsilosis. The aim of this study was to generate and characterize an overexpression mutant collection to identify and explore virulence factors in C. parapsilosis. With the obtained mutants, we investigated stress tolerance, morphology switch, biofilm formation, phagocytosis, and in vivo virulence in Galleria mellonella larvae and mouse models. In order to evaluate the results, we compared the data from the C. parapsilosis overexpression collection analysis to the results derived from previous deletion mutant library characterizations. Of the 37 overexpression C. parapsilosis mutants, we identified eight with altered phenotypes compared to the controls. This work is the first report to identify CPAR2_107240, CPAR2_108840, CPAR2_302400, CPAR2_406400, and CPAR2_602820 as contributors to C. parapsilosis virulence by regulating functions associated with host-pathogen interactions and biofilm formation. Our findings also confirmed the role of CPAR2_109520, CPAR2_200040, and CPAR2_500180 in pathogenesis. This study was the first attempt to use an overexpression strategy to systematically assess gene function in C. parapsilosis, and our results demonstrate that this approach is effective for such investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sára E. Pál
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Közép Fasor, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (S.E.P.); (R.T.); (C.V.); (T.N.)
| | - Renáta Tóth
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Közép Fasor, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (S.E.P.); (R.T.); (C.V.); (T.N.)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Csaba Vágvölgyi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Közép Fasor, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (S.E.P.); (R.T.); (C.V.); (T.N.)
| | - Tibor Németh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Közép Fasor, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (S.E.P.); (R.T.); (C.V.); (T.N.)
| | - Attila Gácser
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged, Közép Fasor, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (S.E.P.); (R.T.); (C.V.); (T.N.)
- MTA-SZTE Lendület Mycobiome Research Group, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Gonçalves DDS, Rodriguez de La Noval C, Ferreira MDS, Honorato L, Araújo GRDS, Frases S, Pizzini CV, Nosanchuk JD, Cordero RJB, Rodrigues ML, Peralta JM, Nimrichter L, Guimarães AJ. Histoplasma capsulatum Glycans From Distinct Genotypes Share Structural and Serological Similarities to Cryptococcus neoformans Glucuronoxylomannan. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:565571. [PMID: 33585262 PMCID: PMC7874066 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.565571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell wall is a ubiquitous structure in the fungal kingdom, with some features varying depending on the species. Additional external structures can be present, such as the capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn), its major virulence factor, mainly composed of glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), with anti-phagocytic and anti-inflammatory properties. The literature shows that other cryptococcal species and even more evolutionarily distant species, such as the Trichosporon asahii, T. mucoides, and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis can produce GXM-like polysaccharides displaying serological reactivity to GXM-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and these complex polysaccharides have similar composition and anti-phagocytic properties to cryptococcal GXM. Previously, we demonstrated that the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) incorporates, surface/secreted GXM of Cn and the surface accumulation of the polysaccharide enhances Hc virulence in vitro and in vivo. In this work, we characterized the ability of Hc to produce cellular-attached (C-gly-Hc) and secreted (E-gly) glycans with reactivity to GXM mAbs. These C-gly-Hc are readily incorporated on the surface of acapsular Cn cap59; however, in contrast to Cn GXM, C-gly-Hc had no xylose and glucuronic acid in its composition. Mapping of recognized Cn GXM synthesis/export proteins confirmed the presence of orthologs in the Hc database. Evaluation of C-gly and E-gly of Hc from strains of distinct monophyletic clades showed serological reactivity to GXM mAbs, despite slight differences in their molecular dimensions. These C-gly-Hc and E-gly-Hc also reacted with sera of cryptococcosis patients. In turn, sera from histoplasmosis patients recognized Cn glycans, suggesting immunogenicity and the presence of cross-reacting antibodies. Additionally, C-gly-Hc and E-gly-Hc coated Cn cap59 were more resistant to phagocytosis and macrophage killing. C-gly-Hc and E-gly-Hc coated Cn cap59 were also able to kill larvae of Galleria mellonella. These GXM-like Hc glycans, as well as those produced by other pathogenic fungi, may also be important during host-pathogen interactions, and factors associated with their regulation are potentially important targets for the management of histoplasmosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diego de Souza Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Doenças Infecciosas e Parasitárias, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia Rodriguez de La Noval
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marina da Silva Ferreira
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leandro Honorato
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Glauber Ribeiro de Sousa Araújo
- Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Susana Frases
- Laboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Claudia Vera Pizzini
- Laboratório de Micologia, Instituto Nacional de Infectologia Evandro Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Radames J. B. Cordero
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - José Mauro Peralta
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Departamento de Microbiologia Geral, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Allan J. Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Imunologia das Micoses, Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Instituto Biomédico, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Ludwig AB, Meholli MM, Baum SG, Cassese T, Nosanchuk JD. Moving Medical Students into Shared Housing During the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Med Educ Curric Dev 2021; 8:23821205211018702. [PMID: 34104790 PMCID: PMC8170327 DOI: 10.1177/23821205211018702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A new academic year began in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to allow for in-person learning, a fundamental part of medical education, some medical schools grappled with how to safely move students into shared on-campus housing. The authors describe a behavior-based strategy to safely move students from all parts of the United States to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. This strategy included a school-organized phased move-in that included 14-day quarantines for students coming from states with high COVID prevalence; requiring students to sign a COVID-agreement; the use of a phone-based daily COVID risk assessment; and facilitation of safe in-person social activities with peer monitoring of adherence to behavior guidelines. This strategy resulted in no known transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in student housing between July and October of the 2020 to 2021 academic year. The authors share this strategy in the hope that colleagues at other medical schools will find it useful in utilizing similar behavior-based strategies to keep students safe in shared housing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison B Ludwig
- Student Affairs at Albert Einstein College of
Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Mimoza M Meholli
- Student Affairs at Albert Einstein College of
Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Stephen G Baum
- Student Affairs at Albert Einstein College of
Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Todd Cassese
- Medical Education at Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Medical Education at Albert Einstein College
of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
de Araújo MV, Santos Júnior SRD, Nosanchuk JD, Taborda CP. Therapeutic Vaccination with Cationic Liposomes Formulated with Dioctadecyldimethylammonium and Trehalose Dibehenate (CAF01) and Peptide P10 Is Protective in Mice Infected with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040347. [PMID: 33302372 PMCID: PMC7762540 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The peptide P10 is a vaccine candidate for Paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis caused by fungal species of the genus Paracoccidioides spp. We have previously shown that peptide P10 vaccination, in the presence of several different adjuvants, induced a protective cellular immune response mediated by CD4+ Th1 lymphocytes that was associated with the increased production of IFN-γ in mice challenged with a virulent isolate of Paracoccidoides brasiliensis. Cationic liposomes formulated with dioctadecyldimethylammonium and trehalose dibehenate (DDA/TDB, termed also CAF01–cationic adjuvant formulation) have been developed for safe administration in humans and CAF01 liposomes are utilized as an adjuvant for modulating a robust Th1/Th17 cellular response. We evaluated the efficacy of the adsorption of peptide P10 to CAF01 cationic liposomes and used the generated liposomes to vaccinate C57Bl/6 mice infected with P. brasiliensis. Our results showed that P10 was efficiently adsorbed onto CAF01 liposomes. The vaccination of infected mice with cationic liposomes formulated with DDA/TDB 250/50 µg/mL and 20 µg of P10 induced an effective cellular immune response with increased levels of Th17 cytokines, which correlated with significant decreases in the fungal burdens in lungs and protective granulomatous tissue responses. Hence, cationic liposomes of DDA/TDB 250/50 µg/mL with 20 µg of P10 are a promising therapeutic for safely and effectively improving the treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Valdemir de Araújo
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.V.d.A.); (S.R.D.S.J.)
| | - Samuel Rodrigues Dos Santos Júnior
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.V.d.A.); (S.R.D.S.J.)
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Disease), Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil; (M.V.d.A.); (S.R.D.S.J.)
- Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo—LIM53, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 4023-062, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-11-3091-7351
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Almeida F, Nosanchuk JD, Niño-Vega GA. Editorial: The Fungal Cell Wall. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1682. [PMID: 33013717 PMCID: PMC7509039 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fausto Almeida
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Microbiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gustavo Alexis Niño-Vega
- Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Departamento de Biologia, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Kischkel B, Rossi SA, Santos SR, Nosanchuk JD, Travassos LR, Taborda CP. Therapies and Vaccines Based on Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Systemic Fungal Infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:463. [PMID: 33014889 PMCID: PMC7502903 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment modalities for systemic mycoses are still limited. Currently, the main antifungal therapeutics include polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins. However, even in the setting of appropriate administration of antifungals, mortality rates remain unacceptably high. Moreover, antifungal therapy is expensive, treatment periods can range from weeks to years, and toxicity is also a serious concern. In recent years, the increased number of immunocompromised individuals has contributed to the high global incidence of systemic fungal infections. Given the high morbidity and mortality rates, the complexity of treatment strategies, drug toxicity, and the worldwide burden of disease, there is a need for new and efficient therapeutic means to combat invasive mycoses. One promising avenue that is actively being pursued is nanotechnology, to develop new antifungal therapies and efficient vaccines, since it allows for a targeted delivery of drugs and antigens, which can reduce toxicity and treatment costs. The goal of this review is to discuss studies using nanoparticles to develop new therapeutic options, including vaccination methods, to combat systemic mycoses caused by Candida sp., Cryptococcus sp., Paracoccidioides sp., Histoplasma sp., Coccidioides sp., and Aspergillus sp., in addition to providing important information on the use of different types of nanoparticles, nanocarriers and their corresponding mechanisms of action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Kischkel
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Suélen A Rossi
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samuel R Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine [Division of Infectious Diseases], Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Luiz R Travassos
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Laboratory of Medical Mycology-Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo/LIM53/Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Joo PA, Cassese T, Steinman HM, Penn MN, Burton W, Rhim HJH, Nosanchuk JD. Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Acad Med 2020; 95:S331-S334. [PMID: 33626713 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000003422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
|
49
|
Cleare LG, Zamith D, Heyman HM, Couvillion SP, Nimrichter L, Rodrigues ML, Nakayasu ES, Nosanchuk JD. Media matters! Alterations in the loading and release of Histoplasma capsulatum extracellular vesicles in response to different nutritional milieus. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13217. [PMID: 32406582 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that most frequently causes pneumonia, but can also disseminate and proliferate in diverse tissues. Histoplasma capsulatum has a complex secretion system that mediates the release of macromolecule-degrading enzymes and virulence factors. The formation and release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important mechanism for non-conventional secretion in both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. Histoplasma capsulatum EVs contain diverse proteins associated with virulence and are immunologically active. Despite the growing knowledge of EVs from H. capsulatum and other pathogenic fungi, the extent that changes in the environment impact the sorting of organic molecules in EVs has not been investigated. In this study, we cultivated H. capsulatum with distinct culture media to investigate the potential plasticity in EV loading in response to differences in nutrition. Our findings reveal that nutrition plays an important role in EV loading and formation, which may translate into differences in biological activities of these fungi in various fluids and tissues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Levi G Cleare
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Heino M Heyman
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.,Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Sneha P Couvillion
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcio L Rodrigues
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto Carlos Chagas, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ernesto S Nakayasu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, USA
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Burnet MC, Zamith-Miranda D, Heyman HM, Weitz KK, Bredeweg EL, Nosanchuk JD, Nakayasu ES. Remodeling of the Histoplasma Capsulatum Membrane Induced by Monoclonal Antibodies. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E269. [PMID: 32498228 PMCID: PMC7349930 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies play a central role in host immunity by directly inactivating or recognizing an invading pathogen to enhance different immune responses to combat the invader. However, the cellular responses of pathogens to the presence of antibodies are not well-characterized. Here, we used different mass spectrometry techniques to study the cellular responses of the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum to monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against HSP60, the surface protein involved in infection. A proteomic analysis of H. capsulatum yeast cells revealed that mAb binding regulates a variety of metabolic and signaling pathways, including fatty acid metabolism, sterol metabolism, MAPK signaling and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. The regulation of the fatty acid metabolism was accompanied by increases in the level of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which further augmented the degree of unsaturated lipids in H. capsulatum's membranes and energy storage lipids, such as triacylglycerols, phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylinositols. MAb treatment also regulated sterol metabolism by increasing the levels of cholesterol and ergosterol in the cells. We also showed that global changes in the lipid profiles resulted in an increased susceptibility of H. capsulatum to the ergosterol-targeting drug amphotericin B. Overall, our data showed that mAb induction of global changes in the composition of H. capsulatum membranes can potentially impact antifungal treatment during histoplasmosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meagan C. Burnet
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Heino M. Heyman
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| | - Karl K. Weitz
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| | - Erin L. Bredeweg
- Environmental and Molecular Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA;
| | - Joshua D. Nosanchuk
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
| | - Ernesto S. Nakayasu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA; (M.C.B.); (H.M.H.); (K.K.W.)
| |
Collapse
|