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Marcos CM, de Oliveira HC, Assato PA, de Oliveira LT, Fregonezi N, dos Santos KS, Costa-Orlandi CB, Fusco-Almeida AM, Mendes-Giannini MJS. Polypeptides Targeting Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Drk1. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:980. [PMID: 37888236 PMCID: PMC10607314 DOI: 10.3390/jof9100980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Considering the toxicity of conventional therapeutic approaches and the importance of precise mechanistic targets, it is important to explore signaling pathways implicated in fungal pathobiology. Moreover, treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis, a systemic mycosis caused by a dimorphic fungus, requires prolonged therapeutic regimens. Among the numerous factors underpinning the establishment of Paracoccidioides spp. infection, the capacity to transition from the mycelial to the yeast form is of pivotal importance. The Drk1 protein of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis likely plays a decisive role in this morphological shift and subsequent virulence. We identified peptides with affinity for the PbDrk1 protein using the phage-display method and assessed the effects of these peptides on P. brasiliensis. The peptides were found to inhibit the phase transition of P. brasiliensis. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of these peptides prevented adhesion to pneumocytes. Although these peptides may not possess inherent antifungal properties, they can augment the effects of certain antifungal agents. Notably, the cell wall architecture of P. brasiliensis appears to be modulated by peptide intervention, resulting in a reduced abundance of glycosylated proteins and lipids. These peptides were also evaluated for their efficacy in a Galleria mellonella model and shown to contribute to enhanced larval survival rates. The role of PbDrk1, which is notably absent in mammals, should be further investigated to improve the understanding of its functional role in P. brasiliensis, which may be helpful for designing novel therapeutic modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Maria Marcos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Haroldo Cesar de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba 81350-010, Brazil
| | - Patricia Akemi Assato
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
- Laboratório Central de Multiusuários, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Campus Botucatu, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Paulo 18610-034, Brazil
| | - Lariane Teodoro de Oliveira
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Nathália Fregonezi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Kelvin Sousa dos Santos
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Caroline Barcelos Costa-Orlandi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Ana Marisa Fusco-Almeida
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
| | - Maria José Soares Mendes-Giannini
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara 14800-903, Brazil; (C.M.M.); (H.C.d.O.); (P.A.A.); (L.T.d.O.); (N.F.); (K.S.d.S.); (C.B.C.-O.); (A.M.F.-A.)
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Scott J, Valero C, Mato-López Á, Donaldson IJ, Roldán A, Chown H, Van Rhijn N, Lobo-Vega R, Gago S, Furukawa T, Morogovsky A, Ben Ami R, Bowyer P, Osherov N, Fontaine T, Goldman GH, Mellado E, Bromley M, Amich J. Aspergillus fumigatus Can Display Persistence to the Fungicidal Drug Voriconazole. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0477022. [PMID: 36912663 PMCID: PMC10100717 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04770-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is a filamentous fungus that can infect the lungs of patients with immunosuppression and/or underlying lung diseases. The mortality associated with chronic and invasive aspergillosis infections remain very high, despite availability of antifungal treatments. In the last decade, there has been a worrisome emergence and spread of resistance to the first-line antifungals, the azoles. The mortality caused by resistant isolates is even higher, and patient management is complicated as the therapeutic options are reduced. Nevertheless, treatment failure is also common in patients infected with azole-susceptible isolates, which can be due to several non-mutually exclusive reasons, such as poor drug absorption. In addition, the phenomena of tolerance or persistence, where susceptible pathogens can survive the action of an antimicrobial for extended periods, have been associated with treatment failure in bacterial infections, and their occurrence in fungal infections already proposed. Here, we demonstrate that some isolates of A. fumigatus display persistence to voriconazole. A subpopulation of the persister isolates can survive for extended periods and even grow at low rates in the presence of supra-MIC of voriconazole and seemingly other azoles. Persistence cannot be eradicated with adjuvant drugs or antifungal combinations and seemed to reduce the efficacy of treatment for certain individuals in a Galleria mellonella model of infection. Furthermore, persistence implies a distinct transcriptional profile, demonstrating that it is an active response. We propose that azole persistence might be a relevant and underestimated factor that could influence the outcome of infection in human aspergillosis. IMPORTANCE The phenomena of antibacterial tolerance and persistence, where pathogenic microbes can survive for extended periods in the presence of cidal drug concentrations, have received significant attention in the last decade. Several mechanisms of action have been elucidated, and their relevance for treatment failure in bacterial infections demonstrated. In contrast, our knowledge of antifungal tolerance and, in particular, persistence is still very limited. In this study, we have characterized the response of the prominent fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus to the first-line therapy antifungal voriconazole. We comprehensively show that some isolates display persistence to this fungicidal antifungal and propose various potential mechanisms of action. In addition, using an alternative model of infection, we provide initial evidence to suggest that persistence may cause treatment failure in some individuals. Therefore, we propose that azole persistence is an important factor to consider and further investigate in A. fumigatus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Scott
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Clara Valero
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Álvaro Mato-López
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ian J. Donaldson
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandra Roldán
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Harry Chown
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Norman Van Rhijn
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rebeca Lobo-Vega
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Gago
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Takanori Furukawa
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alma Morogovsky
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronen Ben Ami
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Paul Bowyer
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nir Osherov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Thierry Fontaine
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Gustavo H. Goldman
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Emilia Mellado
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- CiberInfec ISCIII, CIBER en Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Bromley
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jorge Amich
- Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection, and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Mycology Reference Laboratory (Laboratorio de Referencia e Investigación en Micología [LRIM]), National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
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Navarro MV, de Barros YN, Segura WD, Chaves AFA, Jannuzzi GP, Ferreira KS, Xander P, Batista WL. The Role of Dimorphism Regulating Histidine Kinase (Drk1) in the Pathogenic Fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Cell Wall. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7121014. [PMID: 34946996 PMCID: PMC8707131 DOI: 10.3390/jof7121014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dimorphic fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus are the causative agents of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), an endemic disease in Latin America with a high incidence in Brazil. This pathogen presents as infective mycelium at 25 °C in the soil, reverting to its pathogenic form when inhaled by the mammalian host (37 °C). Among these dimorphic fungal species, dimorphism regulating histidine kinase (Drk1) plays an essential role in the morphological transition. These kinases are present in bacteria and fungi but absent in mammalian cells and are important virulence and cellular survival regulators. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of PbDrk1 in the cell wall modulation of P. brasiliensis. We observed that PbDrk1 participates in fungal resistance to different cell wall-disturbing agents by reducing viability after treatment with iDrk1. To verify the role of PbDRK1 in cell wall morphogenesis, qPCR results showed that samples previously exposed to iDrk1 presented higher expression levels of several genes related to cell wall modulation. One of them was FKS1, a β-glucan synthase that showed a 3.6-fold increase. Furthermore, confocal microscopy analysis and flow cytometry showed higher β-glucan exposure on the cell surface of P. brasiliensis after incubation with iDrk1. Accordingly, through phagocytosis assays, a significantly higher phagocytic index was observed in yeasts treated with iDrk1 than the control group, demonstrating the role of PbDrk1 in cell wall modulation, which then becomes a relevant target to be investigated. In parallel, the immune response profile showed increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Finally, our data strongly suggest that PbDrk1 modulates cell wall component expression, among which we can identify β-glucan. Understanding this signalling pathway may be of great value for identifying targets of antifungal molecular activity since HKs are not present in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Valente Navarro
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil;
| | - Yasmin Nascimento de Barros
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, Brazil; (Y.N.d.B.); (W.D.S.); (K.S.F.); (P.X.)
| | - Wilson Dias Segura
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, Brazil; (Y.N.d.B.); (W.D.S.); (K.S.F.); (P.X.)
| | | | - Grasielle Pereira Jannuzzi
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil;
| | - Karen Spadari Ferreira
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, Brazil; (Y.N.d.B.); (W.D.S.); (K.S.F.); (P.X.)
| | - Patrícia Xander
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, Brazil; (Y.N.d.B.); (W.D.S.); (K.S.F.); (P.X.)
| | - Wagner Luiz Batista
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil;
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Diadema 09913-030, Brazil; (Y.N.d.B.); (W.D.S.); (K.S.F.); (P.X.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-11-3319-3594; Fax: +55-11-3319-3300
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Updates in Paracoccidioides Biology and Genetic Advances in Fungus Manipulation. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7020116. [PMID: 33557381 PMCID: PMC7915485 DOI: 10.3390/jof7020116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The dimorphic fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus are the causative agents of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). This disease is endemic in Latin America and primarily affects workers in rural areas. PCM is considered a neglected disease, despite being a disabling disease that has a notable impact on the public health system. Paracoccidioides spp. are thermally dimorphic fungi that present infective mycelia at 25 °C and differentiate into pathogenic yeast forms at 37 °C. This transition involves a series of morphological, structural, and metabolic changes which are essential for their survival inside hosts. As a pathogen, the fungus is subjected to several varieties of stress conditions, including the host immune response, which involves the production of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species, thermal stress due to temperature changes during the transition, pH alterations within phagolysosomes, and hypoxia inside granulomas. Over the years, studies focusing on understanding the establishment and development of PCM have been conducted with several limitations due to the low effectiveness of strategies for the genetic manipulation of Paracoccidioides spp. This review describes the most relevant biological features of Paracoccidioides spp., including aspects of the phylogeny, ecology, stress response, infection, and evasion mechanisms of the fungus. We also discuss the genetic aspects and difficulties of fungal manipulation, and, finally, describe the advances in molecular biology that may be employed in molecular research on this fungus in the future.
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de Curcio JS, Paccez JD, Novaes E, Brock M, Soares CMDA. Cell Wall Synthesis, Development of Hyphae and Metabolic Pathways Are Processes Potentially Regulated by MicroRNAs Produced Between the Morphological Stages of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:3057. [PMID: 30619144 PMCID: PMC6297277 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are molecules involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. In pathogenic fungi, microRNAs have been described at different morphological stages by regulating targets involved in processes such as morphogenesis and energy production. Members of the Paracoccidioides complex are the main etiological agents of a systemic mycosis in Latin America. Fungi of the Paracoccidioides complex present a wide range of plasticity to colonize different niches. In response to environmental changes these fungi undergo a morphological switch, remodel their cellular metabolism and modulate structural cell wall components. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating the gene expression is not well understood. By using high performance sequencing and bioinformatics analyses, this work characterizes microRNAs produced by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Here, we demonstrated that the transcript encoding proteins involved in microRNA biogenesis were differentially expressed in each morphological stage. In addition, 49 microRNAs were identified in cDNA libraries with 44 differentially regulated among the libraries. Sixteen microRNAs were differentially regulated in comparison to the mycelium in the mycelium-to-yeast transition phase. The yeast parasitic phase revealed a complete remodeling of the expression of these small RNAs. Analyses of targets of the induced microRNAs, from the different libraries, revealed that these molecules may potentially regulate in the cell wall, by repressing genes involved in the synthesis and degradation of glucans and chitin. Furthermore, mRNAs involved in cellular metabolism and development were predicted to be regulated by microRNAs. Therefore, this work describes a putative post transcriptional regulation, mediated by microRNAs in P. brasiliensis and its influence on the adaptive processes of thermal dimorphic fungus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana S. de Curcio
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Juliano D. Paccez
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Evandro Novaes
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mathias Brock
- Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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