1
|
Crawford C, Guazzelli L, McConnell SA, McCabe O, d’Errico C, Greengo SD, Wear MP, Jedlicka AE, Casadevall A, Oscarson S. Synthetic Glycans Reveal Determinants of Antibody Functional Efficacy against a Fungal Pathogen. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:475-488. [PMID: 37856427 PMCID: PMC10862557 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies play a vital role in the immune response to infectious diseases and can be administered passively to protect patients. In the case of Cryptococcus neoformans, a WHO critical priority fungal pathogen, infection results in antibodies targeting capsular glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). These antibodies yield protective, non-protective, and disease-enhancing outcomes when administered passively. However, it was unknown how these distinct antibodies recognized their antigens at the molecular level, leading to the hypothesis that they may target different GXM epitopes. To test this hypothesis, we constructed a microarray containing 26 glycans representative of those found in highly virulent cryptococcal strains and utilized it to study 16 well-characterized monoclonal antibodies. Notably, we found that protective and non-protective antibodies shared conserved reactivity to the M2 motif of GXM, irrespective of the strain used in infection or GXM-isolated to produce a conjugate vaccine. Here, only two antibodies, 12A1 and 18B7, exhibited diverse trivalent GXM motif reactivity. IgG antibodies associated with protective responses showed cross-reactivity to at least two GXM motifs. This molecular understanding of antibody binding epitopes was used to map the antigenic diversity of two Cryptococcus neoformans strains, which revealed the exceptional complexity of fungal capsular polysaccharides. A multi-GXM motif vaccine holds the potential to effectively address this antigenic diversity. Collectively, these findings underscore the context-dependent nature of antibody function and challenge the classification of anti-GXM epitopes as either "protective" or "non-protective".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Conor
J. Crawford
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Lorenzo Guazzelli
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Scott A. McConnell
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Orla McCabe
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Clotilde d’Errico
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Seth D. Greengo
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Maggie P. Wear
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Anne E. Jedlicka
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department
of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, United States
| | - Stefan Oscarson
- Centre
for Synthesis and Chemical Biology, University
College Dublin, Belfield D04 V1W8, Dublin 4, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jozefowicz LJ, Rodrigues ML. Preparation of Biologically Active Fractions Enriched with Glucuronoxylomannan, the Main Antigen of the Cryptococcal Capsule. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2775:367-373. [PMID: 38758330 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3722-7_24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) is the principal capsular component in the Cryptococcus genus. This complex polysaccharide participates in numerous events related to the physiology and pathogenesis of Cryptococcus, which highlights the importance of establishing methods for its isolation and analysis. Conventional methods for GXM isolation have been extensively discussed in the literature. In this chapter, we describe two fast methods for obtaining extracellular fractions enriched with cryptococcal GXM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa J Jozefowicz
- 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 (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rizzo J, Trottier A, Moyrand F, Coppée JY, Maufrais C, Zimbres ACG, Dang TTV, Alanio A, Desnos-Ollivier M, Mouyna I, Péhau-Arnaude G, Commere PH, Novault S, Ene IV, Nimrichter L, Rodrigues ML, Janbon G. Coregulation of extracellular vesicle production and fluconazole susceptibility in Cryptococcus neoformans. mBio 2023; 14:e0087023. [PMID: 37310732 PMCID: PMC10470540 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00870-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to fluconazole (FLC), the most widely used antifungal drug, is typically achieved by altering the azole drug target and/or drug efflux pumps. Recent reports have suggested a link between vesicular trafficking and antifungal resistance. Here, we identified novel Cryptococcus neoformans regulators of extracellular vesicle (EV) biogenesis that impact FLC resistance. In particular, the transcription factor Hap2 does not affect the expression of the drug target or efflux pumps, yet it impacts the cellular sterol profile. Subinhibitory FLC concentrations also downregulate EV production. Moreover, in vitro spontaneous FLC-resistant colonies showed altered EV production, and the acquisition of FLC resistance was associated with decreased EV production in clinical isolates. Finally, the reversion of FLC resistance was associated with increased EV production. These data suggest a model in which fungal cells can regulate EV production in place of regulating the drug target gene expression as a first line of defense against antifungal assault in this fungal pathogen. IMPORTANCE Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enveloped particles that are released by cells into the extracellular space. Fungal EVs can mediate community interactions and biofilm formation, but their functions remain poorly understood. Here, we report the identification of the first regulators of EV production in the major fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Surprisingly, we uncover a novel role of EVs in modulating antifungal drug resistance. Disruption of EV production was associated with altered lipid composition and changes in fluconazole susceptibility. Spontaneous azole-resistant mutants were deficient in EV production, while loss of resistance restored initial EV production levels. These findings were recapitulated in C. neoformans clinical isolates, indicating that azole resistance and EV production are coregulated in diverse strains. Our study reveals a new mechanism of drug resistance in which cells adapt to azole stress by modulating EV production.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Rizzo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adèle Trottier
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Moyrand
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, USR 3756 IP CNRS, HUB Bioinformatique et Biostatistique, Paris, France
| | - Ana Claudia G. Zimbres
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Thi Tuong Vi Dang
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Groupe de recherche Mycologie Translationnelle, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de parasitologie-mycologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
| | - Marie Desnos-Ollivier
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Groupe de recherche Mycologie Translationnelle, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Isabelle Mouyna
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
| | - Gérard Péhau-Arnaude
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Plateforme de Bio-Imagerie Ultrastructurale, Paris, France
| | - Pierre-Henri Commere
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Cytometry and Biomarkers, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Novault
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Cytometry and Biomarkers, Paris, France
| | - Iuliana V. Ene
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fungal Heterogeneity Group, Paris, France
| | - Leonardo Nimrichter
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcio L. Rodrigues
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Guilhem Janbon
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Unité Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes Fongiques, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Sena BAG, Jozefowicz LJ, Rodrigues ML. More complicated than it seems: The diversity of cryptococcal glucuronoxylomannan. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011521. [PMID: 37535500 PMCID: PMC10399737 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca A. G. Sena
- 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
| | - Luisa J. Jozefowicz
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Parasitária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - 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
|
5
|
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] [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
|
6
|
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] [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
|
7
|
Reis FCG, Gimenez B, Jozefowicz LJ, Castelli RF, Martins ST, Alves LR, de Oliveira HC, Rodrigues ML. Analysis of Cryptococcal Extracellular Vesicles: Experimental Approaches for Studying Their Diversity Among Multiple Isolates, Kinetics of Production, Methods of Separation, and Detection in Cultures of Titan Cells. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0012521. [PMID: 34346749 PMCID: PMC8552642 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00125-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by members of the Cryptococcus genus are associated with fundamental processes of fungal physiology and virulence. However, several questions about the properties of cryptococcal EVs remain unanswered, mostly because of technical limitations. We recently described a fast and efficient protocol of high-yield EV isolation from solid medium. In this study, we aimed at using the solid medium protocol to address some of the open questions about EVs, including the kinetics of EV production, the diversity of EVs produced by multiple isolates under different culture conditions, the separation of vesicles in a density gradient followed by the recovery of functional EVs, the direct detection of EVs in culture supernatants, and the production of vesicles in solid cultures of Titan cells. Our results indicate that the production of EVs is directly impacted by the culture medium and time of growth, resulting in variable detection of EVs per cell and a peak of EV detection at 24 h of growth. Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) of EV samples revealed that multiple isolates produce vesicles with variable properties, including particles of diverging dimensions. EVs were produced in the solid medium in amounts that were separated on a centrifugation density gradient, resulting in the recovery of functional EVs containing the major cryptococcal capsular antigen. We also optimized the solid medium protocol for induction of the formation of Titan cells, and analyzed the production of EVs by NTA and transmission electron microscopy. This analysis confirmed that EVs were isolated from solid cultures of cryptococcal enlarged cells. With these approaches, we expect to implement simple methods that will facilitate the analysis of EVs produced by fungal cells. IMPORTANCE Fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered to be important players in the biology of fungal pathogens. However, the limitations in the methodological approaches to studying fungal EVs impair the expansion of knowledge in this field. In the present study, we used the Cryptococcus genus as a model for the study of EVs. We explored the simplification of protocols for EV analysis, which helped us to address some important, but still unanswered, questions about fungal EVs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flavia C. G. Reis
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
- Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico em Saúde (CDTS), Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bianca Gimenez
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael F. Castelli
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Sharon T. Martins
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - 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 (IMPG), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|