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Yang D, Wang W, Zhao L, Rao L, Liao X. Resuscitation of viable but nonculturable bacteria promoted by ATP-mediated NAD + synthesis. J Adv Res 2024; 60:27-39. [PMID: 37541583 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Entry into the viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state is a survival strategy adopted by bacteria to survive harsh environment. Although VBNC cells still have metabolic activity, they lose the ability to form colonies on nonselective culture media. Thus, conventional bacterial detection methods, such as plate counting, are unable to detect the presence of VBNC cells. When the environmental conditions are appropriate, VBNC cells can initiate resuscitation, posing a great risk to the safety of public health. The study of the VBNC resuscitation mechanism could provide new insights into the prevention and control of VBNC resuscitation. OBJECTIVES Uncovering the molecular mechanism of VBNC cell resuscitation by investigating the role of O-antigen ligase (RfaL) in inhibiting the resuscitation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the VBNC state. METHODS RfaL was screened and verified as a resuscitation inhibitor of VBNC Escherichia coli O157:H7 by detecting resuscitation curve and time-lapse microscopy. The mechanism of RfaL impacts VBNC E. coli resuscitation was investigated by detecting the single cell ATP content, metabolomic changes, NAD(H) content and new protein biosynthesis of WT and ΔrfaL at different stage of resuscitation. RESULTS Mutation of rfaL, which encoded an O-antigen ligase, markedly shortened the resuscitating lag phase. Further studies indicated that ΔrfaL VBNC cells contained higher ATP levels, and ATP consumption during the resuscitating lag phase was highly correlated with resuscitation efficiency. Metabolomic analysis revealed that ATP was utilized to activate the Handler and salvage pathways to synthesize NAD+, balancing redox reactions to recover cell activity and promote cell resuscitation. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed a strategy employed by VBNC cells for revival, that is, using residual ATP to primarily recover metabolic activity, driving cells to exit dormancy. The synthesis pathway of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rfaL null mutant was inhibited and could supply more ATP to synthesis NAD+ and promote resuscitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Yang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxin Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Rao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, China.
| | - Xiaojun Liao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; National Engineering Research Center for Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing Key Laboratory for Food Non-thermal Processing, Beijing, China.
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Palmucci JR, Sells BE, Giamberardino CD, Toffaletti DL, Dai B, Asfaw YG, Dubois LG, Li Z, Theriot B, Schell WA, Hope W, Tenor JL, Perfect JR. A ketogenic diet enhances fluconazole efficacy in murine models of systemic fungal infection. mBio 2024; 15:e0064924. [PMID: 38619236 PMCID: PMC11077957 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00649-24] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections are a significant public health concern, with mortality rates ranging from 20% to 85% despite current treatments. Therefore, we examined whether a ketogenic diet could serve as a successful treatment intervention in murine models of Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans infection in combination with fluconazole-a low-cost, readily available antifungal therapy. The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that promotes fatty acid oxidation as an alternative to glycolysis through the production of ketone bodies. In this series of experiments, mice fed a ketogenic diet prior to infection with C. neoformans and treated with fluconazole had a significant decrease in fungal burden in both the brain (mean 2.66 ± 0.289 log10 reduction) and lung (mean 1.72 ± 0.399 log10 reduction) compared to fluconazole treatment on a conventional diet. During C. albicans infection, kidney fungal burden of mice in the keto-fluconazole combination group was significantly decreased compared to fluconazole alone (2.37 ± 0.770 log10-reduction). Along with higher concentrations of fluconazole in the plasma and brain tissue, fluconazole efficacy was maximized at a significantly lower concentration on a keto diet compared to a conventional diet, indicating a dramatic effect on fluconazole pharmacodynamics. Our findings indicate that a ketogenic diet potentiates the effect of fluconazole at multiple body sites during both C. neoformans and C. albicans infection and could have practical and promising treatment implications.IMPORTANCEInvasive fungal infections cause over 2.5 million deaths per year around the world. Treatments for fungal infections are limited, and there is a significant need to develop strategies to enhance antifungal efficacy, combat antifungal resistance, and mitigate treatment side effects. We determined that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet significantly potentiated the therapeutic effect of fluconazole, which resulted in a substantial decrease in tissue fungal burden of both C. neoformans and C. albicans in experimental animal models. We believe this work is the first of its kind to demonstrate that diet can dramatically influence the treatment of fungal infections. These results highlight a novel strategy of antifungal drug enhancement and emphasize the need for future investigation into dietary effects on antifungal drug activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Palmucci
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Blake E Sells
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Charles D Giamberardino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dena L Toffaletti
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Baodi Dai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yohannes G Asfaw
- Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura G Dubois
- Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zhong Li
- Duke Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Barbara Theriot
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wiley A Schell
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - William Hope
- Antimicrobial Pharmacodynamics and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Health Partners, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer L Tenor
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - John R Perfect
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Silva VKA, Min S, Yoo K, Fries BC. Host-Pathogen Interactions and Correlated Factors That Are Affected in Replicative-Aged Cryptococcus neoformans. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:279. [PMID: 38667950 PMCID: PMC11050866 DOI: 10.3390/jof10040279] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a facultative intracellular fungal pathogen. Ten-generation-old (10GEN) C. neoformans cells are more resistant to phagocytosis and killing by macrophages than younger daughter cells. However, mechanisms that mediate this resistance and intracellular parasitism are poorly understood. Here, we identified important factors for the intracellular survival of 10GEN C. neoformans, such as urease activity, capsule synthesis, and DNA content using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy techniques. The real-time visualization of time-lapse imaging was applied to determine the phagosomal acidity, membrane permeability, and vomocytosis (non-lytic exocytosis) rate in J774 macrophages that phagocytosed C. neoformans of different generational ages. Our results showed that old C. neoformans exhibited higher urease activity and enhanced Golgi activity. In addition, old C. neoformans were more likely to be arrested in the G2 phase, resulting in the occasional formation of aberrant trimera-like cells. To finish, the advanced generational age of the yeast cells slightly reduced vomocytosis events within host cells, which might be associated with increased phagolysosome pH and membrane permeability. Altogether, our results suggest that old C. neoformans prevail within acidic phagolysosomes and can manipulate the phagosome pH. These strategies may be used by old C. neoformans to resist phagosomal killing and drive cryptococcosis pathogenesis. The comprehension of these essential host-pathogen interactions could further shed light on mechanisms that bring new insights for novel antifungal therapeutic design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa K. A. Silva
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (V.K.A.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Sungyun Min
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (V.K.A.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Kyungyoon Yoo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;
| | - Bettina C. Fries
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; (V.K.A.S.); (S.M.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, Northport, NY 11768, USA
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Musubire A, Kagimu E, Mugabi T, Meya DB, Boulware DR, Bahr NC. Complex Decisions in HIV-Related Cryptococcosis: Addressing Second Episodes of Cryptococcal Meningitis. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2024; 21:75-85. [PMID: 38400871 PMCID: PMC11016006 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-024-00691-3] [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] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review highlights the difficulties in diagnosing and treating persons with a prior history of cryptococcal meningitis who improve but suffer from a recurrence of symptoms. This scenario is well known to those who frequently care for patients with cryptococcal meningitis but is not well understood. We highlight major gaps in knowledge. RECENT FINDINGS We recently summarized our experience with 28 persons with paradoxical immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) and 81 persons with microbiological relapse. CD4 count and cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count were higher in IRIS than relapse but neither was reliable enough to routinely differentiate these conditions. Second-episode cryptococcal meningitis remains a difficult clinical scenario as cryptococcal antigen, while excellent for initial diagnosis has no value in differentiating relapse of infection from other causes of recurrent symptoms. Updated research definitions are proposed and rapid, accurate diagnostic tests are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdu Musubire
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Enock Kagimu
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Timothy Mugabi
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David B Meya
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - David R Boulware
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nathan C Bahr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, 66160 KS, USA.
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Hargarten JC, Ssebambulidde K, Anjum SH, Vaughan MJ, Xu J, Song B, Ganguly A, Park YD, Scott T, Hammoud DA, Olszewski MA, Williamson PR. JAK/STAT Signaling Predominates in Human and Murine Fungal Post-infectious Inflammatory Response Syndrome. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.18.24301483. [PMID: 38293201 PMCID: PMC10827263 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.18.24301483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Post-infection inflammatory syndromes have been increasingly recognized as a cause of host damage in a variety of infectious diseases including tuberculosis, bacterial meningitis, and COVID-19. Recently, a post-infectious inflammatory response syndrome (PIIRS) was described in non-HIV-infected cryptococcal fungal meningoencephalitis (CM) as a major cause of mortality. Inflammatory syndromes are particularly severe in neurological infections due to the skull's rigid structure which limits unchecked tissue expansion from inflammatory-induced edema. In the present studies, neurologic transcriptional pathway analysis utilizing a murine PIIRS model demonstrated a predominance of Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) activation. JAK/STAT inhibitor treatment resulted in improvements in CNS damage markers, reductions in intrathecal CD44hiCD62lo CD4+ effector CD4+ T-cells and MHC II+ inflammatory myeloid cells, and weight gains in mice, the latter after treatment with antifungals. Based on these data, pathway-driven steroid-sparing human treatment for steroid-refractory PIIRS was initiated using short courses of the JAK/STAT inhibitor ruxolitinib. These were well tolerated and reduced activated HLA-DR+ CD4+ and CD8+ cells and inflammatory monocytes as well as improved brain imaging. Together, these findings support the role of JAK/STAT in PIIRS as well as further study of JAK/STAT inhibitors as potential adjunctive therapy for PIRS and other neural inflammatory syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C. Hargarten
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth Ssebambulidde
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
- Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Seher H. Anjum
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Malcolm J. Vaughan
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jintao Xu
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Research Service, Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brian Song
- Research Service, Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anutosh Ganguly
- Research Service, Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Yoon-dong Park
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Terri Scott
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dima A. Hammoud
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Michal A. Olszewski
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Research Service, Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter R. Williamson
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
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Zhang L, Meng Z, Calderone R, Liu W, She X, Li D. Mitochondria complex I deficiency in Candida albicans arrests the cell cycle at S phase through suppressive TOR and PKA pathways. FEMS Yeast Res 2024; 24:foae010. [PMID: 38592962 PMCID: PMC11008738 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foae010] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
How mutations in mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) proteins impact the cell cycle of Candida albicans was investigated in this study. Using genetic null mutants targeting ETC complexes I (CI), III (CIII), and IV (CIV), the cell cycle stages (G0/G1, S phase, and G2/M) were analyzed via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Four CI null mutants exhibited distinct alterations, including extended S phase, shortened G2/M population, and a reduction in cells size exceeding 10 µM. Conversely, CIII mutants showed an increased population in G1/G0 phase. Among four CI mutants, ndh51Δ/Δ and goa1Δ/Δ displayed aberrant cell cycle patterns correlated with previously reported cAMP/PKA downregulation. Specifically, nuo1Δ/Δ and nuo2Δ/Δ mutants exhibited increased transcription of RIM15, a central hub linking cell cycle with nutrient-dependent TOR1 and cAMP/PKA pathways and Snf1 aging pathway. These findings suggest that suppression of TOR1 and cAMP/PKA pathways or enhanced Snf1 disrupts cell cycle progression, influencing cell longevity and growth among CI mutants. Overall, our study highlights the intricate interplay between mitochondrial ETC, cell cycle, and signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No.155 Hanzhong Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, 210029, China
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, 20057, United States
| | - Zhou Meng
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), No. 12 Jiangwangmiao Street, Xuanwu District, Naning, 210042, China
| | - Richard Calderone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, 20057, United States
| | - Weida Liu
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), No. 12 Jiangwangmiao Street, Xuanwu District, Naning, 210042, China
| | - Xiaodong She
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, 20057, United States
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), No. 12 Jiangwangmiao Street, Xuanwu District, Naning, 210042, China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, 20057, United States
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Hommel B, Sturny-Leclère A, Alanio A. In Vitro Titan Cell Generation in Cryptococcus neoformans and Automated Cell Size Measurements. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2775:385-391. [PMID: 38758332 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3722-7_26] [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
A special feature of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is its morphological changes triggered by the interaction with the host. During infection, a specific increase in cell size is observed, particularly in lung tissue, from a typical cell size of 5-7 μm cells to cells larger than 10 μm, dubbed titan cells (TCs). However, the study of this specific cell subpopulation was, until now, only possible via recovery of TCs from lungs of mice during experimental infections where stable and reproducible generation of TCs occurs.The protocol described here generates TCs using in vitro conditions and measures cell size using a rapid, automated method. TC generation in vitro is robust and reproducible, generating yeast cells harboring the same characteristics of TCs generated in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hommel
- Translational Mycology Research Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France
| | - Aude Sturny-Leclère
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité,National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Translational Mycology Research Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Centre National de Référence Mycoses Invasives et Antifongiques, Département de Mycologie, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire de parasitologie-mycologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
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Agrawal R, Sturny-Leclère A, de Castro RJA, Alanio A. Induction of Dormancy in Cryptococcus neoformans In Vitro: The HypNOS Protocol. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2775:349-358. [PMID: 38758328 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3722-7_22] [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
Cryptococcus neoformans is the second major cause of death in patients with HIV. During a latent infection, this pathogenic fungus survives in the host for years without causing symptoms of active disease. Upon favorable conditions, such as immunosuppression due to HIV infection, or other conditions (steroid use or organ transplantation), the yeast may reactivate and cause active cryptococcosis. Hence, dormancy is an important phase in the pathogenesis of C. neoformans. Additionally, C. neoformans also persists during antifungal treatment and causes disease recurrence, which is a major medical problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To survive in the host, yeast cells must react to the stresses they are exposed to and generate a cellular response that is favorable for yeast survival. A prominent strategy used by C. neoformans to combat challenging surroundings is dormancy, which may translate into a viable, but nonculturable phenotype (VBNC). This chapter describes an in vitro protocol to generate and characterize dormant Cryptococci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchi Agrawal
- Department of Mycology, Translational Mycology Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Paris, France
| | - Aude Sturny-Leclère
- Department of Mycology, Translational Mycology Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Paris, France
| | - Raffael J A de Castro
- Department of Mycology, Translational Mycology Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Department of Mycology, Translational Mycology Group, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Paris, France.
- Laboratoire de parrasitologie-Mycologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
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de Castro RJA, Marina CL, Sturny-Leclère A, Hoffmann C, Bürgel PH, Wong SSW, Aimanianda V, Varet H, Agrawal R, Bocca AL, Alanio A. Kicking sleepers out of bed: Macrophages promote reactivation of dormant Cryptococcus neoformans by extracellular vesicle release and non-lytic exocytosis. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011841. [PMID: 38033163 PMCID: PMC10715671 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Macrophages play a key role in disseminated cryptococcosis, a deadly fungal disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. This opportunistic infection can arise following the reactivation of a poorly characterized latent infection attributed to dormant C. neoformans. Here, we investigated the mechanisms underlying reactivation of dormant C. neoformans using an in vitro co-culture model of viable but non-culturable (VBNC; equivalent of dormant) yeast cells with bone marrow-derived murine macrophages (BMDMs). Comparative transcriptome analysis of BMDMs incubated with log, stationary phase or VBNC cells of C. neoformans showed that VBNC cells elicited a reduced transcriptional modification of the macrophage but retaining the ability to regulate genes important for immune response, such as NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes. We further confirmed the maintenance of the low immunostimulatory capacity of VBNC cells using multiplex cytokine profiling, and analysis of cell wall composition and dectin-1 ligands exposure. In addition, we evaluated the effects of classic (M1) or alternative (M2) macrophage polarization on VBNC cells. We observed that intracellular residence sustained dormancy, regardless of the polarization state of macrophages and despite indirect detection of pantothenic acid (or its derivatives), a known reactivator for VBNC cells, in the C. neoformans-containing phagolysosome. Notably, M0 and M2, but not M1 macrophages, induced extracellular reactivation of VBNC cells by the secretion of extracellular vesicles and non-lytic exocytosis. Our results indicate that VBNC cells retain the low immunostimulatory profile required for persistence of C. neoformans in the host. We also describe a pro-pathogen role of macrophage-derived extracellular vesicles in C. neoformans infection and reinforce the impact of non-lytic exocytosis and the macrophage profile on the pathophysiology of cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Júnio Araújo de Castro
- Translational Mycology Research Group, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Clara Luna Marina
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Aude Sturny-Leclère
- Translational Mycology Research Group, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Christian Hoffmann
- Food Research Center, Department of Food Sciences and Experimental Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Bürgel
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Sarah Sze Wah Wong
- Immunobiology of Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Vishukumar Aimanianda
- Immunobiology of Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Plate-forme Technologique Biomics, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Ruchi Agrawal
- Translational Mycology Research Group, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anamélia Lorenzetti Bocca
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- Translational Mycology Research Group, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Mycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de parasitologie-mycologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France
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Hargarten JC, Anjum SH, Ssebambulidde K, Park YD, Vaughan MJ, Scott TL, Hammoud DA, Billioux BJ, Williamson PR. Tocilizumab as a Potential Adjunctive Therapy to Corticosteroids in Cryptococcal Post-infectious Inflammatory Response Syndrome (PIIRS): a Report of Two Cases. J Clin Immunol 2023; 43:2146-2155. [PMID: 37814084 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01592-7] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Non-HIV cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) in previously healthy individuals is often complicated by a post-infectious inflammatory response syndrome (c-PIIRS) characterized by neurologic deterioration after appropriate antifungal therapy with sterilization of CSF fungal cultures. c-PIIRS results from an excessive inflammatory response to fungal antigens released during fungal lysis, mediated by IFN-γ, IL-6, and activated T-helper cells, leading to immune-mediated host damage that responds to pulse-corticosteroid taper therapy (PCT). Typically, oral steroids may take up to a year to taper, and occasionally, patients will be refractory to steroid therapy or may demonstrate high-risk lesions such as those involving intracranial arteries. Also, patients can have problematic side effects from prolonged corticosteroids. Hence, appropriate adjunctive agents are needed to reduce corticosteroid doses in the treatment of c-PIIRS. Due to a possible role of IL-6 in pathogenesis, IL-6 receptor blockade by tocilizumab may be useful in the treatment of c-PIIRS. METHODS Two previously healthy patients with non-HIV cPIIRS were seen at the NIH. Due to concerns for intracranial vascular rupture in an area of inflammation (Patient 1) and intractable symptoms on high-dose oral corticosteroids (Patient 2) with evidence of persistent CSF inflammation, patients were treated with 4-8 mg/kg tocilizumab every 2 weeks while maintained on a constant dose of prednisone. RESULTS Two patients exhibited rapid immunological improvement following treatment with tocilizumab. Patient 1 remained vascularly stable, and Patient 2 had near resolution of headaches with improvement in mental status as evidenced by improved MOCA score. The two had improved CSF inflammatory parameters and no significant side effects. Both CSF cultures remained negative throughout treatment. CONCLUSIONS Tocilizumab may be a safe adjunctive treatment for CM-related PIIRS suggesting further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica C Hargarten
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Seher H Anjum
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kenneth Ssebambulidde
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yoon-Dong Park
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Malcolm J Vaughan
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Terri L Scott
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Dima A Hammoud
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging (CIDI), Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bridgette Jeanne Billioux
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter R Williamson
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), Division of Intramural Research (DIR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bldg 10, Rm 11C208, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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11
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Puerner C, Vellanki S, Strauch JL, Cramer RA. Recent Advances in Understanding the Human Fungal Pathogen Hypoxia Response in Disease Progression. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:403-425. [PMID: 37713457 PMCID: PMC11034785 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-021745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Fungal-mediated disease progression and antifungal drug efficacy are significantly impacted by the dynamic infection microenvironment. At the site of infection, oxygen often becomes limiting and induces a hypoxia response in both the fungal pathogen and host cells. The fungal hypoxia response impacts several important aspects of fungal biology that contribute to pathogenesis, virulence, antifungal drug susceptibility, and ultimately infection outcomes. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the hypoxia response in the most common human fungal pathogens, discuss potential therapeutic opportunities, and highlight important areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Puerner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
| | - Sandeep Vellanki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
| | - Julianne L Strauch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
- Department of Biology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Robert A Cramer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA;
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12
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Telzrow CL, Esher Righi S, Cathey JM, Granek JA, Alspaugh JA. Cryptococcus neoformans Mar1 function links mitochondrial metabolism, oxidative stress, and antifungal tolerance. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1150272. [PMID: 36969606 PMCID: PMC10033685 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1150272] [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: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Microbial pathogens undergo significant physiological changes during interactions with the infected host, including alterations in metabolism and cell architecture. The Cryptococcus neoformans Mar1 protein is required for the proper ordering of the fungal cell wall in response to host-relevant stresses. However, the precise mechanism by which this Cryptococcus-specific protein regulates cell wall homeostasis was not defined. Methods: Here, we use comparative transcriptomics, protein localization, and phenotypic analysis of a mar1D loss-of-function mutant strain to further define the role of C. neoformans Mar1 in stress response and antifungal resistance. Results: We demonstrate that C. neoformans Mar1 is highly enriched in mitochondria. Furthermore, a mar1Δ mutant strain is impaired in growth in the presence of select electron transport chain inhibitors, has altered ATP homeostasis, and promotes proper mitochondrial morphogenesis. Pharmacological inhibition of complex IV of the electron transport chain in wild-type cells promotes similar cell wall changes as the mar1Δ mutant strain, supporting prior associations between mitochondrial function and cell wall homeostasis. Although Mar1 is not required for general susceptibility to the azole antifungals, the mar1Δ mutant strain displays increased tolerance to fluconazole that correlates with repressed mitochondrial metabolic activity. Discussion: Together, these studies support an emerging model in which the metabolic activity of microbial cells directs cell physiological changes to allow persistence in the face of antimicrobial and host stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calla L. Telzrow
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Shannon Esher Righi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Jackson M. Cathey
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Joshua A. Granek
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - J. Andrew Alspaugh
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
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13
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Stempinski PR, Gerbig GR, Greengo SD, Casadevall A. Last but not yeast-The many forms of Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011048. [PMID: 36602969 PMCID: PMC9815591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr R. Stempinski
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Gracen R. Gerbig
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Seth D. Greengo
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Arturo Casadevall
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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14
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Sephton-Clark P, Tenor JL, Toffaletti DL, Meyers N, Giamberardino C, Molloy SF, Palmucci JR, Chan A, Chikaonda T, Heyderman R, Hosseinipour M, Kalata N, Kanyama C, Kukacha C, Lupiya D, Mwandumba HC, Harrison T, Bicanic T, Perfect JR, Cuomo CA. Genomic Variation across a Clinical Cryptococcus Population Linked to Disease Outcome. mBio 2022; 13:e0262622. [PMID: 36354332 PMCID: PMC9765290 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02626-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is the causative agent of cryptococcosis, a disease with poor patient outcomes that accounts for approximately 180,000 deaths each year. Patient outcomes may be impacted by the underlying genetics of the infecting isolate; however, our current understanding of how genetic diversity contributes to clinical outcomes is limited. Here, we leverage clinical, in vitro growth and genomic data for 284 C. neoformans isolates to identify clinically relevant pathogen variants within a population of clinical isolates from patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated cryptococcosis in Malawi. Through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach, we identify variants associated with the fungal burden and the growth rate. We also find both small and large-scale variation, including aneuploidy, associated with alternate growth phenotypes, which may impact the course of infection. Genes impacted by these variants are involved in transcriptional regulation, signal transduction, glycosylation, sugar transport, and glycolysis. We show that growth within the central nervous system (CNS) is reliant upon glycolysis in an animal model and likely impacts patient mortality, as the CNS yeast burden likely modulates patient outcome. Additionally, we find that genes with roles in sugar transport are enriched in regions under selection in specific lineages of this clinical population. Further, we demonstrate that genomic variants in two genes identified by GWAS impact virulence in animal models. Our approach identifies links between the genetic variation in C. neoformans and clinically relevant phenotypes and animal model pathogenesis, thereby shedding light on specific survival mechanisms within the CNS and identifying the pathways involved in yeast persistence. IMPORTANCE Infection outcomes for cryptococcosis, most commonly caused by C. neoformans, are influenced by host immune responses as well as by host and pathogen genetics. Infecting yeast isolates are genetically diverse; however, we lack a deep understanding of how this diversity impacts patient outcomes. To better understand both clinical isolate diversity and how diversity contributes to infection outcomes, we utilize a large collection of clinical C. neoformans samples that were isolated from patients enrolled in a clinical trial across 3 hospitals in Malawi. By combining whole-genome sequence data, clinical data, and in vitro growth data, we utilize genome-wide association approaches to examine the genetic basis of virulence. Genes with significant associations display virulence attributes in both murine and rabbit models, demonstrating that our approach can identify potential links between genetic variants and patho-biologically significant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Sephton-Clark
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jennifer L. Tenor
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dena L. Toffaletti
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nancy Meyers
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Charles Giamberardino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Síle F. Molloy
- Centre for Global Health, Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Clinical Academic Group in Infection, St George's University Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Julia R. Palmucci
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Adrienne Chan
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tarsizio Chikaonda
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Robert Heyderman
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mina Hosseinipour
- UNC Project Malawi, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Newton Kalata
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Cecilia Kanyama
- UNC Project Malawi, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher Kukacha
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Duncan Lupiya
- Tisungane Clinic, Zomba Central Hospital, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Henry C. Mwandumba
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Thomas Harrison
- Centre for Global Health, Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Clinical Academic Group in Infection, St George's University Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tihana Bicanic
- Centre for Global Health, Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Clinical Academic Group in Infection, St George's University Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - John R. Perfect
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christina A. Cuomo
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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15
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The Dynamics of Cryptococcus neoformans Cell and Transcriptional Remodeling during Infection. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233896. [PMID: 36497155 PMCID: PMC9740611 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenotypic plasticity of Cryptococcus neoformans is widely studied and demonstrated in vitro, but its influence on pathogenicity remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the dynamics of cryptococcal cell and transcriptional remodeling during pulmonary infection in a murine model. We showed that in Cryptococcus neoformans, cell size reduction (cell body ≤ 3 µm) is important for initial adaptation during infection. This change was associated with reproductive fitness and tissue invasion. Subsequently, the fungus develops mechanisms aimed at resistance to the host’s immune response, which is determinant for virulence. We investigated the transcriptional changes involved in this cellular remodeling and found an upregulation of transcripts related to ribosome biogenesis at the beginning (6 h) of infection and a later (10 days) upregulation of transcripts involved in the inositol pathway, energy production, and the proteasome. Consistent with a role for the proteasome, we found that its inhibition delayed cell remodeling during infection with the H99 strain. Altogether, these results further our understanding of the infection biology of C. neoformans and provide perspectives to support therapeutic and diagnostic targets for cryptococcosis.
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16
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İzgördü ÖK, Darcan C, Kariptaş E. Overview of VBNC, a survival strategy for microorganisms. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:307. [PMID: 36276476 PMCID: PMC9526772 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03371-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms are exposed to a wide variety of stress factors in their natural environments. Under that stressful conditions, they move into a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state to survive and maintain the vitality. At VBNC state, microorganisms cannot be detected by traditional laboratory methods, but they can be revived under appropriate conditions. Therefore, VBNC organisms cause serious food safety and public health problems. To date, it has been determined that more than 100 microorganism species have entered the VBNC state through many chemical and physical factors. During the last four decades, dating from the initial detection of the VBNC condition, new approaches have been developed for the induction, detection, molecular mechanisms, and resuscitation of VBNC cells. This review evaluates the current data of recent years on the inducing conditions and detection methods of the VBNC state, including with microorganisms on the VBNC state, their virulence, pathogenicity, and molecular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge Kaygusuz İzgördü
- Biotechnology Application and Research Center, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey
| | - Cihan Darcan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Bilecik, Turkey
| | - Ergin Kariptaş
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun University, Samsun, Turkey
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17
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de Castro RJA, Rêgo MTAM, Brandão FS, Pérez ALA, De Marco JL, Poças-Fonseca MJ, Nichols C, Alspaugh JA, Felipe MSS, Alanio A, Bocca AL, Fernandes L. Engineered Fluorescent Strains of Cryptococcus neoformans: a Versatile Toolbox for Studies of Host-Pathogen Interactions and Fungal Biology, Including the Viable but Nonculturable State. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0150422. [PMID: 36005449 PMCID: PMC9603711 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01504-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen known for its remarkable ability to infect and subvert phagocytes. This ability provides survival and persistence within the host and relies on phenotypic plasticity. The viable but nonculturable (VBNC) phenotype was recently described in C. neoformans, whose study is promising in understanding the pathophysiology of cryptococcosis. The use of fluorescent strains is improving host interaction research, but it is still underexploited. Here, we fused histone H3 or the poly(A) binding protein (Pab) to enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) or mCherry, obtaining a set of C. neoformans transformants with different colors, patterns of fluorescence, and selective markers (hygromycin B resistance [Hygr] or neomycin resistance [Neor]). We validated their similarity to the parental strain in the stress response, the expression of virulence-related phenotypes, mating, virulence in Galleria mellonella, and survival within murine macrophages. PAB-GFP, the brightest transformant, was successfully applied for the analysis of phagocytosis by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Moreover, we demonstrated that an engineered fluorescent strain of C. neoformans was able to generate VBNC cells. GFP-tagged Pab1, a key regulator of the stress response, evidenced nuclear retention of Pab1 and the assembly of cytoplasmic stress granules, unveiling posttranscriptional mechanisms associated with dormant C. neoformans cells. Our results support that the PAB-GFP strain is a useful tool for research on C. neoformans. IMPORTANCE Cryptococcus neoformans is a human-pathogenic yeast that can undergo a dormant state and is responsible for over 180,000 deaths annually worldwide. We engineered a set of fluorescent transformants to aid in research on C. neoformans. A mutant with GFP-tagged Pab1 improved fluorescence-based techniques used in host interaction studies. Moreover, this mutant induced a viable but nonculturable phenotype and uncovered posttranscriptional mechanisms associated with dormant C. neoformans. The experimental use of fluorescent mutants may shed light on C. neoformans-host interactions and fungal biology, including dormant phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Júnio Araújo de Castro
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- CNRS, Unité de Mycologie Moléculaire, Centre National de Référence Mycoses et Antifongiques, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Marco Túlio Aidar Mariano Rêgo
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Fabiana S. Brandão
- Faculty of Health Science, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura Alfonso Pérez
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Janice Lisboa De Marco
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Marcio José Poças-Fonseca
- Department of Genetics and Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Connie Nichols
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - J. Andrew Alspaugh
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria Sueli S. Felipe
- Catholic University of Brasilia, Campus Asa Norte, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Alanio
- CNRS, Unité de Mycologie Moléculaire, Centre National de Référence Mycoses et Antifongiques, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Mycologie et Parasitologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Saint Louis, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Anamélia Lorenzetti Bocca
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
| | - Larissa Fernandes
- Laboratory of Applied Immunology, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
- Faculty of Ceilândia, Campus UnB Ceilândia, University of Brasília, Ceilândia Sul, Brasília, Federal District, Brazil
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An Immunogenic and Slow-Growing Cryptococcal Strain Induces a Chronic Granulomatous Infection in Murine Lungs. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0058021. [PMID: 35587201 PMCID: PMC9202370 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00580-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many successful pathogens cause latent infections, remaining dormant within the host for years but retaining the ability to reactivate to cause symptomatic disease. The human opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans establishes latent pulmonary infections in immunocompetent individuals upon inhalation from the environment. These latent infections are frequently characterized by granulomas, or foci of chronic inflammation, that contain dormant and persistent cryptococcal cells. Immunosuppression can cause these granulomas to break down and release fungal cells that proliferate, disseminate, and eventually cause lethal cryptococcosis. This course of fungal latency and reactivation is understudied due to limited models, as chronic pulmonary granulomas do not typically form in mouse cryptococcal infections. A loss-of-function mutation in the Cryptococcus-specific MAR1 gene was previously described to alter cell surface remodeling in response to host signals. Here, we demonstrate that the mar1Δ mutant strain persists long term in a murine inhalation model of cryptococcosis, inducing a chronic pulmonary granulomatous response. We find that murine infections with the mar1Δ mutant strain are characterized by reduced fungal burden, likely due to the low growth rate of the mar1Δ mutant strain at physiological temperature, and an altered host immune response, likely due to inability of the mar1Δ mutant strain to properly employ virulence factors. We propose that this combination of features in the mar1Δ mutant strain collectively promotes the induction of a more chronic inflammatory response and enables long-term fungal persistence within these granulomatous regions.
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Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is a major human central nervous system (CNS) fungal pathogen causing considerable morbidity and mortality. In this study, we provide the widest view to date of the yeast transcriptome directly from the human subarachnoid space and within cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). We captured yeast transcriptomes from C. neoformans of various genotypes in 31 patients with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis as well as several Cryptococcus gattii infections. Using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses, we compared the in vivo yeast transcriptomes to those from other environmental conditions, including in vitro growth on nutritious media or artificial CSF as well as samples collected from rabbit CSF at two time points. We ranked gene expressions and identified genetic patterns and networks across these diverse isolates that reveal an emphasis on carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, transport, cell wall structure, and stress-related gene functions during growth in CSF. The most highly expressed yeast genes in human CSF included those known to be associated with survival or virulence and highlighted several genes encoding hypothetical proteins. From that group, a gene encoding the CMP1 putative glycoprotein (CNAG_06000) was selected for functional studies. This gene was found to impact the virulence of Cryptococcus in both mice and the CNS rabbit model, in agreement with a recent study also showing a role in virulence. This transcriptional analysis strategy provides a view of regulated yeast genes across genetic backgrounds important for human CNS infection and a relevant resource for the study of cryptococcal genes, pathways, and networks linked to human disease.
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20
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Analysis of Microbiota and Mycobiota in Fungal Ball Rhinosinusitis: Specific Interaction between Aspergillus fumigatus and Haemophilus influenza? J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7070550. [PMID: 34356929 PMCID: PMC8305266 DOI: 10.3390/jof7070550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal ball (FB) rhinosinusitis (RS) is the main type of non-invasive fungal RS. Despite positive direct examination (DE) of biopsies, culture remains negative in more than 60% of cases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance/efficacy of targeted metagenomics (TM) to analyze microbiota and mycobiota in FB and find microbial associations. Forty-five sinus biopsies from patients who underwent surgery for chronic RS were included. After DE and culture, DNA was extracted, then fungal ITS1–ITS2 and bacterial V3–V4 16S rDNA loci were sequenced (MiSeqTM Illumina). Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were defined via QIIME and assigned to SILVA (16S) and UNITE (ITS) databases. Statistical analyses were performed using SHAMAN. Thirty-eight patients had FB and seven had non-fungal rhinosinusitis (NFRS). DE and culture of FB were positive for fungi in 97.3 and 31.6% of patients, respectively. TM analysis of the 38 FB yielded more than one fungal genus in 100% of cases, with Aspergillus in 89.5% (34/38). Haemophilus was over-represented in FB with >1000 reads/sample in 47.3% (18/38) compared to NFRS (p < 0.001). TM allowed fungal identification in biopsies with negative culture. Haemophilus was associated with FB. Pathogenesis could result from fungi–bacteria interactions in a mixed biofilm-like structure.
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21
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Black B, Lee C, Horianopoulos LC, Jung WH, Kronstad JW. Respiring to infect: Emerging links between mitochondria, the electron transport chain, and fungal pathogenesis. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009661. [PMID: 34237096 PMCID: PMC8266039 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Braydon Black
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Christopher Lee
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Linda C. Horianopoulos
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Won Hee Jung
- Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Republic of Korea
| | - James W. Kronstad
- Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- * E-mail:
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22
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Zhang XH, Ahmad W, Zhu XY, Chen J, Austin B. Viable but nonculturable bacteria and their resuscitation: implications for cultivating uncultured marine microorganisms. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:189-203. [PMID: 37073345 PMCID: PMC10077291 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-020-00041-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Culturing has been the cornerstone of microbiology since Robert Koch first successfully cultured bacteria in the late nineteenth century. However, even today, the majority of microorganisms in the marine environment remain uncultivated. There are various explanations for the inability to culture bacteria in the laboratory, including lack of essential nutrients, osmotic support or incubation conditions, low growth rate, development of micro-colonies, and the presence of senescent or viable but nonculturable (VBNC) cells. In the marine environment, many bacteria have been associated with dormancy, as typified by the VBNC state. VBNC refers to a state where bacteria are metabolically active, but are no longer culturable on routine growth media. It is apparently a unique survival strategy that has been adopted by many microorganisms in response to harsh environmental conditions and the bacterial cells in the VBNC state may regain culturability under favorable conditions. The resuscitation of VBNC cells may well be an important way to cultivate the otherwise uncultured microorganisms in marine environments. Many resuscitation stimuli that promote the restoration of culturability have so far been identified; these include sodium pyruvate, quorum sensing autoinducers, resuscitation-promoting factors Rpfs and YeaZ, and catalase. In this review, we focus on the issues associated with bacterial culturability, the diversity of bacteria entering the VBNC state, mechanisms of induction into the VBNC state, resuscitation factors of VBNC cells and implications of VBNC resuscitation stimuli for cultivating these otherwise uncultured microorganisms. Bringing important microorganisms into culture is still important in the era of high-throughput sequencing as their ecological functions in the marine environment can often only be known through isolation and cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hua Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071 China
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100 China
| | - Waqar Ahmad
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Xiao-Yu Zhu
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Jixiang Chen
- School of Petrochemical Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, 730050 China
| | - Brian Austin
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK
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23
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Alanio A. Dormancy in Cryptococcus neoformans: 60 years of accumulating evidence. J Clin Invest 2021; 130:3353-3360. [PMID: 32484459 DOI: 10.1172/jci136223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic yeast that is present worldwide and interacts with various organisms. In humans, it is responsible for cryptococcosis, a deadly invasive fungal infection that represents around 220,000 cases per year worldwide. Starting from the natural history of the disease in humans, there is accumulating evidence on the capacity of this organism to enter dormancy. In response to the harsh host environment, the yeast is able to adapt dramatically and escape the vigilance of the host's immune cells to survive. Indeed, the yeast exposed to the host takes on pleiotropic phenotypes, enabling the generation of populations in heterogeneous states, including dormancy, to eventually survive at low metabolic cost and revive in favorable conditions. The concept of dormancy has been validated in C. neoformans from both epidemiological and genotyping data, and more recently from the biological point of view with the characterization of dormancy through the description of viable but nonculturable cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Alanio
- Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis-Lariboisière-Fernand-Widal, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France.,Molecular Mycology Unit, CNRS UMR 2000, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals (NRCMA), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université de Paris, Paris, France
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24
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da Silva TA, Hauser PJ, Bandey I, Laskowski T, Wang Q, Najjar AM, Kumaresan PR. Glucuronoxylomannan in the Cryptococcus species capsule as a target for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy. Cytotherapy 2021; 23:119-130. [PMID: 33303326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AIMS The genus Cryptococcus comprises two major fungal species that cause clinical infections in humans: Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans. To establish invasive human disease, inhaled cryptococci must penetrate the lung tissue and reproduce. Each year, about 1 million cases of Cryptococcus infection are reported worldwide, and the infection's mortality rate ranges from 20% to 70%. Many HIV+/AIDS patients are affected by Cryptococcus infections, with 220,000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis reported worldwide in this population every year (C. neoformans infection statistics, via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/cryptococcosis-neoformans/statistics.html). To escape from host immune cell attack, Cryptococcus covers itself in a sugar-based capsule composed primarily of glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). To evade phagocytosis, yeast cells increase to a >45-µm perimeter and become titan, or giant, cells. Cryptococci virulence is directly proportional to the percentage of titan/giant cells present during Cryptococcus infection. To combat cryptococcosis, the authors propose the redirection of CD8+ T cells to target the GXM in the capsule via expression of a GXM-specific chimeric antigen receptor (GXMR-CAR). RESULTS GXMR-CAR has an anti-GXM single-chain variable fragment followed by an IgG4 stalk in the extracellular domain, a CD28 transmembrane domain and CD28 and CD3-ς signaling domains. After lentiviral transduction of human T cells with the GXMR-CAR construct, flow cytometry demonstrated that 82.4% of the cells expressed GXMR-CAR on their surface. To determine whether the GXMR-CAR+ T cells exhibited GXM-specific recognition, these cells were incubated with GXM for 24 h and examined with the use of brightfield microscopy. Large clusters of proliferating GXMR-CAR+ T cells were observed in GXM-treated cells, whereas no clusters were observed in control cells. Moreover, the interaction of GXM with GXMR-CAR+ T cells was detected via flow cytometry by using a GXM-specific antibody, and the recognition of GXM by GXMR-CAR T cells triggered the secretion of granzyme and interferon gamma (IFN-γ). The ability of GXMR-CAR T cells to bind to the yeast form of C. neoformans was detected by fluorescent microscopy, but no binding was detected in mock-transduced control T cells (NoDNA T cells). Moreover, lung tissue sections were stained with Gomori Methenamine Silver and evaluated by NanoZoomer (Hamamatsu), revealing a significantly lower number of titan cells, with perimeters ranging from 50 to 130 µm and giant cells >130 µm in the CAR T-cell treated group when compared with other groups. Therefore, the authors validated the study's hypothesis by the redirection of GXMR-CAR+ T cells to target GXM, which induces the secretion of cytotoxic granules and IFN-γ that will aid in the control of cryptococcosis CONCLUSIONS: Thus, these findings reveal that GXMR-CAR+ T cells can target C. neoformans. Future studies will be focused on determining the therapeutic efficacy of GXMR-CAR+ T cells in an animal model of cryptococcosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Aparecido da Silva
- Deparment of Pediatric Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Pathogenic Bioagents, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paul J Hauser
- Deparment of Pediatric Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Irfan Bandey
- Deparment of Pediatric Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Tamara Laskowski
- Deparment of Pediatric Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Amer M Najjar
- Deparment of Pediatric Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Pappanaicken R Kumaresan
- Department of Lymphoma and Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
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25
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Genera M, Quioc-Salomon B, Nourisson A, Colcombet-Cazenave B, Haouz A, Mechaly A, Matondo M, Duchateau M, König A, Windisch MP, Neuveut C, Wolff N, Caillet-Saguy C. Molecular basis of the interaction of the human tyrosine phosphatase PTPN3 with the hepatitis B virus core protein. Sci Rep 2021; 11:944. [PMID: 33441627 PMCID: PMC7806630 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79580-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interactions between the hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) and host cell proteins are poorly understood, although they may be essential for the propagation of the virus and its pathogenicity. HBc has a C-terminal PDZ (PSD-95, Dlg1, ZO-1)-binding motif (PBM) that is responsible for interactions with host PDZ domain-containing proteins. In this work, we focused on the human protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 3 (PTPN3) and its interaction with HBc. We solved the crystal structure of the PDZ domain of PTPN3 in complex with the PBM of HBc, revealing a network of interactions specific to class I PDZ domains despite the presence of a C-terminal cysteine in this atypical PBM. We further showed that PTPN3 binds the HBc protein within capsids or as a homodimer. We demonstrate that overexpression of PTPN3 significantly affects HBV infection in HepG2 NTCP cells. Finally, we performed proteomics studies on both sides by pull-down assays and screening of a human PDZ domain library. We identified a pool of human PBM-containing proteins that might interact with PTPN3 in cells and that could be in competition with the HBc PBM during infection, and we also identified potential cellular partners of HBc through PDZ-PBM interactions. This study opens up many avenues of future investigations into the pathophysiology of HBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Genera
- Channel-Receptors Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.,Complexité du Vivant, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Barbara Quioc-Salomon
- UMR 3569, CNRS, 75015, Paris, France.,Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Antonin Nourisson
- Channel-Receptors Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Baptiste Colcombet-Cazenave
- Channel-Receptors Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.,Complexité du Vivant, Sorbonne Université, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Ahmed Haouz
- Crystallography Platform-C2RT, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS, UMR-3528, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Ariel Mechaly
- Crystallography Platform-C2RT, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, CNRS, UMR-3528, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Mariette Matondo
- Proteomics Platform, Mass Spectrometry for Biology Utechs (MSBio), USR 2000, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75724, Paris, France
| | - Magalie Duchateau
- Proteomics Platform, Mass Spectrometry for Biology Utechs (MSBio), USR 2000, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75724, Paris, France
| | - Alexander König
- Applied Molecular Virology Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, 696 Sampyung-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Marc P Windisch
- Applied Molecular Virology Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, 696 Sampyung-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Christine Neuveut
- UMR 3569, CNRS, 75015, Paris, France.,Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Institute of Human Genetics, 141 rue de la Cardonille, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Wolff
- Channel-Receptors Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Célia Caillet-Saguy
- Channel-Receptors Unit, UMR 3571, CNRS, Institut Pasteur, 75015, Paris, France.
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26
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Li J, Zhao X. Effects of quorum sensing on the biofilm formation and viable but non-culturable state. Food Res Int 2020; 137:109742. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.109742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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27
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Viability-PCR Allows Monitoring Yeast Population Dynamics in Mixed Fermentations Including Viable but Non-Culturable Yeasts. Foods 2020; 9:foods9101373. [PMID: 32992467 PMCID: PMC7600988 DOI: 10.3390/foods9101373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of controlled mixed inocula of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces yeasts is a common practice in winemaking, with Torulaspora delbrueckii, Lachancea thermotolerans and Metschnikowia pulcherrima being the most commonly used non-Saccharomyces species. Although S. cerevisiae is usually the dominant yeast at the end of mixed fermentations, some non-Saccharomyces species are also able to reach the late stages; such species may not grow in culture media, which is a status known as viable but non-culturable (VBNC). Thus, an accurate methodology to properly monitor viable yeast population dynamics during alcoholic fermentation is required to understand microbial interactions and the contribution of each species to the final product. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has been found to be a good and sensitive method for determining the identity of the cell population, but it cannot distinguish the DNA from living and dead cells, which can overestimate the final population results. To address this shortcoming, viability dyes can be used to avoid the amplification and, therefore, the quantification of DNA from non-viable cells. In this study, we validated the use of PMAxx dye (an optimized version of propidium monoazide (PMA) dye) coupled with qPCR (PMAxx-qPCR), as a tool to monitor the viable population dynamics of the most common yeast species used in wine mixed fermentations (S. cerevisiae, T. delbrueckii, L. thermotolerans and M. pulcherrima), comparing the results with non-dyed qPCR and colony counting on differential medium. Our results showed that the PMAxx-qPCR assay used in this study is a reliable, specific and fast method for quantifying these four yeast species during the alcoholic fermentation process, being able to distinguish between living and dead yeast populations. Moreover, the entry into VBNC status was observed for the first time in L. thermotolerans and S. cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation. Further studies are needed to unravel which compounds trigger this VBNC state during alcoholic fermentation in these species, which would help to better understand yeast interactions.
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28
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Coelho C, Farrer RA. Pathogen and host genetics underpinning cryptococcal disease. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2020; 105:1-66. [PMID: 32560785 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a severe fungal disease causing 220,000 cases of cryptococcal meningitis yearly. The etiological agents of cryptococcosis are taxonomically grouped into at least two species complexes belonging to the genus Cryptococcus. All of these yeasts are environmentally ubiquitous fungi (often found in soil, leaves and decaying wood, tree hollows, and associated with bird feces especially pigeon guano). Infection in a range of animals including humans begins following inhalation of spores or aerosolized yeasts. Recent advances provide fundamental insights into the factors from both the pathogen and its hosts which influence pathogenesis and disease. The complex interactions leading to disease in mammalian hosts have also updated from the availability of better genomic tools and datasets. In this review, we discuss recent genetic research on Cryptococcus, covering the epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of Cryptococcus pathogenic species. We also discuss the insights into the host immune response obtained from the latest genetic modified host models as well as insights from monogenic disorders in humans. Finally we highlight outstanding questions that can be answered in the near future using bioinformatics and genomic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Coelho
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Rhys A Farrer
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
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29
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Dong K, Pan H, Yang D, Rao L, Zhao L, Wang Y, Liao X. Induction, detection, formation, and resuscitation of viable but non‐culturable state microorganisms. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2019; 19:149-183. [DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Dong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human HealthCollege of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
| | - Hanxu Pan
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human HealthCollege of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
| | - Dong Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human HealthCollege of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
| | - Lei Rao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human HealthCollege of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
| | - Liang Zhao
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
| | - Yongtao Wang
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
| | - Xiaojun Liao
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human HealthCollege of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- College of Food Science and Nutritional EngineeringChina Agricultural University Beijing China
- Key Lab of Fruit and Vegetable ProcessingMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Beijing China
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30
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Hommel B, Sturny-Leclère A, Volant S, Veluppillai N, Duchateau M, Yu CH, Hourdel V, Varet H, Matondo M, Perfect JR, Casadevall A, Dromer F, Alanio A. Correction: Cryptococcus neoformans resists to drastic conditions by switching to viable but non-culturable cell phenotype. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1008070. [PMID: 31527911 PMCID: PMC6748408 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007945.].
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31
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Schmertmann LJ, Irinyi L, Malik R, Powell JR, Meyer W, Krockenberger MB. The mycobiome of Australian tree hollows in relation to the Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans species complexes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9684-9700. [PMID: 31534685 PMCID: PMC6745847 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection caused by members of the Cryptococcus gattii and C. neoformans species complexes. The C. gattii species complex has a strong environmental association with eucalypt hollows (particularly Eucalyptus camaldulensis), which may present a source of infection. It remains unclear whether a specific mycobiome is required to support its environmental survival and growth. Conventional detection of environmental Cryptococcus spp. involves culture on differential media, such as Guizotia abyssinica seed agar. Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based culture-independent identification aids in contextualising these species in the environmental mycobiome. Samples from 23 Australian tree hollows were subjected to both culture- and amplicon-based metagenomic analysis to characterize the mycobiome and assess relationships between Cryptococcus spp. and other fungal taxa. The most abundant genera detected were Coniochaeta, Aspergillus, and Penicillium, all being commonly isolated from decaying wood. There was no correlation between the presence of Cryptococcus spp. in a tree hollow and the presence of any other fungal genus. Some differences in the abundance of numerous taxa were noted in a differential heat tree comparing samples with or without Cryptococcus-NGS reads. The study expanded the known environmental niche of the C. gattii and C. neoformans species complexes in Australia with detections from a further five tree species. Discrepancies between the detection of Cryptococcus spp. using culture or NGS suggest that neither is superior per se and that, rather, these methodologies are complementary. The inherent biases of amplicon-based metagenomics require cautious interpretation of data through consideration of its biological relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J. Schmertmann
- Sydney School of Veterinary ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Clinical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- The Westmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
| | - Laszlo Irinyi
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Clinical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- The Westmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and BiosecurityThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Richard Malik
- Centre for Veterinary Education, Sydney School of Veterinary ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Jeff R. Powell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityPenrithNSWAustralia
| | - Wieland Meyer
- Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Westmead Clinical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- The Westmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and BiosecurityThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Mark B. Krockenberger
- Sydney School of Veterinary ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and BiosecurityThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
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