Integrin Cross-Talk Regulates the Human Neutrophil Response to Fungal β-Glucan in the Context of the Extracellular Matrix: A Prominent Role for VLA3 in the Antifungal Response

Cloning and Functional Analysis of Skin Host Defense Peptides from Yakushima Tago's Brown Frog (Rana tagoi yakushimensis) and Development of Serum Endotoxin Detection System

Background/Objective: Amphibian skin is a valuable source of host defense peptides (HDPs). This study aimed to identify HDPs with novel amino acid sequences from the skin of Rana tagoi yakushimensis and analyze their functions. Methods: cDNAs encoding HDP precursors were cloned and sequenced using RT-PCR and 3'-RACE. The novel HDPs were synthesized to evaluate their antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by way of broth microdilution and endotoxin- and β-glucan-binding capacity using an enzyme-linked endotoxin binding assay (ELEBA) and a modified ELEBA, respectively. Results: Nine cDNAs encoding precursors for various HDP families, including temporin, ranatuerin-2, brevinin-1, amurin-9, and a novel yakushimin peptide, were identified. Brevinin-1TYa exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and brevinin-1TYa and amurin-9TYa induced morphological changes in Escherichia coli and S. aureus. Yakushimin-TYa, amurin-9TYa, and brevinin-1TYa showed concentration-dependent antibacterial effects against the plant pathogens Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. Amurin-9TYa demonstrated strong binding affinity to lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, and β-glucan, exhibited antioxidant activity, and lacked cytotoxicity, making it a promising therapeutic candidate. Moreover, brevinin-1TYa showed strong cytotoxicity, whereas yakushimin-TYa exhibited weak cytotoxicity. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of these peptides, particularly amurin-9TYa, for future applications as antimicrobial and therapeutic agents.

INHIBITION OF INTEGRIN VLA-3 AND TETRASPANIN CD151 PROTECTS AGAINST NEUTROPHIL-MEDIATED ENDOTHELIAL DAMAGE

ABSTRACT

Background: The recruitment of neutrophils to sites of localized injury or infection is initiated by changes on the surface of endothelial cells located in proximity to tissue damage. Inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, increase surface expression of adhesive ligands and receptors on the endothelial surface to which neutrophils tether and adhere. Neutrophils then transit through the activated endothelium to reach sites of tissue injury with little lasting vascular injury. However, in cases of sepsis, the interaction of endothelial cells with highly activated neutrophils can cause damage vascular damage. The identification of molecules that are essential for neutrophil diapedesis may reveal targets of therapeutic opportunity for preservation of endothelial function in the presence of critical illness. We tested the hypothesis that inhibition of neutrophil β1 integrin very late antigen-3 (VLA-3; α3β1) and/or inhibition of the tetraspanin (TM4) family member CD151 would protect against neutrophil-mediated loss of endothelial function. Methods: Blood was obtained from septic patients or healthy donors. Neutrophils were purified, and aliquots were treated with/without proinflammatory molecules. Confluent human umbilical vascular endothelial cells were activated with TNF-α. Electric cell impedance sensing was used to determine monolayer resistance over time after the addition of neutrophils that were treated with blocking antibodies against VLA-3 and/or CD151 or isotype controls. Groups (depending on relevancy) were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test, or repeated-measures one-way ANOVA. Results: Neutrophils from septic patients and neutrophils activated ex vivo reduced endothelial monolayer resistance to a greater extent than neutrophils from healthy donors. Antibody blockade of VLA-3 and/or CD151 significantly reduced activation-associated endothelial damage. Similar findings were demonstrated on fibronectin, collagen I, collagen IV, and laminin, suggesting that neutrophil surface VLA-3 and CD151 are responsible for endothelial damage regardless of substrata and are likely to be operative in all bodily tissues. Conclusion: This report identifies VLA-3 and CD151 on the activated human neutrophil, which are responsible for damage to endothelial function. Targeting these molecules in vivo may demonstrate preservation of organ function during critical illness.

Molecular regulation of neutrophil swarming in health and disease: Lessons from the phagocyte oxidase

Neutrophil swarming is a complex coordinated process in which neutrophils sensing pathogen or damage signals are rapidly recruited to sites of infections or injuries. This process involves cooperation between neutrophils where autocrine and paracrine positive-feedback loops, mediated by receptor/ligand pairs including lipid chemoattractants and chemokines, amplify localized recruitment of neutrophils. This review will provide an overview of key pathways involved in neutrophil swarming and then discuss the cell intrinsic and systemic mechanisms by which NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) regulates swarming, including modulation of calcium signaling, inflammatory mediators, and the mobilization and production of neutrophils. We will also discuss mechanisms by which altered neutrophil swarming in disease may contribute to deficient control of infections and/or exuberant inflammation. Deeper understanding of underlying mechanisms controlling neutrophil swarming and how neutrophil cooperative behavior can be perturbed in the setting of disease may help to guide development of tools for diagnosis and precision medicine.

Targeting Neutrophil β2-Integrins: A Review of Relevant Resources, Tools, and Methods

Neutrophils are important innate immune cells that respond during inflammation and infection. These migratory cells utilize β₂-integrin cell surface receptors to move out of the vasculature into inflamed tissues and to perform various anti-inflammatory responses. Although critical for fighting off infection, neutrophil responses can also become dysregulated and contribute to disease pathophysiology. In order to limit neutrophil-mediated damage, investigators have focused on β₂-integrins as potential therapeutic targets, but so far these strategies have failed in clinical trials. As the field continues to move forward, a better understanding of β₂-integrin function and signaling will aid the design of future therapeutics. Here, we provide a detailed review of resources, tools, experimental methods, and in vivo models that have been and will continue to be utilized to investigate the vitally important cell surface receptors, neutrophil β₂-integrins.

A New Phenotype in Candida-Epithelial Cell Interaction Distinguishes Colonization- versus Vulvovaginal Candidiasis-Associated Strains

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects nearly 3/4 of women during their lifetime, and its symptoms seriously reduce quality of life. Although Candida albicans is a common commensal, it is unknown if VVC results from a switch from a commensal to pathogenic state, if only some strains can cause VVC, and/or if there is displacement of commensal strains with more pathogenic strains. We studied a set of VVC and colonizing C. albicans strains to identify consistent in vitro phenotypes associated with one group or the other. We find that the strains do not differ in overall genetic profile or behavior in culture media (i.e., multilocus sequence type [MLST] profile, rate of growth, and filamentation), but they show strikingly different behaviors during their interactions with vaginal epithelial cells. Epithelial infections with VVC-derived strains yielded stronger fungal proliferation and shedding of fungi and epithelial cells. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of representative epithelial cell infections with selected pathogenic or commensal isolates identified several differentially activated epithelial signaling pathways, including the integrin, ferroptosis, and type I interferon pathways; the latter has been implicated in damage protection. Strikingly, inhibition of type I interferon signaling selectively increases fungal shedding of strains in the colonizing cohort, suggesting that increased shedding correlates with lower interferon pathway activation. These data suggest that VVC strains may intrinsically have enhanced pathogenic potential via differential elicitation of epithelial responses, including the type I interferon pathway. Therefore, it may eventually be possible to evaluate pathogenic potential in vitro to refine VVC diagnosis. IMPORTANCE Despite a high incidence of VVC, we still have a poor understanding of this female-specific disease whose negative impact on women's quality of life has become a public health issue. It is not yet possible to determine by genotype or laboratory phenotype if a given Candida albicans strain is more or less likely to cause VVC. Here, we show that Candida strains causing VVC induce more fungal shedding from epithelial cells than strains from healthy women. This effect is also accompanied by increased epithelial cell detachment and differential activation of the type I interferon pathway. These distinguishing phenotypes suggest it may be possible to evaluate the VVC pathogenic potential of fungal isolates. This would permit more targeted antifungal treatments to spare commensals and could allow for displacement of pathogenic strains with nonpathogenic colonizers. We expect these new assays to provide a more targeted tool for identifying fungal virulence factors and epithelial responses that control fungal vaginitis.

The formation and function of the neutrophil phagosome

Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocyte and are crucial to the initial innate immune response to infection. One of their key pathogen-eliminating mechanisms is phagocytosis, the process of particle engulfment into a vacuole-like structure called the phagosome. The antimicrobial activity of the phagocytic process results from a collaboration of multiple systems and mechanisms within this organelle, where a complex interplay of ion fluxes, pH, reactive oxygen species, and antimicrobial proteins creates a dynamic antimicrobial environment. This complexity, combined with the difficulties of studying neutrophils ex vivo, has led to gaps in our knowledge of how the neutrophil phagosome optimizes pathogen killing. In particular, controversy has arisen regarding the relative contribution and integration of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase-derived antimicrobial agents and granule-delivered antimicrobial proteins. Clinical syndromes arising from dysfunction in these systems in humans allow useful insight into these mechanisms, but their redundancy and synergy add to the complexity. In this article, we review the current knowledge regarding the formation and function of the neutrophil phagosome, examine new insights into the phagosomal environment that have been permitted by technological advances in recent years, and discuss aspects of the phagocytic process that are still under debate.

Akt-2 Is a Potential Therapeutic Target for Disseminated Candidiasis

Akt-1 and Akt-2 are the major isoforms of the serine/threonine Akt family that play a key role in controlling immune responses. However, the involvement of Akt-1 and Akt-2 isoforms in antifungal innate immunity is completely unknown. In this study, we show that Akt2 -/-, but not Akt1 -/-, mice are protected from lethal Candida albicans infection. Loss of Akt-2 facilitates the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages to the spleen and increases reactive oxygen species expression in these cells. Treating C57BL/6 mice with a specific inhibitor for Akt-2, but not Akt-1, provides protection from lethal C. albicans infection. Our data demonstrate that Akt-2 inhibits antifungal innate immunity by hampering neutrophil and macrophage recruitment to spleens and suppressing oxidative burst, myeloperoxidase activity, and NETosis. We thus describe a novel role for Akt-2 in the regulation of antifungal innate immunity and unveil Akt-2 as a potential target for the treatment of fungal sepsis.

The emerging role of neutrophil extracellular traps in fungal infection

Fungal infections are global public health problems and can lead to substantial human morbidity and mortality. Current antifungal therapy is not satisfactory, especially for invasive, life-threatening fungal infections. Modulating the antifungal capacity of the host immune system is a feasible way to combat fungal infections. Neutrophils are key components of the innate immune system that resist fungal pathogens by releasing reticular extracellular structures called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). When compared with phagocytosis and oxidative burst, NETs show better capability in terms of trapping large pathogens, such as fungi. This review will summarize interactions between fungal pathogens and NETs. Molecular mechanisms of fungi-induced NETs formation and defensive strategies used by fungi are also discussed.

A Fun-Guide to Innate Immune Responses to Fungal Infections

Immunocompromised individuals are at high risk of developing severe fungal infections with high mortality rates, while fungal pathogens pose little risk to most healthy people. Poor therapeutic outcomes and growing antifungal resistance pose further challenges for treatments. Identifying specific immunomodulatory mechanisms exploited by fungal pathogens is critical for our understanding of fungal diseases and development of new therapies. A gap currently exists between the large body of literature concerning the innate immune response to fungal infections and the potential manipulation of host immune responses to aid clearance of infection. This review considers the innate immune mechanisms the host deploys to prevent fungal infection and how these mechanisms fail in immunocompromised hosts. Three clinically relevant fungal pathogens (Candida albicans, Cryptococcus spp. and Aspergillus spp.) will be explored. This review will also examine potential mechanisms of targeting the host therapeutically to improve outcomes of fungal infection.

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Candida albicans Infection

Candida albicans is the most common pathogen causing clinical Candida infections. Neutrophils are a key member of the host innate immunity that plays an essential role in clearing invading C. albicans. In addition to the well-known defensive approaches such as phagocytosis, degranulation, and reactive oxygen species production, the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) has also become an important way for neutrophils to defend against various pathogens. C. albicans has been reported to be capable of activating neutrophils to release NETs that subsequently kill fungi. The induction of NETs is affected by both the morphology and virulence factors of C. albicans, which also develops specific strategies to respond to the attack by NETs. Our review specifically focuses on the mechanisms by which C. albicans triggers NET formation and their subsequent interactions, which might provide meaningful insight into the innate immunity against C. albicans infection.

Neutrophils vs. amoebas: Immunity against the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica

Entamoeba histolytica is a protozoan parasite with high prevalence in developing countries, and causes amoebiasis. This disease affects the intestine and the liver, and is the third leading cause of human deaths among parasite infections. E. histolytica infection of the intestine or liver is associated with a strong inflammation characterized by a large number of infiltrating neutrophils. Consequently, several reports suggest that neutrophils play a protective role in amoebiasis. However, other reports indicate that amoebas making direct contact with neutrophils provoke lysis of these leukocytes, resulting in the release of their lytic enzymes, which in turn provoke tissue damage. Therefore, the role of neutrophils in this parasitic infection remains controversial. Neutrophils migrate from the circulation to sites of infection, where they display several antimicrobial functions, including phagocytosis, degranulation, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET). Recently, it was found that E. histolytica trophozoites are capable of inducing NET formation. Neutrophils in touch with amoebas launched NET in an explosive manner around the amoebas and completely covered them in nebulous DNA and cell aggregates where parasites got immobilized and killed. In addition, the phenotype of neutrophils can be modified by the microbiome resulting in protection against amoebas. This review describes the mechanisms of E. histolytica infection and discusses the novel view of how neutrophils are involved in innate immunity defense against amoebiasis. Also, the mechanisms on how the microbiome modulates neutrophil function are described.

Chitotriosidase Activity Is Counterproductive in a Mouse Model of Systemic Candidiasis

Mammalian cells do not produce chitin, an insoluble polymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc), although chitin is a structural component of the cell wall of pathogenic microorganisms such as Candida albicans. Mammalian cells, including cells of the innate immune system elaborate chitinases, including chitotriosidase (Chit1), which may play a role in the anti-fungal immune response. In the current study, using knockout mice, we determined the role of Chit1 against systemic candidiasis. Chit1-deficient mice showed significant decrease in kidney fungal burden compared to mice expressing the functional enzyme. Using in vitro anti-candidal neutrophil functional assays, the introduction of the Chit1:chitin digestion end-product, chitobiose (N-acetyl-D-glucosamine dimer, GlcNAc2), decreased fungal-induced neutrophil swarming and Candida killing in vitro. Also, a role for the lectin-like binding site on the neutrophil integrin CR3 (Mac-1, CD11b/CD18) was found through physiological competitive interference by chitobiose. Furthermore, chitobiose treatment of wild type mice during systemic candidiasis resulted in the significant increase in fungal burden in the kidney. These data suggest a counterproductive role of Chit1 in mounting an efficient anti-fungal defense against systemic candidiasis.

Substrate stiffness induces neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation through focal adhesion kinase activation

Neutrophils predominate the early inflammatory response to tissue injury and implantation of biomaterials. Recent studies have shown that neutrophil activation can be regulated by mechanical cues such as stiffness or surface wettability; however, it is not known how neutrophils sense and respond to physical cues, particularly how they form neutrophil extracellular traps (NET formation). To examine this, we used polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates of varying physiologically relevant stiffness (0.2-32 kPa) and examined the response of murine neutrophils to untreated surfaces or to surfaces coated with various extracellular matrix proteins recognized by integrin heterodimers (collagen, fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin, synthetic RGD). Neutrophils on higher stiffness PDMS substrates had increased NET formation and higher secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Extracellular matrix protein coatings showed that fibronectin induced the most NET formation and this effect was stiffness dependent. Synthetic RGD peptides induced similar levels of NET formation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release than the full-length fibronectin protein. To determine if the observed NET formation in response to substrate stiffness required focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity, which is down stream of integrin activation, FAK inhibitor PF-573228 was used. Inhibition of FAK using PF-573228 ablated the stiffness-dependent increase in NET formation and pro-inflammatory molecule secretion. These findings demonstrate that neutrophils regulate NET formation in response to physical and mechanical biomaterial cues and this process is regulated through integrin/FAK signaling.

Neutrophil Swarms Are More Than the Accumulation of Cells

Neutrophils move from the blood into tissues, migrate under the guidance of chemical gradients, and accumulate at sites of infection, where they phagocytose and kill microbes within minutes. These processes have been considered the keystone of innate immune responses for more than five decades. However, it appears that these processes accurately describe only the situation when neutrophils encounter small numbers of disparate microbes. Recent observations revealed that when neutrophils encounter large fungi or clusters of bacteria that are too large for individual neutrophils to kill, one more process, known as swarming, is needed. During this process, the first neutrophils that reach the microbial target release leukotrienes and other molecules that stimulate more neutrophils in the vicinity to converge on the same target. A chain reaction ensues between the leukotrienes guiding the neutrophils toward the swarm and the attracted neutrophils releasing more leukotrienes. This chain reaction empowers multiple neutrophils to coordinate their activities, drives the explosively-fast accumulation of neutrophils, and enables neutrophils to neutralize large microbes and clusters of microbes, which would otherwise be outside the neutrophils reach. The molecular and cellular details of this chain reaction and the mechanisms that stop the chain reaction from damaging healthy tissues are just beginning to emerge, enabled by innovative, engineered tools.

Differential Immune Activating, Anti-Inflammatory, and Regenerative Properties of the Aqueous, Ethanol, and Solid Fractions of a Medicinal Mushroom Blend

Purpose

To compare three fractions of a medicinal mushroom blend (MMB), MyCommunity, on immune-activation, inflammation-regulation, and induction of biomarkers involved in regenerative functions.

Methods

A seventeen-species MMB was sequentially extracted: first, saline solution at ambient temperature, followed by re-extraction of the solids in ethanol, and finally resuspension of the homogenized ethanol-insoluble solids in cell-culture media. Fractions were tested on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from three healthy donors. Immunostaining, flow-cytometry, and Luminex protein-arrays measured immune-cell activation and cytokine response. Dose-responses for induction of the CD69 early activation marker and individual cytokine and growth-factor responses for each donor were evaluated. The CD69 and the combined cytokine and growth-factor results were subjected to Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and multivariate ordination to aid interpretation of the aggregate immune response and pairwise permutational MANOVA on a distance-matrix to evaluate statistical differences between treatments on pooled data from all donors.

Results

Differential effects were induced by water-soluble, ethanol-soluble, and insoluble immunomodulatory compounds of the MMB. The aqueous and ethanol fractions upregulated expression of CD69 on all tested cell types. Monocyte-activation was correlated with the ethanol fraction, while NKT and non-NK non-T cell-activation was more closely correlated with the aqueous fraction. The solid fraction was the most potent inducer of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, as well as the anti-viral cytokines interferon-γ, MCP-1 (CCL-2), MIP-1α (CCL-3), and MIP-1β (CCL-4), and induced G-CSF and b-FGF—growth-factors involved in regenerative functions—and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ra.

Conclusion

The aqueous, ethanol, and insoluble compounds within MMB induced differential immune-activating, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative effects. This in vitro data suggests that, upon consumption, MMB may induce a concerted series of immunomodulatory events based on the differential solubility and bioavailability of the active constituents. These differential responses support both immune-activation and resolution of the host defense-induced inflammatory reactions, thus assisting a post-response return to homeostasis.

Noncanonical Hippo Signalling in the Regulation of Leukocyte Function

The mammalian sterile 20-like (MST) kinases are central constituents of the evolutionary ancient canonical Hippo pathway regulating cell proliferation and survival. However, perhaps surprisingly, MST1 deficiency in human patients leads to a severe combined immunodeficiency syndrome with features of autoimmune disease. In line with this, Mst1-deficient mice exhibit severe defects in lymphocyte and neutrophil functions as well as disturbed intracellular vesicle transport. These findings spurred research on the noncanonical functions of MST1 in leukocytes. Here, we summarise the latest findings on this topic and discuss MST1 as a critical regulator of various leukocyte functions.

Antifungal Innate Immunity: A Perspective from the Last 10 Years

Fungal pathogens can rarely cause diseases in immunocompetent individuals. However, commensal and normally nonpathogenic environmental fungi can cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. Over the last few decades, there has been a huge increase in the incidence of invasive opportunistic fungal infections along with a worrying increase in antifungal drug resistance. As a consequence, research focused on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of antifungal immunity has expanded tremendously in the last few years. This review will provide an overview of the most exciting recent advances in innate antifungal immunity, discoveries that are helping to pave the way for the development of new strategies that are desperately needed to combat these devastating diseases.