Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmental fungus that can cause lethal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. The mechanisms by which environmental microbes become pathogenic to mammals are still obscure, but different studies suggest that fungal virulence evolved from selection imposed by environmental predators. The soil-living Acanthamoeba castellanii is a well-known predator of C. neoformans. In this work, we evaluated the participation of C. neoformans virulence-associated structures in the interaction of fungal cells with A. castellanii. Fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) and the polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) were internalized by A. castellanii with no impact on the viability of amoebal cells. EVs, but not free GXM, modulated antifungal properties of A. castellanii by inducing enhanced yeast survival. Phagocytosis of C. neoformans by amoebal cells and the pathogenic potential in a Galleria mellonella model were not affected by EVs, but previous interactions with A. castellanii rendered fungal cells more efficient in killing this invertebrate host. This observation was apparently associated with marked amoeba-induced changes in surface architecture and increased resistance to both oxygen- and nitrogen-derived molecular species. Our results indicate that multiple components with the potential to impact pathogenesis are involved in C. neoformans environmental interactions.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 602-614 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Fungal Biology |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue number | 6-7 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2017 |
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Keywords
- Amoebal predators
- Cell surface
- Fungal virulence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Genetics
- Plant Science
- Infectious Diseases
Cite this
Analysis of multiple components involved in the interaction between Cryptococcus neoformans and Acanthamoeba castellanii. / Rizzo, Juliana; Albuquerque, Priscila C.; Wolf, Julie M.; Nascimento, Renata; Pereira, Marcos D.; Nosanchuk, Joshua D.; Rodrigues, Marcio L.
In: Fungal Biology, Vol. 121, No. 6-7, 01.06.2017, p. 602-614.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysis of multiple components involved in the interaction between Cryptococcus neoformans and Acanthamoeba castellanii
AU - Rizzo, Juliana
AU - Albuquerque, Priscila C.
AU - Wolf, Julie M.
AU - Nascimento, Renata
AU - Pereira, Marcos D.
AU - Nosanchuk, Joshua D.
AU - Rodrigues, Marcio L.
PY - 2017/6/1
Y1 - 2017/6/1
N2 - Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmental fungus that can cause lethal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. The mechanisms by which environmental microbes become pathogenic to mammals are still obscure, but different studies suggest that fungal virulence evolved from selection imposed by environmental predators. The soil-living Acanthamoeba castellanii is a well-known predator of C. neoformans. In this work, we evaluated the participation of C. neoformans virulence-associated structures in the interaction of fungal cells with A. castellanii. Fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) and the polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) were internalized by A. castellanii with no impact on the viability of amoebal cells. EVs, but not free GXM, modulated antifungal properties of A. castellanii by inducing enhanced yeast survival. Phagocytosis of C. neoformans by amoebal cells and the pathogenic potential in a Galleria mellonella model were not affected by EVs, but previous interactions with A. castellanii rendered fungal cells more efficient in killing this invertebrate host. This observation was apparently associated with marked amoeba-induced changes in surface architecture and increased resistance to both oxygen- and nitrogen-derived molecular species. Our results indicate that multiple components with the potential to impact pathogenesis are involved in C. neoformans environmental interactions.
AB - Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmental fungus that can cause lethal meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. The mechanisms by which environmental microbes become pathogenic to mammals are still obscure, but different studies suggest that fungal virulence evolved from selection imposed by environmental predators. The soil-living Acanthamoeba castellanii is a well-known predator of C. neoformans. In this work, we evaluated the participation of C. neoformans virulence-associated structures in the interaction of fungal cells with A. castellanii. Fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) and the polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) were internalized by A. castellanii with no impact on the viability of amoebal cells. EVs, but not free GXM, modulated antifungal properties of A. castellanii by inducing enhanced yeast survival. Phagocytosis of C. neoformans by amoebal cells and the pathogenic potential in a Galleria mellonella model were not affected by EVs, but previous interactions with A. castellanii rendered fungal cells more efficient in killing this invertebrate host. This observation was apparently associated with marked amoeba-induced changes in surface architecture and increased resistance to both oxygen- and nitrogen-derived molecular species. Our results indicate that multiple components with the potential to impact pathogenesis are involved in C. neoformans environmental interactions.
KW - Amoebal predators
KW - Cell surface
KW - Fungal virulence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85019059135&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85019059135&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.04.002
DO - 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.04.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 28606355
AN - SCOPUS:85019059135
VL - 121
SP - 602
EP - 614
JO - Fungal Biology
JF - Fungal Biology
SN - 1878-6146
IS - 6-7
ER -