Additive Effect of rPb27 Immunization and Chemotherapy in Experimental Paracoccidioidomycosis

Paracoccidioidomycosis, PCM, the major systemic mycosis in Latin America, is caused by the termally dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and requires extended periods of chemotherapy with a significant frequency of relapsing disease. The search for new alternatives of treatment is necessary. rPb27 is an antigenic protein from P. brasiliensis that already showed a significant protective activity as a vaccine for PCM in experimental models. The cDNA of rPb27 was subcloned into a pET-DEST 42 plasmid, expressed in E. coli with a his-tag and purified by affinity chromatography. Immunization with this recombinant protein and chemotherapy were used together in an attempt to improve treatment of PCM. For this, BALB/c mice were challenged with pathogenic P. brasiliensis strain and after immunized with rPb27, in the presence of Corynebacterium parvum and Al(OH)3, some groups were also treated with fluconazole. After 40 days of treatment, the combined drug/rPb27 administration controlled PCM in the liver and spleen, with long lasting protection, and largely preserved tissues structures of these organs. Additionally, in the lungs after 40 days of treatment there was a significant reduction in the fungal load and size of lesions. At the same time, the levels of TNF-α were higher than infected-only mice. Moreover, significant levels of anti-rPb27 specific IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b isotypes were detected in the sera of mice immunized with rPb27 fluconazole treated or not. These results showed an additive protective effect of rPb27 immunization and chemotherapy, suggesting that an rPb27-based vaccine can be used to enhance PCM antifungal treatment

Fish Cytolysins in All Their Complexity

The majority of the effects observed upon envenomation by scorpaenoid fish species can be reproduced by the cytolysins present in their venoms. Fish cytolysins are multifunctional proteins that elicit lethal, cytolytic, cardiovascular, inflammatory, nociceptive, and neuromuscular activities, representing a novel class of protein toxins. These large proteins (MW 150–320 kDa) are composed by two different subunits, termed α and β, with about 700 amino acid residues each, being usually active in oligomeric form. There is a high degree of similarity between the primary sequences of cytolysins from different fish species. This suggests these molecules share similar mechanisms of action, which, at least regarding the cytolytic activity, has been proved to involve pore formation. Although the remaining components of fish venoms have interesting biological activities, fish cytolysins stand out because of their multifunctional nature and their ability to reproduce the main events of envenomation on their own. Considerable knowledge about fish cytolysins has been accumulated over the years, although there remains much to be unveiled. In this review, we compiled and compared the current information on the biochemical aspects and pharmacological activities of fish cytolysins, going over their structures, activities, mechanisms of action, and perspectives for the future

Characterization of an exoinulinase produced by Aspergillus terreus CCT 4083 grown on sugar cane bagasse

Exoinulinase (β- D -fructan fructohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.80) secreted by Aspergillus terreus CCT4083 was obtained using sugar cane bagasse, an agroindustrial residue, as a carbon source. It was further purified from the supernatant culture in a rapid procedure. The enzyme presented 57 kDa on SDS-PAGE and 56 kDa on gel filtration chromatography. Inulin was hydrolyzed by the purified enzyme, yielding D -fructose as the main product. This enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 4.0 and 60 °C and maintained more than 90 and 75% of its original activity at 40 and 50 °C, respectively, after 3.5 h of preincubation. The K M values for inulin, sucrose, and raffinose were 11, 4.20, and 27.89 mM, respectively, and D -fructose was a competitive inhibitor (K i = 47.55 mM). The activation energies for sucrose, raffinose, and inulin were 10.4, 5.61, and 4.44 kcal/mol, respectively. The characteristics of A. terreus exoinulinase were compared to those of inulinases isolated from other organisms. The exoinulinase traits presented especially good thermostability and the ability to produce pure D -fructose, suggesting its application to the production of high-fructose syrup

Representative granulome histopathology of lungs from infected mice after 40 and 90 days of infection.

<p>BALB/c mice were euthanized 40 and 90 days after treatment. The lungs, spleens, and livers were excised, fixed in 10% buffered formalin, and embedded in paraffin for sectioning. The sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and examined microscopically. Infected, group only infected with <i>P. brasiliensis</i>. Infected/T, same as Infected, but treated with fluconazole. rPb27/T, group infected and posteriorly immunized with rPb27 and treated with fluconazole. In each photo, the scale bar represents 25.9 µm.</p

Representative histopathology of lungs, livers and spleens from infected mice, after 90 days of treatment.

<p>BALB/c mice were euthanized 90 days after treatment. The lungs, spleens, and livers were excised, fixed in 10% buffered formalin, and embedded in paraffin for sectioning. The sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and examined microscopically. Infected, group only infected with <i>P. brasiliensis</i>. Infected/T, same as Infected, but treated with fluconazole. rPb27, group infected and posteriorly immunized with rPb27. rPb27/T, same as rPb27, but treated with fluconazole. In each lung photos, the scale bar represents 416.6 µm, while in each liver and spleen photos, the scale bar represents 55.6 µm.</p

Fungal recovery in lung, spleen and liver of infected mice.

<p>The CFUs were estimated 40 (A) and 90 days (B) post treatment in organs from mice infected intratracheally with 3×10⁵<i>P. brasiliensis</i> yeast cells and subjected to fluconazole treatment combined or not with rPb27 immunization. Control mice were only infected with <i>P. brasiliensis</i> (Infected), adjuvant mice were inoculated with <i>C. parvum</i>-Al(OH)₃ with fluconazole treatment (Adjuvant/T) or not (Adjuvant), and rPb27 mice were immunized with recombinant protein combined to fluconazole treatment (rPb27/T) or not (rPb27). All groups of mice were infected with the same number of yeast cells. Bars represent the Log₁₀(UFC/g) means and standard deviations from organs of 3 to 5 animals in each group. * significant (p<0,05) difference in relation to the group of mice only infected.</p

Representative histopathology of lungs, livers and spleens from infected mice, after 40 days of treatment.

<p>BALB/c mice were euthanized 40 days after treatment. The lungs, spleens, and livers were excised, fixed in 10% buffered formalin, and embedded in paraffin for sectioning. The sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and examined microscopically. Infected, group only infected with <i>P. brasiliensis</i>. Infected/T, same as Infected, but treated with fluconazole. rPb27, group infected and posteriorly immunized with rPb27. rPb27/T, same as rPb27, but treated with fluconazole. In each lung photos, the scale bar represents 427.3 µm, while in each liver and spleen photos, the scale bar represents 56.9 µm.</p

IgG isotypes production against rPb27 by infected and immunized mice.

<p>Antibody response against rPb27 in mice infected and immunized with this recombinant protein associated or not with fluconazole chemotherapy was determined by ELISA assay after 40 (A) and 90 (B) days of treatment. Control, mice without any intervention. rPb27, group infected and posteriorly immunized with rPb27. rPb27/T, same as rPb27, but treated with fluconazole. Bars represent the means and standard deviations of optical density (O.D.) at 1∶400 serum dilution in each experimental group (n = 3). * significant (p<0,05) difference in relation to the control group. # significant (p<0,05) difference in relation to the rPb27 group.</p

Crystal Structures of Apo and Liganded 4‑Oxalocrotonate Decarboxylase Uncover a Structural Basis for the Metal-Assisted Decarboxylation of a Vinylogous β‑Keto Acid

The enzymes in the catechol <i>meta</i>-fission pathway have been studied for more than 50 years in several species of bacteria capable of degrading a number of aromatic compounds. In a related pathway, naphthalene, a toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, is fully degraded to intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle by the soil bacteria <i>Pseudomonas putida</i> G7. In this organism, the 83 kb NAH7 plasmid carries several genes involved in this biotransformation process. One enzyme in this route, NahK, a 4-oxalocrotonate decarboxylase (4-OD), converts 2-oxo-3-hexenedioate to 2-hydroxy-2,4-pentadienoate using Mg²⁺ as a cofactor. Efforts to study how 4-OD catalyzes this decarboxylation have been hampered because 4-OD is present in a complex with vinylpyruvate hydratase (VPH), which is the next enzyme in the same pathway. For the first time, a monomeric, stable, and active 4-OD has been expressed and purified in the absence of VPH. Crystal structures for NahK in the apo form and bonded with five substrate analogues were obtained using two distinct crystallization conditions. Analysis of the crystal structures implicates a lid domain in substrate binding and suggests roles for specific residues in a proposed reaction mechanism. In addition, we assign a possible function for the NahK N-terminal domain, which differs from most of the other members of the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase superfamily. Although the structural basis for metal-dependent β-keto acid decarboxylases has been reported, this is the first structural report for that of a vinylogous β-keto acid decarboxylase and the first crystal structure of a 4-OD