Genes Differentially Expressed in Conidia and Hyphae of Aspergillus fumigatus upon Exposure to Human Neutrophils

Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common etiologic agent of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. Several studies have addressed the mechanism involved in host defense but only few have investigated the pathogen's response to attack by the host cells. To our knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the genes differentially expressed in conidia vs hyphae of A. fumigatus in response to neutrophils from healthy donors as well as from those with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) which are defective in the production of reactive oxygen species.Transcriptional profiles of conidia and hyphae exposed to neutrophils, either from normal donors or from CGD patients, were obtained by using the genome-wide microarray. Upon exposure to either normal or CGD neutrophils, 244 genes were up-regulated in conidia but not in hyphae. Several of these genes are involved in the degradation of fatty acids, peroxisome function and the glyoxylate cycle which suggests that conidia exposed to neutrophils reprogram their metabolism to adjust to the host environment. In addition, the mRNA levels of four genes encoding proteins putatively involved in iron/copper assimilation were found to be higher in conidia and hyphae exposed to normal neutrophils compared to those exposed to CGD neutrophils. Deletants in several of the differentially expressed genes showed phenotypes related to the proposed functions, i.e. deletants of genes involved in fatty acid catabolism showed defective growth on fatty acids and the deletants of iron/copper assimilation showed higher sensitivity to the oxidative agent menadione. None of these deletants, however, showed reduced resistance to neutrophil attack.This work reveals the complex response of the fungus to leukocytes, one of the major host factors involved in antifungal defense, and identifies fungal genes that may be involved in establishing or prolonging infections in humans

CD8+ T Cells and IFN-γ Mediate the Time-Dependent Accumulation of Infected Red Blood Cells in Deep Organs during Experimental Cerebral Malaria

Background: Infection with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) in susceptible mice induces a syndrome called experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) with severe pathologies occurring in various mouse organs. Immune mediators such as T cells or cytokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ECM. Red blood cells infected with PbA parasites have been shown to accumulate in the brain and other tissues during infection. This accumulation is thought to be involved in PbA–induced pathologies, which mechanisms are poorly understood. Methods and Findings: Using transgenic PbA parasites expressing the luciferase protein, we have assessed by real-time in vivo imaging the dynamic and temporal contribution of different immune factors in infected red blood cell (IRBC) accumulation and distribution in different organs during PbA infection. Using deficient mice or depleting antibodies, we observed that CD8 + T cells and IFN-c drive the rapid increase in total parasite biomass and accumulation of IRBC in the brain and in different organs 6–12 days post-infection, at a time when mice develop ECM. Other cells types like CD4 + T cells, monocytes or neutrophils or cytokines such as IL-12 and TNF-a did not influence the early increase of total parasite biomass and IRBC accumulation in different organs. Conclusions: CD8 + T cells and IFN-c are the major immune mediators controlling the time-dependent accumulation of P. berghei-infected red blood cells in tissues

CHEMICAL AND IMMUNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ASPERGILLUS-FUMIGATUS CELL-WALL

Hyphal-wall preparations of Aspergillus fumigatus have been analysed by sequential treatment with KOH, nitrous acid and again with KOH. By acidification of the alkali-soluble extract, a polyglucose was precipitated which showed an X-ray diffraction pattern similar to that of (1 --> 3)-alpha-glucan. The remainder of the alkali-soluble fraction was precipitated with ethanol; it contained all the mannose, galactose and protein of the wall and, in addition, 6.2% of the amino sugars. This wall-associated glycoprotein, following SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, reacted with antisera raised against several mycelial extracts of A. fumigatus. Sera from patients with aspergilloma have antibodies which recognize components of this glycoprotein. The glycoprotein nature of these antigens was shown by their ability to bind Lens culinaris lectin. In addition, the antigen/antibody binding could be disrupted by exposure of antigen to periodate oxidation, hydrolysis with dilute acid or pretreatment with a large excess of an exo-beta-D-galactofuranosidase. The alkali-insoluble fraction consisted of a covalently linked glucan-chitin complex. Nitrous acid treatment, which specifically disrupts glycosidic linkages involving glucosamine, did not solubilize much material but changed the X-ray diffraction pattern from diffuse to a pattern showing the characteristic lines of crystalline (1 --> 3)-beta-glucan and chitin. Most of the glucan became alkali-soluble after this treatment, and the insoluble residue appeared to contain crystalline chitin