Cryptococcus gattii alters immunostimulatory potential in response to the environment.

Cryptococcus gattii is a capsular fungal pathogen, which causes life-threatening cryptococcosis in immunocompetent individuals. This emerging pathogen is less likely to be recognized by innate immunity compared to traditional Cryptococcus neoformans strains. Previous studies indicate that C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), including dectin-1 and dectin-2, play a role in recognizing cryptococcal cells; however, it remains to be elucidated whether the receptors physically associate with C. gattii yeast cell surfaces. Based on the previous findings, we hypothesized that culture conditions influence the expression or exposure of CLR ligands on C. gattii. Therefore, in the present study, we first investigated the culture conditions that induce exposure of CLR ligands on C. gattii yeast cells via the binding assay using recombinant fusion proteins of mouse CLR and IgG Fc, Fc dectin-1 and Fc dectin-2. Common fungal culture media, such as yeast extract-peptone-dextrose (YPD) broth, Sabouraud broth, and potato dextrose agar, did not induce the exposure of dectin-1 ligands, including β-1,3-glucan, on both capsular and acapsular C. gattii strains, in contrast to Fc dectin-1 and Fc dectin-2 bound to C. gattii cells growing in the conventional synthetic dextrose (SD) medium [may also be referred to as a yeast nitrogen base with glucose medium]. The medium also induced the exposure of dectin-1 ligands on C. neoformans, whereas all tested media induced dectin-1 and dectin-2 ligands in a control fungus Candida albicans. Notably, C. gattii did not expose dectin-1 ligands in SD medium supplemented with yeast extract or neutral buffer. In addition, compared to YPD medium-induced C. gattii, SD medium-induced C. gattii more efficiently induced the phosphorylation of Syk, Akt, and Erk1/2 in murine dendritic cells (DCs). Afterwards, the cells were considerably engulfed by DCs and remarkably induced DCs to secrete the inflammatory cytokines. Overall, the findings suggest that C. gattii alters its immunostimulatory potential in response to the environment

Short PEG-Linkers Improve the Performance of Targeted, Activatable Monoclonal Antibody-Indocyanine Green Optical Imaging Probes

The ability to switch optical imaging probes from the quenched (off) to the active state (on) has greatly improved target to background ratios. The optimal activation efficiency of an optical probe depends on complete quenching before activation and complete dequenching after activation. For instance, monoclonal antibody-indocyanine green (mAb-ICG) conjugates, which are promising agents for clinical translation, are normally quenched, but can be activated when bound to a cell surface receptor and internalized. However, the small fraction of commonly used ICG derivative (ICG-Sulfo-OSu) can bind noncovalently to its mAb and is, thus, gradually released from the mAb leading to relatively high background signal especially in the liver and the abdomen. In this study, we re-engineered a mAb-ICG conjugate, (Panitumumab-ICG) using bifunctional ICG derivatives (ICG-PEG4-Sulfo-OSu and ICG-PEG8-Sulfo-OSu) with short polyethylene glycol (PEG) linkers. Higher covalent binding (70–86%) was observed using the bifunctional ICG with short PEG linkers resulting in less <i>in vivo</i> noncovalent dissociation. Panitumumab-ICG conjugates with short PEG linkers were able to detect human epidermal growth factor receptor 1 (EGFR)-positive tumors with high tumor-to-background ratios (15.8 and 6.9 for EGFR positive tumor-to-negative tumor and tumor-to-liver ratios, respectively, at 3 d postinjection)