Analysis of the interaction between Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and macrophages through receptor-type notch

• Grant number: 10/03616-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2010
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Cellular Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Sandro Rogerio de Almeida
• Grantee: Lavínia Maria Dalmas Romera
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic disease caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a fungus that exhibits thermal dimorphism. The P. brasiliensis interacts with antigen presenting cells (APCs), changing its main biological functions. Among the APCs, macrophages are cells that play an important role in the induction and regulation of the immune response and / or inflammatory. They are cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system that can discriminate between what is proper to the body and pathogens through the expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRR - Pattern Recognition Receptors) that recognize molecular patterns associated with pathogens (PAMPs - Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern ). It has been recently demonstrated the importance of the Notch receptor in regulating the activity of macrophages and the immune system. It has been shown that macrophage have an increased expression of Notch-1 lineage stimulated with LPS + IFN-gama receptor and the ligand Jagged-1 (MONSALVE, Perez et al., 2006). Macrophages express low levels of Delta and Jagged (Cheng & CABRILOVICH, 2008). However, under different conditions of stimulation occurs preferentially directing the expression of Delta and Jagged. Knowing the importance of macrophages in host immune defense, we want to know how the components of Notch signaling in those cells influence their activation. Certainly, the understanding of these issues will be important for better understanding of the innate immune response and adaptive in experimental PCM.