Paracoccidioides lutzii: Antigenic and Molecular studies.

• Grant number: 12/06593-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Zoilo Pires de Camargo
• Grantee: Gregory Gegembauer
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 09/54024-2 - Molecular biology and proteomics of medically interesting fungi: Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Sporothrix schenckii, AP.TEM

Abstract

Traditionally, paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is known as being a deep mycosis caused by the thermo dymorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. However, there are some clues pointing to the existence of other Paracoccidioides species. One of these is the P. lutzii. The others not yet named are the S1, Ps2 and PS3 species. This disease is endemic to countries of Latin America and little is known about its ecology. The clinical forms diversities are related to the imunnologic host system and the fungus intrinsic characteristics. Antigenic proteins can be very useful as serogical markers in the development of more precise diagnostic tests and being potential targets to vaccines. In this project our goal is studying 12 strains of P. lutzii in relation to its proteic and immunogenic profiles. Also, we will select one of the strains to standardize a P. lutzii antigen to use in immunodiffusion tests. In the molecular biology field, we pretend to identify immunoreactive proteins by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) western-blotting. The 2DE is a powerful tool to separate protein complexes mixtures based on iso-electric pointing and molecular mass parameters. For the detection of proteins we will use the serum from patients with PCM by P. lutzii. The immunoreactive proteins will be sequenced by Mass Espectometry (MS).

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GEGEMBAUER, GREGORY; ARAUJO, LETICIA MENDES; PEREIRA, EDY FIRMINA; RODRIGUES, ANDERSON MESSIAS; MIRANDA PANIAGO, ANAMARIA MELLO; HAHN, ROSANE CHRISTINE; DE CAMARGO, ZOILO PIRES. Serology of Paracoccidioidomycosis Due to Paracoccidioides lutzii. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, v. 8, n. 7, JUL 2014. (09/54024-2, 12/06593-0)