The host immune response to anti-adhesive peptides treatment and morphological changes during infection of pathogenic fungi

• Grant number: 16/20631-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: February 01, 2017
• End date: January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Maria José Soares Mendes Giannini
• Grantee: Haroldo Cesar de Oliveira
• Supervisor: Oscar Zaragoza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Institut de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 15/14023-8 - Use of peptides with anti-adhesive activity in Paracoccidoides spp. in the treatment and prophylaxis of the paracoccidioidomycosis, BP.PD

Abstract

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and P. lutzii are dimorphic fungi, etiologic agents of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Fungi of Paracoccidioides genus have mechanisms that enable them to adhere and invade host tissues and adhesion is one of the most important steps in the Paracoccidioides infection, being responsible for differences in virulence of isolates of these fungi. Because of the importance of the adhesion to the establishment of an infection, the candidate is developing a new therapeutic strategy to inhibit adhesion of Paracoccidioides, by four peptides selected by phage display. However, to understand the real role of these peptides in fighting PCM its necessary understand the capacity of these peptides to modulate the host response and also understand how the parasite manipulates the host, the host response during infection, and the impact of theses process on therapy. The knowledge of the manipulation of the host by the fungus is of great importance and one of the great capacity of different fungi species is suffer drastic morphological changes that can make the phagocytosis challenge bigger and deficient phagocytosis represents a risk factor for fungal disease. In this way, the proposed project have two distinct aims: 1) understand how the peptides modulate the host immune system helping in fight the disease using in vitro and in vivo models, as well as 2) using the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans as a model of study, identify genes and proteins involved in the process of morphological changes suffered by the fungus during infection and characterize how the host modulates its response against these changes. (AU)

Scientific publications

(5)

(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)

TREVIJANO-CONTADOR, NURIA; CESAR DE OLIVEIRA, HAROLDO; GARCIA-RODAS, ROCIO; ANDREIA ROSSI, SUELEN; LLORENTO, IRENE; ZABALLOS, ANGEL; JANBON, GUILHEM; ARINO, JOAQUIN; ZARAGOZA, OSCAR. Cryptococcus neoformans can form titan-like cells in vitro in response to multiple signals. PLOS PATHOGENS, v. 14, n. 5, MAY 2018. (16/20631-3)

ZHANG, CHUNYI; GARCIA-RODAS, ROCIO; MOLERO, CRISTINA; CESAR DE OLIVEIRA, HAROLDO; TABERNERO, LYDIA; REVERTER, DAVID; ZARAGOZA, OSCAR; ARINO, JOAQUIN. Characterization of the atypical Ppz/Hal3 phosphatase system from the pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Molecular Microbiology, v. 111, n. 4, p. 898-917, APR 2019. (16/20631-3)

ANDREIA ROSSI, SUELEN; CESAR DE OLIVEIRA, HAROLDO; AGREDA-MELLON, DANIEL; LUCIO, JOSE; SOARES MENDES-GIANNINI, MARIA JOSE; PABLO GARCIA-CAMBERO, JESUS; ZARAGOZA, OSCAR. Identification of Off-Patent Drugs That Show Synergism with Amphotericin B or That Present Antifungal Action against Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida spp.. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v. 64, n. 4, APR 2020. (16/20631-3)

CESAR DE OLIVEIRA, HAROLDO; CANDIDA MONTEIRO, MARIA; ANDREIA ROSSI, SUELEN; PEMAN, JAVIER; RUIZ-GAITAN, ALBA; SOARES MENDES-GIANNINI, MARIA JOSE; MELLADO, EMILIA; ZARAGOZA, OSCAR. Identification of Off-Patent Compounds That Present Antifungal Activity Against the Emerging Fungal Pathogen Candida auris. FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY, v. 9, APR 2 2019. (16/20631-3)

GARCIA-RODAS, ROCIO; DE OLIVEIRA, H. C.; TREVIJANO-CONTADOR, NURIA; ZARAGOZA, OSCAR; RODRIGUES, ML. Cryptococcal Titan Cells: When Yeast Cells Are All Grown up. FUNGAL PHYSIOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOGENESIS, v. 422, p. 20-pg., 2019-01-01. (16/20631-3)