| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Trevijano-Contador, Nuria
[1]
;
Herrero-Fernandez, Ines
[1]
;
Garcia-Barbazan, Irene
[1]
;
Scorzoni, Liliana
[1, 2]
;
Rueda, Cristina
[1]
;
Andreia Rossi, Suelen
[1, 2]
;
Garcia-Rodas, Rocio
[1]
;
Zaragoza, Oscar
[1]
Total Authors: 8
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Inst Salud Carlos III, Natl Ctr Microbiol, Mycol Reference Lab, Madrid 28220 - Spain
[2] Fac Ciencias Farmaceut, Lab Micol Clin, BR-14801902 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | VIRULENCE; v. 6, n. 1, p. 66-74, JAN 2015. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 18 |
| Abstract | |
Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated opportunistic fungal pathogen that is found in multiple niches in the environment and that can cause fatal meningoencephalitis in susceptible patients, mainly HIV+ individuals. Cryptococcus also infects environmental hosts such as nematodes, insects and plants. In particular, C. neoformans can kill the lepidopteran Galleria mellonella, which offers a useful tool to study microbial virulence and drug efficacy. Galleria mellonella immunity relies on innate responses based on melanization, accumulation of antimicrobial peptides, and cellular responses as phagocytosis or multicellular encapsulation. In this work we have investigated the immune response of G. mellonella during cryptococcal infection. We found that G. mellonella infected with C. neoformans had a high lytic activity in their hemolymph. This response was temperature- and capsule-dependent. During interaction with phagocytic cells, C. neoformans behaved as an intracellular pathogen since it could replicate within hemocytes. Non-lytic events were also observed. In contrast to Candida species, C. neoformans did not induce melanization of G. mellonella after infection. Finally, passage of C. neoformans through G. mellonella resulted in changes in capsule structure as it has been also reported during infection in mammals. Our results highlight that G. mellonella is an optimal model to investigate innate immune responses against C. neoformans. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 13/10917-9 - Alternative animal models: Virulence of different phylogenetic species of Paracoccidioides and effect of the 30kDa 43kDa protein and their antibodies |
| Grantee: | Liliana Scorzoni |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral |