Melanin as a Virulence Factor in Different Species of Genus Paracoccidioides

Autor(es)

Emidio, ElUzia C. P. ^[1] ; Uran J, Martha E. ^{[2, 3]} ; Silva, Leandro B. R. ^[1] ; Dias, Lucas S. ^[1] ; Doprado, Mariana ^[1] ; Nosanchuk, Joshua D. ^{[4, 5]} ; Taborda, Carlos Pelleschi ^{[1, 2]}

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Biomed, Dept Microbiol, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo, Dept Dermatol, Lab Micol Med LIM53, BR-05403000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] Univ Antioquia, Sch Med, Dept Microbiol & Parasitol, Medellin 050010 - Colombia

^[4] Albert Einstein Coll Med, Dept Microbiol & Immunol, Bronx, NY 10461 - USA

^[5] Albert Einstein Coll Med, Div Infect Dis, Dept Med, Bronx, NY 10461 - USA

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: JOURNAL OF FUNGI; v. 6, n. 4 DEC 2020.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a granulomatous systemic mycosis caused by the thermo-dimorphic fungi of the genus Paracoccidioides. Melanin production by fungi can affect their pathogenesis and virulence. This study evaluates the production of melanin by different isolates of genus Paracoccidioides and examines how the presence of this polymer affects yeast cell phagocytosis, as well as laccase enzyme production. The results obtained showed that the isolates of genus Paracoccidioides: P. lutzii (Pb01, Pb66, ED01, Pb1578, and Pb8334), P. restrepiensis (PS3-Pb60855), P. brasiliensis (S1-Pb18), and P. americana (PS2-Pbcao) produce melanin in the presence of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Phagocytosis assays were carried out with peritoneal macrophages from C57Bl/6 mice that were challenged with Pb18, Pb60855, and Pb01. We observed that melanin interferes with phagocytosis in the presence or absence of complement or heat-inactivated serum. This article confirms that different species of the genus Paracoccidioides produce melanin in different magnitudes and that the polymer functions as a virulence factor. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/08730-6 - Patogenicidade fúngica: efeito do tabagismo, resposta imune e a modulação vacinal na paracoccidioidomicose e na histoplasmose
• Beneficiário: Carlos Pelleschi Taborda
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 18/25171-6 - Prospecção de novos epitopos com potencial vacinal no controle da infecção experimental por Paracoccidioides lutzii
• Beneficiário: Leandro Buffoni Roque da Silva
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 19/20622-2 - Prospecção de novos epítopos antigênicos de isolados de P. lutzii com potencial vacinal
• Beneficiário: Leandro Buffoni Roque da Silva
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado