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Published on: April 2, 2013
The Response of Paracoccidioides lutzii to the Interaction with Human Neutrophils
Lana O'Hara Souza Silva1, Lilian Cristiane Baeza2, Laurine Lacerda Pigosso1
1Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiania 74690-900, GO, Brazil.
Abstract:
The fungal pathogen Paracoccidioides lutzii causes systemic mycosis Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), which presents a broad distribution in Latin America. Upon infection, the fungus undergoes a morphological transition to yeast cells and provokes an inflammatory granulomatous reaction with a high number of neutrophils in the lungs. In this work, we employed proteomic analysis to investigate the in vitro response of the fungus to the interaction with human neutrophils. Proteomic profiling of P. lutzii yeast cells harvested at 2 and 4 h post interaction with human polymorphonuclear cells allowed the identification of 505 proteins differentially accumulated. The data indicated that P. lutzii yeast cells underwent a shift in metabolism from glycolysis to Beta oxidation, increasing enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle and upregulating enzymes related to the detoxification of oxidative and heat shock stress. To our knowledge, this is the first study employing proteomic analysis in the investigation of the response of a member of the Paracoccidioides genus to the interaction with neutrophils.
Insights
This study reveals how Paracoccidioides lutzii yeast cells adapt their metabolism and stress responses when encountering human neutrophils. It identifies key protein changes during this crucial fungal-host interaction.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Immunology
- Proteomics
Background:
- Paracoccidioides lutzii causes Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a systemic mycosis prevalent in Latin America.
- Infection involves fungal transition to yeast cells and a host inflammatory response dominated by neutrophils.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro response of P. lutzii yeast cells upon interaction with human neutrophils using proteomic analysis.
- To identify proteins differentially accumulated in P. lutzii during host immune cell interaction.
Main Methods:
- Proteomic profiling of P. lutzii yeast cells.
- Analysis of fungal cells harvested at 2 and 4 hours post-interaction with human polymorphonuclear cells.
Main Results:
- Identified 505 differentially accumulated proteins in P. lutzii.
- Observed a metabolic shift from glycolysis to beta-oxidation.
- Detected increased enzymes in the glyoxylate cycle.
- Noted upregulation of enzymes for oxidative and heat shock stress detoxification.
Conclusions:
- This is the first proteomic study on the interaction between Paracoccidioides and neutrophils.
- P. lutzii actively modifies its metabolism and stress response pathways during neutrophil interaction.
