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14 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 14
Disruption of the Aspergillus fumigatus RNA interference machinery alters the conidial transcriptome.

Abstract (Expand)

The RNA interference (RNAi) pathway has evolved numerous functionalities in eukaryotes, with many on display in Kingdom Fungi. RNAi can regulate gene expression, facilitate drug resistance, or even be … altogether lost to improve growth potential in some fungal pathogens. In the WHO fungal priority pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, the RNAi system is known to be intact and functional. To extend our limited understanding of A. fumigatus RNAi, we first investigated the genetic variation in RNAi-associated genes in a collection of 217 environmental and 83 clinical genomes, where we found that RNAi components are conserved even in clinical strains. Using endogenously expressed inverted-repeat transgenes complementary to a conditionally essential gene (pabA) or a nonessential gene (pksP), we determined that a subset of the RNAi componentry is active in inverted-repeat transgene silencing in conidia and mycelium. Analysis of mRNA-seq data from RNAi double-knockout strains linked the A. fumigatus dicer-like enzymes (DclA/B) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RrpA/B) to regulation of conidial ribosome biogenesis genes; however, surprisingly few endogenous small RNAs were identified in conidia that could explain this broad change. Although RNAi was not clearly linked to growth or stress response defects in the RNAi knockouts, serial passaging of RNAi knockout strains for six generations resulted in lineages with diminished spore production over time, indicating that loss of RNAi can exert a fitness cost on the fungus. Cumulatively, A. fumigatus RNAi appears to play an active role in defense against double-stranded RNA species alongside a previously unappreciated housekeeping function in regulation of conidial ribosomal biogenesis genes.

Authors: A. A. Kelani, A. Bruch, F. Rivieccio, C. Visser, T. Kruger, D. Weaver, X. Pan, S. Schauble, G. Panagiotou, O. Kniemeyer, M. J. Bromley, P. Bowyer, A. E. Barber, A. A. Brakhage, M. G. Blango

Date Published: 19th Jun 2023

Publication Type: Journal

COVID-19 patients share common, corticosteroid-independent features of impaired host immunity to pathogenic molds.

Abstract (Expand)

Patients suffering from coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) are susceptible to deadly secondary fungal infections such as COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis and COVID-19-associated mucormycosis. … Despite this clinical observation, direct experimental evidence for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-driven alterations of antifungal immunity is scarce. Using an ex-vivo whole blood stimulation assay, we challenged blood from twelve COVID-19 patients with Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus arrhizus antigens and studied the expression of activation, maturation, and exhaustion markers, as well as cytokine secretion. Compared to healthy controls, T-helper cells from COVID-19 patients displayed increased expression levels of the exhaustion marker PD-1 and weakened A. fumigatus- and R. arrhizus-induced activation. While baseline secretion of proinflammatory cytokines was massively elevated, whole blood from COVID-19 patients elicited diminished release of T-cellular (e.g., IFN-gamma, IL-2) and innate immune cell-derived (e.g., CXCL9, CXCL10) cytokines in response to A. fumigatus and R. arrhizus antigens. Additionally, samples from COVID-19 patients showed deficient granulocyte activation by mold antigens and reduced fungal killing capacity of neutrophils. These features of weakened anti-mold immune responses were largely decoupled from COVID-19 severity, the time elapsed since diagnosis of COVID-19, and recent corticosteroid uptake, suggesting that impaired anti-mold defense is a common denominator of the underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of the immune predisposition to post-viral mold infections and could inform future studies of immunotherapeutic strategies to prevent and treat fungal superinfections in COVID-19 patients.

Authors: B. Tappe, C. D. Lauruschkat, L. Strobel, J. Pantaleon Garcia, O. Kurzai, S. Rebhan, S. Kraus, E. Pfeuffer-Jovic, L. Bussemer, L. Possler, M. Held, K. Hunniger, O. Kniemeyer, S. Schauble, A. A. Brakhage, G. Panagiotou, P. L. White, H. Einsele, J. Loffler, S. Wurster

Date Published: 2nd Sep 2022

Publication Type: Journal

Candida albicans SR-Like Protein Kinases Regulate Different Cellular Processes: Sky1 Is Involved in Control of Ion Homeostasis, While Sky2 Is Important for Dipeptide Utilization.

Abstract (Expand)

Protein kinases play a crucial role in regulating cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, environmental adaptation and stress responses. Serine-arginine (SR) protein kinases are highly conserved … in eukaryotes and regulate fundamental processes such as constitutive and alternative splicing, mRNA processing and ion homeostasis. The Candida albicans genome encodes two (Sky1, Sky2) and the Candida glabrata genome has one homolog (Sky1) of the human SR protein kinase 1, but their functions have not yet been investigated. We used deletion strains of the corresponding genes in both fungi to study their cellular functions. C. glabrata and C. albicans strains lacking SKY1 exhibited higher resistance to osmotic stress and toxic polyamine concentrations, similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae sky1Delta mutants. Deletion of SKY2 in C. albicans resulted in impaired utilization of various dipeptides as the sole nitrogen source. Subsequent phosphoproteomic analysis identified the di- and tripeptide transporter Ptr22 as a potential Sky2 substrate. Sky2 seems to be involved in Ptr22 regulation since overexpression of PTR22 in the sky2Delta mutant restored the ability to grow on dipeptides and made the cells more susceptible to the dipeptide antifungals Polyoxin D and Nikkomycin Z. Altogether, our results demonstrate that C. albicans and C. glabrata Sky1 protein kinases are functionally similar to Sky1 in S. cerevisiae, whereas C. albicans Sky2, a unique kinase of the CTG clade, likely regulates dipeptide uptake via Ptr22.

Authors: P. Brandt, F. Gerwien, L. Wagner, T. Kruger, B. Ramirez-Zavala, M. H. Mirhakkak, S. Schauble, O. Kniemeyer, G. Panagiotou, A. A. Brakhage, J. Morschhauser, S. Vylkova

Date Published: 23rd May 2022

Publication Type: Journal

Carbon Catabolite Repression in Filamentous Fungi Is Regulated by Phosphorylation of the Transcription Factor CreA.

Abstract (Expand)

Filamentous fungi of the genus Aspergillus are of particular interest for biotechnological applications due to their natural capacity to secrete carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy) that target plant … biomass. The presence of easily metabolizable sugars such as glucose, whose concentrations increase during plant biomass hydrolysis, results in the repression of CAZy-encoding genes in a process known as carbon catabolite repression (CCR), which is undesired for the purpose of large-scale enzyme production. To date, the C2H2 transcription factor CreA has been described as the major CC repressor in Aspergillus spp., although little is known about the role of posttranslational modifications in this process. In this work, phosphorylation sites were identified by mass spectrometry on Aspergillus nidulans CreA, and subsequently, the previously identified but uncharacterized site S262, the characterized site S319, and the newly identified sites S268 and T308 were chosen to be mutated to nonphosphorylatable residues before their effect on CCR was investigated. Sites S262, S268, and T308 are important for CreA protein accumulation and cellular localization, DNA binding, and repression of enzyme activities. In agreement with a previous study, site S319 was not important for several here-tested phenotypes but is key for CreA degradation and induction of enzyme activities. All sites were shown to be important for glycogen and trehalose metabolism. This study highlights the importance of CreA phosphorylation sites for the regulation of CCR. These sites are interesting targets for biotechnological strain engineering without the need to delete essential genes, which could result in undesired side effects.IMPORTANCE In filamentous fungi, the transcription factor CreA controls carbohydrate metabolism through the regulation of genes encoding enzymes required for the use of alternative carbon sources. In this work, phosphorylation sites were identified on Aspergillus nidulans CreA, and subsequently, the two newly identified sites S268 and T308, the previously identified but uncharacterized site S262, and the previously characterized site S319 were chosen to be mutated to nonphosphorylatable residues before their effect on CCR was characterized. Sites S262, S268, and T308 are important for CreA protein accumulation and cellular localization, DNA binding, and repression of enzyme activities. In agreement with a previous study, site S319 is not important for several here-tested phenotypes but is key for CreA degradation and induction of enzyme activities. This work characterized novel CreA phosphorylation sites under carbon catabolite-repressing conditions and showed that they are crucial for CreA protein turnover, control of carbohydrate utilization, and biotechnologically relevant enzyme production.

Authors: L. J. de Assis, L. P. Silva, O. Bayram, P. Dowling, O. Kniemeyer, T. Kruger, A. A. Brakhage, Y. Chen, L. Dong, K. Tan, K. H. Wong, L. N. A. Ries, G. H. Goldman

Date Published: 5th Jan 2021

Publication Type: Not specified

Functional surface proteomic profiling reveals the host heat-shock protein A8 as a mediator of Lichtheimia corymbifera recognition by murine alveolar macrophages.

Abstract (Expand)

Mucormycosis is an emergent, fatal fungal infection of humans and warm-blooded animals caused by species of the order Mucorales. Immune cells of the innate immune system serve as the first line of … defence against inhaled spores. Alveolar macrophages were challenged with the mucoralean fungus Lichtheimia corymbifera and subjected to biotinylation and streptavidin enrichment procedures followed by LC-MS/MS analyses. A total of 28 host proteins enriched for binding to macrophage-L. corymbifera interaction. Among those, the HSP70-family protein Hspa8 was found to be predominantly responsive to living and heat-killed spores of a virulent and an attenuated strain of L. corymbifera. Confocal scanning laser microscopy of infected macrophages revealed colocalization of Hspa8 with phagocytosed spores of L. corymbifera. The amount of detectable Hspa8 was dependent on the multiplicity of infection. Incubation of alveolar macrophages with an anti-Hspa8 antibody prior to infection reduced their capability to phagocytose spores of L. corymbifera. In contrast, anti-Hspa8 antibodies did not abrogate the phagocytosis of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia by macrophages. These results suggest an important contribution of the heat-shock family protein Hspa8 in the recognition of spores of the mucoralean fungus L. corymbifera by host alveolar macrophages and define a potential immunomodulatory therapeutic target.

Authors: M. I. A. Hassan, J. M. Kruse, T. Kruger, H. M. Dahse, Z. Cseresnyes, M. G. Blango, H. Slevogt, F. Horhold, V. Ast, R. Konig, M. T. Figge, O. Kniemeyer, A. A. Brakhage, K. Voigt

Date Published: 26th Jun 2020

Publication Type: Not specified

Microdissection-An Essential Prerequisite for Spatial Cancer Omics.

Abstract (Expand)

The problem with cancer tissue is that its intratumoral heterogeneity and its complexity is extremely high as cells possess, depending on their location and function, different mutations, different … mRNA expression and the highest intricacy in the protein pattern. Prior to genomic and proteomic analyses, it is therefore indispensable to identify the exact part of the tissue or even the exact cell. Laser-based microdissection is a tried and tested technique able to produce pure and well-defined cell material for further analysis with proteomic and genomic techniques. It sheds light on the heterogeneity of cancer or other complex diseases and enables the identification of biomarkers. This review aims to raise awareness for the reconsideration of laser-based microdissection and seeks to present current state-of-the-art combinations with omic techniques.

Authors: F. von Eggeling, F. Hoffmann

Date Published: 25th Jun 2020

Publication Type: Not specified

Ahr1 and Tup1 Contribute to the Transcriptional Control of Virulence-Associated Genes in Candida albicans.

Abstract (Expand)

The capacity of Candida albicans to reversibly change its morphology between yeast and filamentous stages is crucial for its virulence. Formation of hyphae correlates with the upregulation of genes … ALS3 and ECE1, which are involved in pathogenicity processes such as invasion, iron acquisition, and host cell damage. The global repressor Tup1 and its cofactor Nrg1 are considered to be the main antagonists of hyphal development in C. albicans However, our experiments revealed that Tup1, but not Nrg1, was required for full expression of ALS3 and ECE1 In contrast to NRG1, overexpression of TUP1 was found to inhibit neither filamentous growth nor transcription of ALS3 and ECE1 In addition, we identified the transcription factor Ahr1 as being required for full expression of both genes. A hyperactive version of Ahr1 bound directly to the promoters of ALS3 and ECE1 and induced their transcription even in the absence of environmental stimuli. This regulation worked even in the absence of the crucial hyphal growth regulators Cph1 and Efg1 but was dependent on the presence of Tup1. Overall, our results show that Ahr1 and Tup1 are key contributors in the complex regulation of virulence-associated genes in the different C. albicans morphologies.IMPORTANCE Candida albicans is a major human fungal pathogen and the leading cause of systemic Candida infections. In recent years, Als3 and Ece1 were identified as important factors for fungal virulence. Transcription of both corresponding genes is closely associated with hyphal growth. Here, we describe how Tup1, normally a global repressor of gene expression as well as of filamentation, and the transcription factor Ahr1 contribute to full expression of ALS3 and ECE1 in C. albicans hyphae. Both regulators are required for high mRNA amounts of the two genes to ensure functional relevant protein synthesis and localization. These observations identified a new aspect of regulation in the complex transcriptional control of virulence-associated genes in C. albicans.

Authors: S. Ruben, E. Garbe, S. Mogavero, D. Albrecht-Eckardt, D. Hellwig, A. Hader, T. Kruger, K. Gerth, I. D. Jacobsen, O. Elshafee, S. Brunke, K. Hunniger, O. Kniemeyer, A. A. Brakhage, J. Morschhauser, B. Hube, S. Vylkova, O. Kurzai, R. Martin

Date Published: 28th Apr 2020

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Neutrophils Produce Antifungal Extracellular Vesicles against Aspergillus fumigatus.

Abstract (Expand)

Polymorphonuclear granulocytes (PMNs) are indispensable for controlling life-threatening fungal infections. In addition to various effector mechanisms, PMNs also produce extracellular vesicles (EVs). … Their contribution to antifungal defense has remained unexplored. We reveal that the clinically important human-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus triggers PMNs to release a distinct set of antifungal EVs (afEVs). Proteome analyses indicated that afEVs are enriched in antimicrobial proteins. The cargo and the release kinetics of EVs are modulated by the fungal strain confronted. Tracking of afEVs indicated that they associated with fungal cells and even entered fungal hyphae, resulting in alterations in the morphology of the fungal cell wall and dose-dependent antifungal effects. To assess as a proof of concept whether the antimicrobial proteins found in afEVs might contribute to growth inhibition of hyphae when present in the fungal cytoplasm, two human proteins enriched in afEVs, cathepsin G and azurocidin, were heterologously expressed in fungal hyphae. This led to reduced fungal growth relative to that of a control strain producing the human retinol binding protein 7. In conclusion, extracellular vesicles produced by neutrophils in response to A. fumigatus infection are able to associate with the fungus, limit growth, and elicit cell damage by delivering antifungal cargo. This finding offers an intriguing, previously overlooked mechanism of antifungal defense against A. fumigatus IMPORTANCE Invasive fungal infections caused by the mold Aspergillus fumigatus are a growing concern in the clinic due to the increasing use of immunosuppressive therapies and increasing antifungal drug resistance. These infections result in high rates of mortality, as treatment and diagnostic options remain limited. In healthy individuals, neutrophilic granulocytes are critical for elimination of A. fumigatus from the host; however, the exact extracellular mechanism of neutrophil-mediated antifungal activity remains unresolved. Here, we present a mode of antifungal defense employed by human neutrophils against A. fumigatus not previously described. We found that extracellular vesicles produced by neutrophils in response to A. fumigatus infection are able to associate with the fungus, limit growth, and elicit cell damage by delivering antifungal cargo. In the end, antifungal extracellular vesicle biology provides a significant step forward in our understanding of A. fumigatus host pathogenesis and opens up novel diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities.

Authors: I. A. Shopova, I. Belyaev, P. Dasari, S. Jahreis, M. C. Stroe, Z. Cseresnyes, A. K. Zimmermann, A. Medyukhina, C. M. Svensson, T. Kruger, V. Szeifert, S. Nietzsche, T. Conrad, M. G. Blango, O. Kniemeyer, M. von Lilienfeld-Toal, P. F. Zipfel, E. Ligeti, M. T. Figge, A. A. Brakhage

Date Published: 14th Apr 2020

Publication Type: Not specified

Human Anti-fungal Th17 Immunity and Pathology Rely on Cross-Reactivity against Candida albicans.

Abstract (Expand)

Th17 cells provide protection at barrier tissues but may also contribute to immune pathology. The relevance and induction mechanisms of pathologic Th17 responses in humans are poorly understood. Here, … we identify the mucocutaneous pathobiont Candida albicans as the major direct inducer of human anti-fungal Th17 cells. Th17 cells directed against other fungi are induced by cross-reactivity to C. albicans. Intestinal inflammation expands total C. albicans and cross-reactive Th17 cells. Strikingly, Th17 cells cross-reactive to the airborne fungus Aspergillus fumigatus are selectively activated and expanded in patients with airway inflammation, especially during acute allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. This indicates a direct link between protective intestinal Th17 responses against C. albicans and lung inflammation caused by airborne fungi. We identify heterologous immunity to a single, ubiquitous member of the microbiota as a central mechanism for systemic induction of human anti-fungal Th17 responses and as a potential risk factor for pulmonary inflammatory diseases.

Authors: P. Bacher, T. Hohnstein, E. Beerbaum, M. Rocker, M. G. Blango, S. Kaufmann, J. Rohmel, P. Eschenhagen, C. Grehn, K. Seidel, V. Rickerts, L. Lozza, U. Stervbo, M. Nienen, N. Babel, J. Milleck, M. Assenmacher, O. A. Cornely, M. Ziegler, H. Wisplinghoff, G. Heine, M. Worm, B. Siegmund, J. Maul, P. Creutz, C. Tabeling, C. Ruwwe-Glosenkamp, L. E. Sander, C. Knosalla, S. Brunke, B. Hube, O. Kniemeyer, A. A. Brakhage, C. Schwarz, A. Scheffold

Date Published: 7th Mar 2019

Publication Type: Not specified

Identification of Proteomic Markers in Head and Neck Cancer Using MALDI-MS Imaging, LC-MS/MS, and Immunohistochemistry.

Abstract (Expand)

PURPOSE: The heterogeneity of squamous cell carcinoma tissue greatly complicates diagnosis and individualized therapy. Therefore, characterizing the heterogeneity of tissue spatially and identifying … appropriate biomarkers is crucial. MALDI-MS imaging (MSI) is capable of analyzing spatially resolved tissue biopsies on a molecular level. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: MALDI-MSI is used on snap frozen and formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) to analyze m/z values localized in tumor and nontumor regions. Peptide identification is performed using LC-MS/MS and immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: In both FFPE and frozen tissue specimens, eight characteristic masses of the tumor's epithelial region are found. Using LC-MS/MS, the peaks are identified as vimentin, keratin type II, nucleolin, heat shock protein 90, prelamin-A/C, junction plakoglobin, and PGAM1. Lastly, vimentin, nucleolin, and PGAM1 are verified with IHC. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The combination of MALDI-MSI, LC-MS/MS, and subsequent IHC furnishes a tool suitable for characterizing the molecular heterogeneity of tissue. It is also suited for use in identifying new representative biomarkers to enable a more individualized therapy.

Authors: F. Hoffmann, C. Umbreit, T. Kruger, D. Pelzel, G. Ernst, O. Kniemeyer, O. Guntinas-Lichius, A. Berndt, F. von Eggeling

Date Published: 10th Nov 2018

Publication Type: Not specified

The hypoxia-induced dehydrogenase HorA is required for coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis, azole sensitivity and virulence of Aspergillus fumigatus

Abstract (Expand)

Aspergillus fumigatus is the predominant airborne pathogenic fungus causing invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. During infection A. fumigatus has to adapt to oxygen-limiting conditions … in inflammatory or necrotic tissue. Previously, we identified a mitochondrial protein to be highly up-regulated during hypoxic adaptation. Here, this protein was found to represent the novel oxidoreductase HorA. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae a homologue was shown to play a role in biosynthesis of coenzyme Q. Consistently, reduced coenzyme Q content in the generated DeltahorA mutant indicated a respective function in A. fumigatus. Since coenzyme Q is involved in cellular respiration and maintaining cellular redox homeostasis, the strain DeltahorA displayed an impaired response to both oxidative and reductive stress, a delay in germination and an accumulation of NADH. Moreover, an increased resistance against antifungal drugs was observed. All phenotypes were completely reversed by the addition of the synthetic electron carrier menadione. The deletion strain DeltahorA showed significantly attenuated virulence in two murine infection models of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Therefore, the biosynthesis of coenzyme Q and, particularly, the fungal-specific protein HorA play a crucial role in virulence of A. fumigatus. Due to its absence in mammals, HorA might represent a novel therapeutic target against fungal infections. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Authors: K. Kroll, E. Shekhova, D. J. Mattern, A. Thywissen, , M. Strassburger, T. Heinekamp, , ,

Date Published: 19th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

Proteomic Profiling of Serological Responses to Aspergillus fumigatus Antigens in Patients with Invasive Aspergillosis

Abstract (Expand)

Aspergillus fumigatus is the species that most commonly causes the opportunistic infection invasive aspergillosis (IA) in patients being treated for hematological malignancies. Little is known about … the A. fumigatus proteins that trigger the production of Aspergillus-specific IgG antibodies during the course of IA. To characterize the serological response to A. fumigatus protein antigens, mycelial proteins were separated by 2-D gel electrophoresis. The gels were immunoblotted with sera from patients with probable and proven IA and control patients without IA. We identified 49 different fungal proteins, which gave a positive IgG antibody signal. Most of these antigens play a role in primary metabolism and stress responses. Overall, our analysis identified 18 novel protein antigens from A. fumigatus. To determine whether these antigens can be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers or exhibit a protective activity, we employed supervised machine learning with decision trees. We identified two candidates for further analysis, the protein antigens CpcB and Shm2. Heterologously produced Shm2 induced a strongly proinflammatory response in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells after in vitro stimulation. In contrast, CpcB did not activate the immune response of PBMCs. These findings could serve as the basis for the development of an immunotherapy of IA.

Authors: J. Teutschbein, S. Simon, J. Lother, J. Springer, P. Hortschansky, C. O. Morton, , , E. Conneally, T. R. Rogers, , ,

Date Published: 15th Mar 2016

Publication Type: Not specified

The novel globin protein fungoglobin is involved in low oxygen adaptation of Aspergillus fumigatus

Abstract (Expand)

The human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus normally lives as a soil saprophyte. Its environment includes poorly oxygenated substrates that also occur during tissue invasive growth of the fungus … in the human host. Up to now, few cellular factors have been identified that allow the fungus to efficiently adapt its energy metabolism to hypoxia. Here, we cultivated A. fumigatus in an O2 -controlled fermenter and analysed its responses to O2 limitation on a minute timescale. Transcriptome sequencing revealed several genes displaying a rapid and highly dynamic regulation. One of these genes was analysed in detail and found to encode fungoglobin, a previously uncharacterized member of the sensor globin protein family widely conserved in filamentous fungi. Besides low O2 , iron limitation also induced transcription, but regulation was not entirely dependent on the two major transcription factors involved in adaptation to iron starvation and hypoxia, HapX and SrbA respectively. The protein was identified as a functional haemoglobin, as binding of this cofactor was detected for the recombinant protein. Gene deletion in A. fumigatus confirmed that haem-binding fungoglobins are important for growth in microaerobic environments with O2 levels far lower than in hypoxic human tissue.

Authors: F. Hillmann, , N. Beckmann, M. Cyrulies, M. Strassburger, T. Heinekamp, H. Haas, , ,

Date Published: 7th Jul 2014

Publication Type: Not specified

Proteome Analysis Reveals the Conidial Surface Protein CcpA Essential for Virulence of the Pathogenic Fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

Abstract (Expand)

Aspergillus fumigatus is a common airborne fungal pathogen of humans and a significant source of mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Here, we provide the most extensive cell wall proteome … profiling to date of A. fumigatus resting conidia, the fungal morphotype pertinent to first contact with the host. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we identified proteins within the conidial cell wall by hydrogen-fluoride (HF)-pyridine extraction and proteins exposed on the surface using a trypsin-shaving approach. One protein, designated conidial cell wall protein A (CcpA), was identified by both methods and was found to be nearly as abundant as hydrophobic rodlet layer-forming protein RodA. CcpA, an amphiphilic protein, like RodA, peaks in expression during sporulation on resting conidia. Despite high cell wall abundance, the cell surface structure of DeltaccpA resting conidia appeared normal. However, trypsin shaving of DeltaccpA conidia revealed novel surface-exposed proteins not detected on conidia of the wild-type strain. Interestingly, the presence of swollen DeltaccpA conidia led to higher activation of neutrophils and dendritic cells than was seen with wild-type conidia and caused significantly less damage to epithelial cells in vitro In addition, virulence was highly attenuated when cortisone-treated, immunosuppressed mice were infected with DeltaccpA conidia. CcpA-specific memory T cell responses were detectable in healthy human donors naturally exposed to A. fumigatus conidia, suggesting a role for CcpA as a structural protein impacting conidial immunogenicity rather than possessing a protein-intrinsic immunosuppressive effect. Together, these data suggest that CcpA serves as a conidial stealth protein by altering the conidial surface structure to minimize innate immune recognition.IMPORTANCE The mammalian immune system relies on recognition of pathogen surface antigens for targeting and clearance. In the absence of immune evasion strategies, pathogen clearance is rapid. In the case of Aspergillus fumigatus, the successful fungus must avoid phagocytosis in the lung to establish invasive infection. In healthy individuals, fungal spores are cleared by immune cells; however, in immunocompromised patients, clearance mechanisms are impaired. Here, using proteome analyses, we identified CcpA as an important fungal spore protein involved in pathogenesis. A. fumigatus lacking CcpA was more susceptible to immune recognition and prompt eradication and, consequently, exhibited drastically attenuated virulence. In infection studies, CcpA was required for virulence in infected immunocompromised mice, suggesting that it could be used as a possible immunotherapeutic or diagnostic target in the future. In summary, our report adds a protein to the list of those known to be critical to the complex fungal spore surface environment and, more importantly, identifies a protein important for conidial immunogenicity during infection.

Authors: V. Voltersen, M. G. Blango, S. Herrmann, F. Schmidt, T. Heinekamp, M. Strassburger, T. Kruger, P. Bacher, J. Lother, E. Weiss, K. Hunniger, H. Liu, P. Hortschansky, A. Scheffold, J. Loffler, S. Krappmann, S. Nietzsche, O. Kurzai, H. Einsele, O. Kniemeyer, S. G. Filler, U. Reichard, A. A. Brakhage

Date Published: No date defined

Publication Type: Not specified

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