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Identifier

000435042

Title

‘Exploring molecular mechanisms of interaction of filamentous fungi with neutrophils

Alternative Title

Ανάλυση μοριακών μηχανισμών αλληλεπίδρασης υφομυκήτων με ουδετερόφιλα

Author

Μπάιμπα, Σταυρούλα

Thesis advisor

Χαμηλός, Γεώργιος

Abstract

Fungal Kingdom includes about 6 million species, however only a few hundred are associated with human diseases. Mucormycosis is a rare-yet an emerging invasive fungal disease caused by fungi of the Mucorales order, characterized with high mortality rates of almost 100% in the case of disseminated infection. Neutrophils are essential players of the host innate immunity against filamentous fungi. Although one of the major risks factors of Mucormycosis is neutropenia, the molecular mechanisms of neutrophil interaction with Mucorales remain unknown. In this project, our aim was to establish ex vivo imaging and killing assays to investigate the interaction between murine and human neutrophils and the main causative agent of Mucormycosis, Rhizopus oryzae In contrast to the other major aerial fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, we found that neutrophils do not phagocytose Mucorales conidia but instead selectively form clusters surrounding them, a phenomenon recently described as neutrophil swarming. Importantly, swarming was not observed against Aspergillus conidia. Pilot studies suggest that fungal cell wall melanin of Rhizopus conidia likely account for induction of swarming. Furthermore, we found that neutrophils inhibit R. oryzae conidia germination. Further experiments should clarify host and fungal molecular elements regulating this immune response against Mucorales and elucidate the role of swarming in disease pathogenesis

Language

English

Subject

Fungi

Innate immunity

Mucomycosis

Mucorales

Rhizopus oryzae

Έμφυτη ανοσία

Μουκορμύκωση

Μύκητες

Issue date