Journal
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
Volume 12, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1023067
Keywords
Talaromyces marneffei; dimorphic fungus; Acanthamoeba castellanii; phagocytosis; melanin
Categories
Funding
- Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand (Post- doctoral Fellowship)
- Thailand Research fund (TRF)
- [MRG 4980060]
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This study reveals the interaction between the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii and Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei. The amoeba rapidly ingests T. marneffei, leading to its death, and promotes the transition of conidia to the yeast form. Additionally, T. marneffei expresses virulence factors during interaction with A. castellanii. These findings indicate that soil amoebae play a role in selecting and maintaining virulence traits in T. marneffei, a clinically important dimorphic fungus in mammalian hosts.
Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei is an important dimorphic mycosis endemic in Southeast Asia and Southern China, but the origin and maintenance of virulence traits in this organism remains obscure. Several pathogenic fungi, including Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporothrix schenckii, Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides spp. interact with free living soil amoebae and data suggests that fungal pathogenic strategies may emerge from environmental interactions of these fungi with ubiquitous phagocytic microorganisms. In this study, we examined the interactions of T. marneffei with the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. T. marneffei was rapidly ingested by A. castellanii and phagocytosis of fungal cells resulted in amoeba death after 24 h of contact. Co-culture also resulted in a rapid transition for conidia to the fission-yeast form. In addition, well-established virulence factors such as melanin and a yeast specific mannoprotein of T. marneffei were expressed during interaction with A. castellanii at 37 degrees C. Our findings support the assumption that soil amoebae environmental predators play a role in the selection and maintenance of particular features in T. marneffei that impart virulence to this clinically important dimorphic fungus in mammalian hosts.
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