In vitro production of neutrophil extracellular traps against Aspergillus fumigatus is influenced by the conidial surface protein hydrophobin RodA.

Ref ID: 18391

Author:

Sandra Bruns , Mike Hasenberg , Olaf Kniemeyer , Andreas Thywißen , Vishukumar Aimanianda , Jean-Paul Latgé , Matthias Gunzer , Axel
Brakhage

Author address:

Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans-Knoell-
Institute (HKI) – Jena, Germany Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Friedrich-Schiller-University-Jen

Full conference title:

Asperfest 8

Abstract:

Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne fungal pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Conidia as
the infectious agent infiltrate the lungs and get in contact with alveolar macrophages and neutrophil granulocytes, which repesent the first line of defense.
These cells kill fungal conidia by phagocytosis. Neutrophils are also able to form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) against A. fumigatus conidia and
hyphae. These sticky filaments consist of nuclear DNA decorated with histones and fungicidal proteins. Time-lapse movies of coincubations of A.
fumigatus with neutrophils revealed that NET production was a highly dynamic process which, however, was only exhibited by a sub-population of cells.
In addition the intensity of NET formation by unstimulated, human neutrophils was strain- and morphotype-dependent. The killing of A. fumigatus conidia
was not influenced by the amount of released extracellular DNA, but metabolic activity of hyphae seemed to be reduced by NETs after longer incubation
periods of 12h. Our data suggest that NETs prevent further spreading, but apparently do not represent the major factor for killing. By using fungal mutants
and extracted RodA protein we demonstrate that the conidial hydrophobin RodA, a surface protein rendering conidia immunologically inert, led to reduced
NET formation by neutrophils encountering Aspergillus. We are currently investigating NET formation against different A. fumigatus mutants to identify
fungal components, which stimulate or reduce NET formation. Bruns et al.(2010) Plos Pathogens 6:e1000873 Brakhage, A.A., S. Bruns, A. Thywissen,
P. F. Zipfel, J. Behnsen(2010) Curr Op Microbiol 13:409

Abstract Number: 71)

Conference Year: 2011

Link to conference website: NULL

New link: NULL

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