EPHA5 regulates antifungal innate immunity by phosphorylating EPHB2 and Dectin-1.

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) have emerged as a significant health threat and cause approximately 3.75 million deaths per year globally. Understanding the detailed mechanism of the immune response to eliminate invasive fungal pathogens may help to provide new insights for the development of anti...

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Main Authors: Ru Gao, Heping Wang, Zhihui Cui, Yanyun Du, Ruirui He, Lingyun Feng, Bo Zeng, Yangyang Li, Guoling Huang, Ting Pan, Yuan Wang, Ming Yi, Chenhui Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-06-01
Series:PLoS Pathogens
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013179
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Summary:Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) have emerged as a significant health threat and cause approximately 3.75 million deaths per year globally. Understanding the detailed mechanism of the immune response to eliminate invasive fungal pathogens may help to provide new insights for the development of antifungal methods and drugs. Previously, we reported that the tyrosine kinase receptor EPH receptor B2 (EPHB2) is a coreceptor of β-glucan and phosphorylates Syk to activate the antifungal downstream signaling pathway. However, how EPHB2 is activated after fungal infection is still unknown. In this study, we show that EPHA5 plays a critical role in antifungal immunity by phosphorylating EPHB2 and Dectin-1 after fungal infection, which facilitates the recruitment and activation of Syk and subsequent activation of downstream antifungal signaling pathways. Additionally, we showed that EphA5-deficient mice exhibited increased susceptibility to Candida albicans infection, with increased fungal burdens and impaired immune cell recruitment. This study provides not only a mechanistic explanation for EPHB2 and Dectin-1 activation after fungal infection but also new insights into potential therapeutic strategies for treating IFIs.
ISSN:1553-7366
1553-7374