Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity.
Cryptococcus neoformans is a common life-threatening human fungal pathogen. The size of cryptococcal cells is typically 5 to 10 microm. Cell enlargement was observed in vivo, producing cells up to 100 microm. These morphological changes in cell size affected pathogenicity via reducing phagocytosis b...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2010-06-01
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| Series: | PLoS Pathogens |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1000953&type=printable |
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| author | Laura H Okagaki Anna K Strain Judith N Nielsen Caroline Charlier Nicholas J Baltes Fabrice Chrétien Joseph Heitman Françoise Dromer Kirsten Nielsen |
| author_facet | Laura H Okagaki Anna K Strain Judith N Nielsen Caroline Charlier Nicholas J Baltes Fabrice Chrétien Joseph Heitman Françoise Dromer Kirsten Nielsen |
| author_sort | Laura H Okagaki |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cryptococcus neoformans is a common life-threatening human fungal pathogen. The size of cryptococcal cells is typically 5 to 10 microm. Cell enlargement was observed in vivo, producing cells up to 100 microm. These morphological changes in cell size affected pathogenicity via reducing phagocytosis by host mononuclear cells, increasing resistance to oxidative and nitrosative stress, and correlated with reduced penetration of the central nervous system. Cell enlargement was stimulated by coinfection with strains of opposite mating type, and ste3aDelta pheromone receptor mutant strains had reduced cell enlargement. Finally, analysis of DNA content in this novel cell type revealed that these enlarged cells were polyploid, uninucleate, and produced daughter cells in vivo. These results describe a novel mechanism by which C. neoformans evades host phagocytosis to allow survival of a subset of the population at early stages of infection. Thus, morphological changes play unique and specialized roles during infection. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-99bcbef7a4be44a8b9223effd38d9474 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1553-7366 1553-7374 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-06-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-99bcbef7a4be44a8b9223effd38d94742025-08-20T02:02:01ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742010-06-0166e100095310.1371/journal.ppat.1000953Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity.Laura H OkagakiAnna K StrainJudith N NielsenCaroline CharlierNicholas J BaltesFabrice ChrétienJoseph HeitmanFrançoise DromerKirsten NielsenCryptococcus neoformans is a common life-threatening human fungal pathogen. The size of cryptococcal cells is typically 5 to 10 microm. Cell enlargement was observed in vivo, producing cells up to 100 microm. These morphological changes in cell size affected pathogenicity via reducing phagocytosis by host mononuclear cells, increasing resistance to oxidative and nitrosative stress, and correlated with reduced penetration of the central nervous system. Cell enlargement was stimulated by coinfection with strains of opposite mating type, and ste3aDelta pheromone receptor mutant strains had reduced cell enlargement. Finally, analysis of DNA content in this novel cell type revealed that these enlarged cells were polyploid, uninucleate, and produced daughter cells in vivo. These results describe a novel mechanism by which C. neoformans evades host phagocytosis to allow survival of a subset of the population at early stages of infection. Thus, morphological changes play unique and specialized roles during infection.https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1000953&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Laura H Okagaki Anna K Strain Judith N Nielsen Caroline Charlier Nicholas J Baltes Fabrice Chrétien Joseph Heitman Françoise Dromer Kirsten Nielsen Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity. PLoS Pathogens |
| title | Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity. |
| title_full | Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity. |
| title_fullStr | Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity. |
| title_short | Cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity. |
| title_sort | cryptococcal cell morphology affects host cell interactions and pathogenicity |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1000953&type=printable |
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