Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential

Mucormycosis is an emerging infection caused by pathogenic filamentous fungal species belonging to the Order Mucorales. Mortality associated with mucormycosis is significantly high in patients with compromised immunity. As cell wall is the first fungal component to interact with the host immune syst...

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Main Authors: Mathieu Lepas, Julia Marcondes Figueiredo, Sarah Dellière, Sarah Sze Wah Wong, Dea Garcia-Hermoso, Magalie Duchateau, Mariette Matondo, Fanny Lanternier, Vishukumar Aimanianda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Virulence
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2025.2528079
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author Mathieu Lepas
Julia Marcondes Figueiredo
Sarah Dellière
Sarah Sze Wah Wong
Dea Garcia-Hermoso
Magalie Duchateau
Mariette Matondo
Fanny Lanternier
Vishukumar Aimanianda
author_facet Mathieu Lepas
Julia Marcondes Figueiredo
Sarah Dellière
Sarah Sze Wah Wong
Dea Garcia-Hermoso
Magalie Duchateau
Mariette Matondo
Fanny Lanternier
Vishukumar Aimanianda
author_sort Mathieu Lepas
collection DOAJ
description Mucormycosis is an emerging infection caused by pathogenic filamentous fungal species belonging to the Order Mucorales. Mortality associated with mucormycosis is significantly high in patients with compromised immunity. As cell wall is the first fungal component to interact with the host immune system, we characterized cell wall organization and composition of the three most prevalent pathogenic species of Mucorales, Rhizopus arrhizus, Mucor circinelloides, and Lichtheimia corymbifera and studied their immunomodulatory potential. Staining and lectin-/immunolabeling indicated that the spores and germ-tubes of these three Mucorales species have surface-exposed mannans, while germ-tubes showed distinctly distributed β-1,3-glucan. Gas chromatography analysis of the cell wall indicated that glucose polymer is the major fibrillar polysaccharide present in the three species, whereas amorphous components were species-dependent. Specific enzymatic digestion followed by chromatography analysis indicated that β-1,3-glucan, β-1,6-glucan, and amylase digestible glucan constitute firbrillar polysaccharides. Stimulation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or THP-1 (human leukemic monocytic) cells with spores or extracted cell wall polysaccharides resulted in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines regardless of the Mucorales species. Together, the Mucorales species analyzed in this study show a common and species-specific cell wall composition. The cell wall polysaccharides are highly pro-inflammatory, suggesting that undue or excessive inflammation may contribute to the immunopathology of mucormycosis.
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spelling doaj-art-a53bd58c4a094ceb902e074dae1d403c2025-08-20T03:30:36ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirulence2150-55942150-56082025-12-0116110.1080/21505594.2025.2528079Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potentialMathieu Lepas0Julia Marcondes Figueiredo1Sarah Dellière2Sarah Sze Wah Wong3Dea Garcia-Hermoso4Magalie Duchateau5Mariette Matondo6Fanny Lanternier7Vishukumar Aimanianda8Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Molecular Mycology Unit, UMR CNRS2000, Paris, FranceInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Immunobiology of Aspergillus, Paris, FranceInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Molecular Mycology Unit, UMR CNRS2000, Paris, FranceInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Molecular Mycology Unit, UMR CNRS2000, Paris, FranceMycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Translational Mycology research group, Paris, FranceInstitut Pasteur, Proteomics Platform, Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS URA 2024, Paris, FranceInstitut Pasteur, Proteomics Platform, Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS URA 2024, Paris, FranceMycology Department, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals, Translational Mycology research group, Paris, FranceInstitut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Molecular Mycology Unit, UMR CNRS2000, Paris, FranceMucormycosis is an emerging infection caused by pathogenic filamentous fungal species belonging to the Order Mucorales. Mortality associated with mucormycosis is significantly high in patients with compromised immunity. As cell wall is the first fungal component to interact with the host immune system, we characterized cell wall organization and composition of the three most prevalent pathogenic species of Mucorales, Rhizopus arrhizus, Mucor circinelloides, and Lichtheimia corymbifera and studied their immunomodulatory potential. Staining and lectin-/immunolabeling indicated that the spores and germ-tubes of these three Mucorales species have surface-exposed mannans, while germ-tubes showed distinctly distributed β-1,3-glucan. Gas chromatography analysis of the cell wall indicated that glucose polymer is the major fibrillar polysaccharide present in the three species, whereas amorphous components were species-dependent. Specific enzymatic digestion followed by chromatography analysis indicated that β-1,3-glucan, β-1,6-glucan, and amylase digestible glucan constitute firbrillar polysaccharides. Stimulation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or THP-1 (human leukemic monocytic) cells with spores or extracted cell wall polysaccharides resulted in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines regardless of the Mucorales species. Together, the Mucorales species analyzed in this study show a common and species-specific cell wall composition. The cell wall polysaccharides are highly pro-inflammatory, suggesting that undue or excessive inflammation may contribute to the immunopathology of mucormycosis.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2025.2528079Mucoralesmucormycosiscell wallpolysaccharidesβ-glucanimmunomodulation
spellingShingle Mathieu Lepas
Julia Marcondes Figueiredo
Sarah Dellière
Sarah Sze Wah Wong
Dea Garcia-Hermoso
Magalie Duchateau
Mariette Matondo
Fanny Lanternier
Vishukumar Aimanianda
Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
Virulence
Mucorales
mucormycosis
cell wall
polysaccharides
β-glucan
immunomodulation
title Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
title_full Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
title_fullStr Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
title_full_unstemmed Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
title_short Pathogenic mucorales: Deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
title_sort pathogenic mucorales deciphering their cell wall polysaccharidome and immunostimulatory potential
topic Mucorales
mucormycosis
cell wall
polysaccharides
β-glucan
immunomodulation
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21505594.2025.2528079
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