RESUMEN

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a temperature-dependent dimorphic fungus that cause paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), the major systemic mycosis in Latin America. The capacity to evade the innate immune response of the host is due to P. brasiliensis ability to respond and to survive the nitrosative stress caused by phagocytic cells. However, the regulation of signal transduction pathways associated to nitrosative stress response are poorly understood. Ras GTPase play an important role in the various cellular events in many fungi. Ras, in its activated form (Ras-GTP), interacts with effector proteins and can initiate a kinase cascade. In this report, we investigated the role of Ras GTPase in P. brasiliensis after in vitro stimulus with nitric oxide (NO). We observed that low concentrations of NO induced cell proliferation in P. brasiliensis, while high concentrations promoted decrease in fungal viability, and both events were reversed in the presence of a NO scavenger. We observed that high levels of NO induced Ras activation and its S-nitrosylation. Additionally, we showed that Ras modulated the expression of antioxidant genes in response to nitrosative stress. We find that the Hog1 MAP kinase contributed to nitrosative stress response in P. brasiliensis in a Ras-dependent manner. Taken together, our data demonstrate the relationship between Ras-GTPase and Hog1 MAPK pathway allowing for the P. brasiliensis adaptation to nitrosative stress.

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RESUMEN

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is the most prevalent deep mycosis in Latin America and is caused by fungi from the Paracoccidioides genus. Virulence factors are important fungal characteristics that support the development of disease. Aspartyl proteases (Saps) are virulence factors in many human fungal pathogens that play an important role in the host invasion process. We report here that immunization with recombinant Sap from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (rPbSap) imparted a protective effect in an experimental PCM model. The rPbSap-immunized mice had decreased fungal loads, and their lung parenchyma were notably preserved. An aspartyl protease inhibitor (pepstatin A) significantly decreased pulmonary injury and reduced fungal loads in the lung. Additionally, we observed that pepstatin A enhanced the fungicidal and phagocytic profile of macrophages against P. brasiliensis. Furthermore, PbSAP expression was highly altered by environmental conditions, including thermal stress, dimorphism switching and low pH. Hence, our data suggest that PbSap is an important virulence regulator in P. brasiliensis.

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RESUMEN

Paracoccidioides genus are the etiologic agents of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. Few virulence factors have been identified in these fungi. This paper describes support data from the quantitative proteomics of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis attenuated and virulent isolates [1]. The protein compositions of two isolates of the Pb18 strain showing distinct infection profiles were quantitatively assessed by stable isotopic dimethyl labeling and proteomic analysis. The mass spectrometry and the analysis dataset have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with identifier PXD000804.

RESUMEN

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), should be able to adapt to dramatic environmental changes inside the infected host after inhalation of air-borne conidia and transition to pathogenic yeasts. Proteins with antioxidant functions may protect fungal cells against reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species generated by phagocytic cells, thus acting as potential virulence factors. Ras GTPases are involved in stress responses, cell morphology, and differentiation in a range of organisms. Ras, in its activated form, interacts with effector proteins and can initiate a kinase cascade. In lower eukaryotes, Byr2 kinase represents a Ras target. The present study investigated the role of Ras in P. brasiliensis after in vitro stimulus with ROS or RNS. We have demonstrated that low concentrations of H2O2 (0.1 mM) or NO2 (0.1-0.25 µM) stimulated P. brasiliensis yeast cell proliferation and that was not observed when yeast cells were pre-incubated with farnesyltransferase inhibitor. We constructed an expression plasmid containing the Byr2 Ras-binding domain (RBD) fused with GST (RBD-Byr2-GST) to detect the Ras active form. After stimulation with low concentrations of H2O2 or NO2, the Ras active form was observed in fungal extracts. Besides, NO2 induced a rapid increase in S-nitrosylated Ras levels. This alternative posttranslational modification of Ras, probably in residue Cys123, would lead to an exchange of GDP for GTP and consequent GTPase activation in P. brasiliensis. In conclusion, low concentrations of H2O2 or NO2 stimulated P. brasiliensis proliferation through Ras activation.

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