巨噬细胞对新生隐球菌B3501标准株的吞噬作用

目的检测巨噬细胞对新生隐球菌活力的影响。方法新生隐球菌标准株B3501与小鼠巨噬细胞系J774细胞共孵育后,检测其出芽率,并通过电镜观察B3501在J774细胞内的超微结构。结果被吞噬的B3501超微结构完好,J774细胞对B3501菌株的吞噬指数在5.67%±1.29%~8.76%±3.09%,而B3501菌在J774细胞内的出芽率较高,可达46.85%±6.63%,出芽率随共孵育时间延长而下降,但4hrs组和8hrs组无明显差别(P>0.05)。超微结构观察显示细胞内的新生隐球菌细胞壁完整。结论虽然巨噬细胞存在着胞内和胞外的抗隐球菌活性,但新生隐球菌仍可在其细胞内外存活并繁殖。     

巨噬细胞对新生隐球菌主要毒性基因表达的影响

目的研究巨噬细胞对新生隐球菌B3501标准株的主要毒性基因表达影响。方法将对数生长期的J774．16巨噬细胞分别与新生隐球菌野生株B3501共孵育4h,收集被J774．16吞噬的B3501作为实验组,提取实验组和在37℃条件下5％二氧化碳单独培养的对照组B3501的RNA,采用实时荧光定量PCR技术,检测J774．16细胞内和对照组B3501的CNLAC1、CAP60、URE1、NMT表达的差异。结果实验组中新生隐球菌的CAP6,CNLAC1,NMT及URE1基因的mRNA在每百万看家基因（GAPDH基因）中的平均含量分别为（2．698±0．084）×10^4,（1．806±0．322）×10^4,（2．267±0．074）×10^4和（4．041±0．271）×10^4;而对照组这4种毒性因子基因含量分别为：（1．139±0．183）×10^6,（9．324±5．028）×10^3,（1．326±0．028）×10^6和（1．307±0．001）×10^6,均远比实验组高,其中以NMT最为明显。结论新生隐球菌被巨噬细胞吞噬后,主要的毒性因子基因表达下降,其中以NMT最为明显,而CNLAC1下降幅度最小。     

艾滋病合并新生隐球菌感染的研究进展

新生隐球菌感染是全世界艾滋病患者死亡的主要原因,尤其是在撒哈拉以南非洲地区发病率最高[1]。新生隐球菌除了容易感染HIV个体外,还易感染其他免疫功能低下的个体,如造血系统恶性肿瘤、器官移植后服用免疫抑制剂及免疫缺陷病患者。格特隐球菌主要侵犯免疫功能正常的个体,但也感染免疫功能低下患者如合并艾滋病毒的患者[2]。     

新生隐球菌的荚膜多糖合成研究进展

新生隐球菌是一重要的致病真菌,其细胞壁外层的多糖荚膜是第1个被公认的新生隐球菌毒性因子。本文总结了在荚膜生理和生化合成方面的研究进展,介绍了研究新生隐球菌荚膜合成的常用方法以及在新生隐球菌的荚膜代谢途径、生化合成酶、分泌、组装和调节这些广泛的研究领域存在的许多未解决的问题。     

新生隐球菌嗜中枢性感染机制的研究进展

新生隐球菌是临床上最重要的侵袭性病原真菌之一,可感染免疫抑制和免疫正常人群引发具有致命威胁的隐球菌性脑膜脑炎.近年来,隐球菌嗜中枢神经系统感染的机制研究取得了长足的进展,隐球菌参与侵袭中枢神经系统的相关毒力因子及多条宿主细胞应答信号通路相继被发现.     

吞噬效应细胞与新生隐球菌相互作用研究进展CSCD

在隐球菌感染发生发展的过程中,宿主一系列的先天免疫因素会参与其中。吞噬效应细胞在宿主抗隐球菌非特异性免疫效应中发挥着最为重要的作用。在不同的组织和器官中,有不同的吞噬效应细胞定植。吞噬效应在发挥着积极作用的同时,也为隐球菌逃避宿主的免疫杀伤提供了一定的保护场所。本文主要通过综述隐球菌感染发生发展过程中与不同吞噬效应细胞之间的相互作用,来进一步认识隐球菌致病机制,同时为临床上隐球菌病的治疗和(或)辅助治疗提供新的思路。     

新生隐球菌交配型的研究进展

新生隐球菌是担子菌类的真菌病原体,有明确的有性周期,有性生殖过程由两条等位基因MATα和MATa控制。MAT编码的产物包括信息素和信息素受体,丝裂原活化蛋白激酶信号级联放大系统的组成部分,还有一些在有性周期中没有明确功能的蛋白,这些蛋白都是其他真菌相应蛋白的同系物。     

新生隐球菌荚膜研究现状

新生隐球菌是一种专性需氧条件致病菌,它的细胞壁外包绕着一个多糖荚膜,是其主要毒性因子之一。荚膜主要包含两种多糖-葡萄糖醛酸木糖和半乳糖甘露聚糖,此外还有少部分的甘露糖蛋白。这些多糖分子除构成多糖荚膜外,同时也参与新生隐球菌与宿主之间的免疫反应。该文对新生隐球菌荚膜的结构、生物合成、免疫反应及针对荚膜的抗真菌治疗等方面作一综述,旨在为新生隐球菌相关疾病的研究提供新的思路。     

新生隐球菌细胞通讯研究进展

细胞通讯系统调控多细胞生物的细胞增殖与分化等多种基础生物学过程,也是调控单细胞生物群体或社会性行为的重要策略。新生隐球菌是一种重要的环境来源病原真菌,主要感染免疫缺陷人群,具有很高的致死率。作为环境致病真菌,新生隐球菌进化出丰富的环境适应性策略。新生隐球菌细胞呈现出高度的异质性和社会性,不同形态的细胞承载着不同生物学功能和病原学特征。越来越多的研究表明,通过细胞通讯系统调控其群体或社会性行为,既是新生隐球菌适应多变的外界环境和宿主环境的关键策略,也与其致病能力密切相关。本文介绍新生隐球菌中细胞通讯系统的研究进展及其在有性生殖、细胞形态转换、适应环境及宿主压力等社会性行为中的调控作用。     

新生隐球菌与血管内皮细胞相互作用的研究进展

隐球菌性脑膜脑炎的发病率在逐年上升,而隐球菌与血管内皮细胞的相互作用是其侵犯其他深部组织的前提,能够在血管内皮细胞内繁殖并造成其损伤是隐球菌致病的重要因素。本文就两者的相互作用作一综述。     

An ectophosphatase activity in Cryptococcus neoformans

There is increasing evidence in the literature showing that fungal pathogens express biologically active ectoenzymes. The expression of surface phosphatases at the cell surface of Cryptococcus neoformans, the etiologic agent of cryptococcosis, was evaluated in the present study. Different isolates of C. neoformans express ectophosphatase activity, which is not influenced by capsule size or serotype. The cryptococcal enzyme is an acid phosphatase, inhibited by classic inhibitors of ectophosphatases, including ammonium molybdate and sodium salts of fluoride and orthovanadate. Only the inhibition of enzyme activity caused by sodium orthovanadate has been shown to be irreversible. The cryptococcal ectoenzyme is also inhibited by Zn2+ and inorganic phosphate, the final product of reactions catalyzed by phosphatases. The ectophosphatase from C. neoformans efficiently releases phosphate groups from different phosphorylated amino acids, giving a higher rate of phosphate removal when phosphothreonine is used as a substrate. Yeast cells with irreversibly inhibited ectophosphatases are less capable of adhering to animal epithelial cells than fungi fully expressing enzyme activity, suggesting that ectoenzyme expression can contribute to the pathogenesis of C. neoformans.     

真菌miRNA的发现

microRNAs (miRNAs)在植物和动物中大量存在,但是否在真菌中存在一直是个未解之谜.本研究组在担子菌新型隐球酵母Cryptococcus neoformans中发现了miRNA.两个miRNA,miR1和miR2,长度分别是22nt和18nt,前体是70nt,和动物miRNA相近.通过报告基因,证实miRl/2具有沉默功能.真菌miRNA的发现为研究其进化、功能等提供有用知识.     

Recognition of cytoplasmic yeast antigens of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans and Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii by immune human sera

The humoral immune response of patients infected with Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans and C. neoformans var. gattii to cytoplasmic (non-capsular) antigens from the two varieties of Cryptococcus has been investigated. Cytoplasmic antigens from C. neoformans (one clinical isolate and one acapsular mutant of var. neoformans and two clinical isolates from var. gattii) were subject to isoelectric focusing, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting; patients sera was then used in the immunoenzyme development of the Western blots. The humoral response from the 20 patients (all HIV+) infected with var. neoformans against the var. neoformans antigens was predominantly IgG based, with a large number of bands recognised; the most commonly recognised bands were at 26, 52, 74, 100, 115 and 144 kDa. The IgM response was less pronounced and the IgA response was practically non-existent. The humoral response of the sera from the 15 patients (all but one HIV-) infected with var. gattii against var. gattii antigens was also predominantly IgG based with bands at 37, 55, 65, 74, 94 and 115 kDa being most commonly recognised. Periodate treatment of cytoplasmic antigens reduced the intensity of antigen recognition, though it did not absolutely destroy reactivity to any individual antigen. Comparison of immunodevelopment of cytoplasmic antigens from both varieties grown at 25°C and 37°C revealed that culture temperature made no differences in the number of bands recognised although there were differences in the intensity of recognition. This is the first report on the pattern of serological recognition of the non-capsular antigens from the two varieties of Cryptococcus and it identifies a number of major antigenic components.     

Characterization of an ecto-ATPase activity in Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is the causative agent of pulmonary cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningoencephalitis, which are major clinical manifestations in immunosuppressed patients. In the present study, a surface ATPase (ecto-ATPase) was identified in C. neoformans yeast cells. Intact yeasts hydrolyzed adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) at a rate of 29.36+/-3.36nmol Pi/hx10(8) cells. In the presence of 5 mM MgCl(2), this activity was enhanced around 70 times, and an apparent K(m) for Mg-ATP corresponding to 0.61mM was determined. Inhibitors of phosphatases, mitochondrial Mg(2+)-ATPases, V-ATPases, Na(+)-ATPases or P-ATPases had no effect on the cryptococcal ATPase, but extracellular impermeant compounds reduced enzyme activity in living cells. ATP was the best substrate for the cryptococcal ecto-enzyme, but it also efficiently hydrolyzed inosine 5'-triphosphate (ITP), cytidine 5'-triphosphate (CTP), guanosine 5'-triphosphate (GTP) and uridine-5'-triphosphate (UTP). In the presence of ATP, C. neoformans became less susceptible to the antifungal action of fluconazole. Our results are indicative of the occurrence of a C. neoformans ecto-ATPase that may have a role in fungal physiology.     

Cryptococcus neoformans varieties as agents of cryptococcosis in Brazil

The study of the clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans from 83 Brazilian patients with disseminated cryptococcosis showed that 75 were C. neoformans var. neoformans and 8 were var. gattii. Twenty-seven isolates were serotyped; all 19 var. neoformans were serotype A and all 8 var. gattii were serotype B. The correlation of the varieties of C. neoformans with the presence or not of hosts predisposing conditions to the mycosis showed that: (1) cryptococcosis caused by gattii variety occurred in 7 (58.3%) of the 12 nonimmunosuppressed patients, and (2) cryptococcosis caused by neoformans variety occurred in 65 (98.5%) of the 66 AIDS patients and in all 5 patients with other immunosuppressive conditions. The comparison of the distribution of the gattii and neoformans varieties between the nonimmunosup-pressed and immunosuppressed patients showed a significant statistical difference (p < 0.01).     

Unique hybrids between the fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii

Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are yeasts that cause meningoencephalitis, but that differ in host range and geographical distribution. Cryptococcus neoformans occurs world-wide and mostly infects immunocompromised patients, whereas C. gattii occurs mainly in (sub)tropical regions and infects healthy individuals. Anomalous C. neoformans strains were isolated from patients. These strains were found to be monokaryotic, and diploid or aneuploid. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) and sequence analyses indicated that AFLP genotypes 2 (C. neoformans) and 4 (C. gattii) were present. The strains were serologically BD. Mating- and serotype-specific PCR reactions showed that the strains were MATa-serotype D/MATalpha-serotype B. This study is the first to describe naturally occurring hybrids between C. neoformans and C. gattii.     

Diversity of laccase among Cryptococcus neoformans serotypes

The pathogenic yeast C. neoformans is classified into three varieties with five serotypes; var. grubii (serotype A), var. neoformans (serotype D), var. gattii (serotypes B and C), and serotype AD. Melanin is a virulence factor in the species, and its biosynthesis is catalyzed by laccase, encoded by the LAC1 gene. In order to estimate the natural variability of the LAC1 gene among Cryptococcus serotypes, the laccase protein sequence from 55 strains was determined and the phylogenetic relationships between cryptococcal and related fungal laccases revealed. The deduced laccase proteins consisted of 624 amino acid residues in serotypes A, D and AD, and 613 to 615 residues in serotypes B and C. Intra-serotype amino acid variation was marginal within serotypes A and D, and none was found within serotypes AD and C. Maximum amino acid replacement occurred in two serotype B strains. The similarity in the deduced sequence ranged from 80 to 96% between serotypes. The sequence in the copper-binding regions was strongly conserved in the five serotypes. The laccases of the five serotypes were grouped together in the same clade of the phylogenetic tree reconstructed from different fungal laccases, suggesting a monophyletic clade.     

树突细胞与新生隐球菌

新生隐球菌( Cn) 是临床上重要的病原真菌, 树突细胞( DC) 则是最重要的抗原呈递细胞。作为宿主固有免疫和适应性免疫的联系枢纽,DC 对于识别病原、呈递抗原、诱导宿主免疫应答十分重要。许多研究证明,DC 可通过细胞表面的多种受体有效识别新生隐球菌抗原( CnAg) , 诱导宿主产生有效的细胞免疫应答。DC 本身也有一定的杀菌能力, 但DC 的不同亚群以及成熟状态对宿主的免疫防御功能有重要影响。另外, 隐球菌除具有甘露糖蛋白等主要免疫显性抗原外, 还有多种抑制机体保护性免疫应答的毒性因子。本文就近年来国内、外对两者之间复杂机制的研究进行概述。