新型隐球菌荚隐多糖抗原与免疫

本文分析了新型隐球菌荚膜多糖的化学组成与分子特征，并对荚膜多糖在新型隐球菌感染免疫中的作用进行了扼要阐述。     

自然环境中新型隐球菌的调查

新型隐球菌能引起人类严重感染,甚至死亡的隐球菌病,发病率呈逐年上升趋势。所以研究它在自然环境中的存在状态,地理分布,复杂的生活史和传播途径,对及时有效地预防和控制隐球真菌病的发生和传播有着重要意义。     

52例新型隐球菌脑膜炎临床分析

新型隐球菌脑膜炎（Cryptococal neoformans menimgitis）是新型隐球菌引起的隐球菌病（cryptocaccol）,约占新型隐球菌感染的77％～80％,其临床表现不典型,误诊率高,病死率高,早期诊断,合理联合使用抗真菌药物治疗是提高隐球菌脑膜炎治愈率,降低病死率的关键。现对浙江大学医学院附属第一医院感染科2000年1月至2007年11月收治的52例新型隐球菌脑膜炎临床资料作回顾性分析,报道如下。     

以CpG-ODN为佐剂的新型隐球菌疫苗研究

新型隐球菌感染尚无有效的预防手段。本文探讨以Cp G为佐剂开发抗新型隐球菌疫苗的可行性。将经新型隐球菌甘露糖蛋白(mannoprotein,MP)或/和Cp G-ODN刺激过的DCs经气管接种于实验鼠,检测支气管肺泡灌洗液(BALF)中IFN-γ的产生。将新型隐球菌接种于实验鼠气管内,取气管旁淋巴结细胞与经新型隐球菌MP(mannoprotein)或/和Cp G-ODN预处理过的DCs共培养,检测培养上清中IFN-γ的产生。结果显示,经MP刺激过的DCs共培养可诱导淋巴细胞产生IFN-γ。以MP为抗原,Cp G-ODN为佐剂的疫苗可以保护小鼠抵御新型隐球菌感染。本研究证实了隐球菌甘露糖蛋白MP通过DCs诱导了Th1型反应,并提示了以Cp G-ODN为佐剂基于MP制备新型隐球菌疫苗的可能性。     

45例新型隐球菌脑膜炎死亡原因分析

我科１９９０～１９９７年１２月共收治新型隐球菌脑膜炎１０４例，死亡４５例，现分析如下。１临床资料１．１一般资料４５例中，男２７例、女１８例，年龄９～５８岁，起病呈急性１３例（２９％），亚急性１４例（３１％），慢性１８例（４０％），发病前有慢性或恶性疾...     

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。     

绿色荧光蛋白GFP基因与新生隐球菌荚膜基因的融合表达系统

目的构建新生隐球菌荚膜基因与绿色荧光蛋白的融合表达系统。方法PCR法扩增CAP60基因片段,测序验证其准确性。将其与多个必需基因共同连人穿梭质粒。结果获得6150bps大小的质粒,该质粒含有荚膜基因启动子、终止子及荧光蛋白的基因。结论将新生隐球菌荚膜基因与荧光蛋白基因融合表达,将会有利于对荚膜的生化合成途径作进一步研究。     

隐球菌荚膜体内生长机制研究进展

隐球菌(Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii)最常侵犯人类或哺乳动物的中枢神经系统,引起致命的隐球菌性脑膜脑炎(Cryptococcal meningitis),已是目前临床上最重要的致病真菌之一[1]。近20 a来,生物医学很多领域都取得重要进展,而隐球菌病的发病率及病死率     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Cryptococcus neoformans capsule biosynthesis and regulation

The capsule is certainly the most prominent virulence factor in Cryptococcus neoformans: acapsular strains are avirulent, and capsular polysaccharides have a deleterious effect on the immune system. Until very recently, very few genes involved in capsule biosynthesis had been identified - and this despite the existence of a detailed body of work concerning the capsule's composition, structure and their regulation by environmental factors. The tremendous development of experimental tools and techniques suited to the study of C. neoformans biology together with the sequencing of three complete genomes have, over the last three years, enabled the identification of a number of proteins which participate directly in biosynthesis of the capsule or which regulate its size. Even though this knowledge is still preliminary, it gives us a clearer picture of the various events needed for biosynthesis of this fascinating structure.     

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。     

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.     

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.     

Isolation of a human serum protein that inhibits the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans

Human serum at 5 to 10% (v/v) in tissue culture medium RPMI-1640, inhibits the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans by 80 to 93%. Serum fractionated on molecular sieve columns (Sephadex G-200) yielded an active protein fraction. This fraction at 100 μg protein/ml inhibited the growth of C. neoformans by 54%. When an active G-200 fraction was applied to a dye affinity column (Affi-Gel Blue) the fraction with inhibitory activity was bound by the column and was eluted with 1.4 M NaCl in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4). The bound fraction at 62.5 μg protein/ml inhibited C. neoformans growth by 82%. On native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Nu-PAGE) the bound fraction migrated as a major and a minor band. Under the reducing conditions of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-PAGE the bound fraction yielded 4 prominent bands with MW ranging from 175 kDa to 45 kDa. Purification of the active Sephadex G-200 peak was achieved using an anion exchange column (DEAE-Sephacel). Protein eluted with 0.1 M NaCl had strong anticryptococcal activity (12.5 μg/ml, 79% inhibition), which in SDS-PAGE migrated as a single band with an approximate MW of 85 kDA. This protein appears important in natural host resistance to C. neoformans and polymorphisms or deficiencies may have epidemiologic and diagnostic relevance. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.