Identification of Aspergillus fumigatus Surface Components That Mediate Interaction of Conidia and Hyphae With Human Platelets

Rambach G, Blum G, Latge JP, Fontaine T, Heinekamp T, Hagleitner M, Jeckstroem H, Weigel G, Wuertinger P, Pfaller K, Krappmann S, Loeffler J, Lass-Floerl C, Speth C (2015)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2015

Journal

Journal of Infectious Diseases University of Chicago Press / Oxford University Press (OUP): Policy A1 - Oxford Open Option C

Book Volume: 212

Pages Range: 1140-9

Journal Issue: 7

DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv191

Abstract

Platelets were recently identified as a part of innate immunity. They are activated by contact with Aspergillus fumigatus; putative consequences include antifungal defense but also thrombosis, excessive inflammation, and thrombocytopenia. We aimed to identify those fungal surface structures that mediate interaction with platelets.Human platelets were incubated with Aspergillus conidia and hyphae, isolated wall components, or fungal surface mutants. Interaction was visualized microscopically; activation was quantified by flow cytometry of specific markers.The capacity of A. fumigatus conidia to activate platelets is at least partly due to melanin, because this effect can be mimicked with "melanin ghosts"; a mutant lacking melanin showed reduced platelet stimulating potency. In contrast, conidial hydrophobin masks relevant structures, because an A. fumigatus mutant lacking the hydrophobin protein induced stronger platelet activation than wild-type conidia. A. fumigatus hyphae also contain surface structures that interact with platelets. Wall proteins, galactomannan, chitin, and ?-glucan are not the relevant hyphal components; instead, the recently identified fungal polysaccharide galactosaminogalactan potently triggered platelet activation.Conidial melanin and hydrophobin as well as hyphal galactosaminogalactan represent important pathogenicity factors that modulate platelet activity and thus might influence immune responses, inflammation, and thrombosis in infected patients.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sven Krappmann Professur für Klinische Mikrobiologie und Immunologie

Involved external institutions

Universitätsklinikum Würzburg DE Germany (DE) Medizinische Universität Innsbruck AT Austria (AT) Institut Pasteur FR France (FR) Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie (Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)) / Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Rambach, G., Blum, G., Latge, J.-P., Fontaine, T., Heinekamp, T., Hagleitner, M.,... Speth, C. (2015). Identification of Aspergillus fumigatus Surface Components That Mediate Interaction of Conidia and Hyphae With Human Platelets. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 212(7), 1140-9. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiv191

MLA:

Rambach, Guenter, et al. "Identification of Aspergillus fumigatus Surface Components That Mediate Interaction of Conidia and Hyphae With Human Platelets." Journal of Infectious Diseases 212.7 (2015): 1140-9.

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