A fibrinolytic snake venom metalloproteinase, mutalysin-II, with antiplatelet activity and targeting capability toward glycoprotein GPIbα and glycoprotein GPVI.

Glycoprotein (GP)Ib that binds von Willebrand factor (vWF) and glycoprotein (GP)VI, that binds collagen play a significant role in platelet activation and aggregation, and are potential targets for antithrombotic treatment. They are targeted by snake venom proteinases. The effect of a such proteinase, mutalysin-II, on platelet aggregation was examined using washed human platelets and platelet-rich plasma. Its proteolytic activity on vWF, on its binding partner GPIbα, and on GPVI was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, and immunodetection with the corresponding antibodies after blotting. Dose- and time-dependently, mutalysin-II inhibits aggregation of washed platelets induced by vWF plus ristocetin and by convulxin, but with no significant effect on platelet-rich-plasma. Furthermore, mutalysin-II cleaves vWF into low molecular mass multimers of vWF and a rvWF-A1 domain to realease a ∼27-kDa fragment detectable by SDS-PAGE and blotting with mouse anti-rvWF-A1-domain IgG. Moreover, GPVI was cut by mutalysin-II into a soluble ∼55-kDa ectodomain and a fragment of ∼35-kDa. Thus, mutalysin-II inhibits vWF-induced platelet aggregation via cleavage of bound vWF-A1, and its receptor GPIbα. The additional cleavage of, GPVI, blocks collagen-induced platelets. Our data highlight mutalysin-II as an interesting platelet-directed tool targeting vWF-GPIbα binding and particularly GPVI. Thus, it might be suited for antithrombotic therapy as its combined inactivation of two receptors does not significantly compromise hemostasis, but shows high efficacy and safety. Studies are needed to further develop and demonstrate its potential benefits.

Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Protein (GRASP) Participates in Vesicle-Mediated RNA Export in Cryptococcus Neoformans.

Golgi reassembly and stacking protein (GRASP) is required for polysaccharide secretion and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. In fungal species, extracellular vesicles (EVs) participate in the export of polysaccharides, proteins and RNA. In the present work, we investigated if EV-mediated RNA export is functionally connected with GRASP in C. neoformans using a graspΔ mutant. Since GRASP-mediated unconventional secretion involves autophagosome formation in yeast, we included the atg7Δ mutant with defective autophagic mechanisms in our analysis. All fungal strains exported EVs but deletion of GRASP or ATG7 profoundly affected vesicular dimensions. The mRNA content of the graspΔ EVs differed substantially from that of the other two strains. The transcripts associated to the endoplasmic reticulum were highly abundant transcripts in graspΔ EVs. Among non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), tRNA fragments were the most abundant in both mutant EVs but graspΔ EVs alone concentrated 22 exclusive sequences. In general, our results showed that the EV RNA content from atg7Δ and WT were more related than the RNA content of graspΔ, suggesting that GRASP, but not the autophagy regulator Atg7, is involved in the EV export of RNA. This is a previously unknown function for a key regulator of unconventional secretion in eukaryotic cells.

A UBI 31-38 Peptide-coumarin Conjugate: Photophysical Features, Imaging Tracking and Synergism with Amphotericin B Against Cryptococcus.

Cryptococcosis is a fungal disease of global significance for which new effective treatments are needed. The conjugation of the synthetic antimicrobial peptide fragment UBI 31-38 to a coumarin derivative showed to be an effective approach for the design of a novel anticryptococcal agent. In addition to antifungal activity, the conjugate exhibited intense fluorescence, which could be valuable for mechanistic investigations of this molecule. In this work, we studied the photophysical properties of the conjugate and confocal scanning laser microscopy was used to inspect the distribution of the peptide-coumarin conjugate in Cryptococcus cell. The synergism of this compound with amphotericin B or fluconazole against C. gattii and C. neoformans strains was also investigated. The results indicated that the fluorescent conjugate alone as well as its combination with amphotericin B are promising tools against cryptococcosis.

The putative autophagy regulator Atg7 affects the physiology and pathogenic mechanisms of Cryptococcus neoformans.

AIM: We investigated the involvement of the autophagy protein 7 (Atg7) in physiology and pathogenic potential of Cryptococcus neoformans. MATERIALS & METHODS: The C. neoformans gene encoding Atg7 was deleted by biolistic transformation for characterization of autophagy mechanisms, pigment formation, cell dimensions, interaction with phagocytes and pathogenic potential in vivo. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: ATG7 deletion resulted in defective autophagy mechanisms, enhanced pigmentation and increased cellular size both in vitro and in vivo. The atg7Δ mutant had decreased survival in the lung of infected mice, higher susceptibility to the killing machinery of different host phagocytes and reduced ability to kill an invertebrate host. These results connect Atg7 with mechanisms of pathogenicity in the C. neoformans model.

Analysis of Yeast Extracellular Vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are important carriers of biologically active components in a number of organisms, including fungal cells. Experimental characterization of fungal EVs suggested that these membranous compartments are likely involved in the regulation of several biological events. In fungal pathogens, these events include mechanisms of disease progression and/or control, suggesting potential targets for therapeutic intervention or disease prophylaxis. In this manuscript we describe methods that have been used in the last 10 years for the characterization of EVs produced by yeast forms of several fungal species. Experimental approaches detailed in this chapter include ultracentrifugation methods for EV fractionation, chromatographic approaches for analysis of EV lipids, microscopy techniques for analysis of both intracellular and extracellular vesicular compartments, interaction of EVs with host cells, and physical chemical analysis of EVs by dynamic light scattering.

Extracellular vesicle-mediated export of fungal RNA.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role in the biology of various organisms, including fungi, in which they are required for the trafficking of molecules across the cell wall. Fungal EVs contain a complex combination of macromolecules, including proteins, lipids and glycans. In this work, we aimed to describe and characterize RNA in EV preparations from the human pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans, Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis and Candida albicans, and from the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The EV RNA content consisted mostly of molecules less than 250 nt long and the reads obtained aligned with intergenic and intronic regions or specific positions within the mRNA. We identified 114 ncRNAs, among them, six small nucleolar (snoRNA), two small nuclear (snRNA), two ribosomal (rRNA) and one transfer (tRNA) common to all the species considered, together with 20 sequences with features consistent with miRNAs. We also observed some copurified mRNAs, as suggested by reads covering entire transcripts, including those involved in vesicle-mediated transport and metabolic pathways. We characterized for the first time RNA molecules present in EVs produced by fungi. Our results suggest that RNA-containing vesicles may be determinant for various biological processes, including cell communication and pathogenesis.

Defects in phosphate acquisition and storage influence virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Nutrient acquisition and sensing are critical aspects of microbial pathogenesis. Previous transcriptional profiling indicated that the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals, encounters phosphate limitation during proliferation in phagocytic cells. We therefore tested the hypothesis that phosphate acquisition and polyphosphate metabolism are important for cryptococcal virulence. Deletion of the high-affinity uptake system interfered with growth on low-phosphate medium, perturbed the formation of virulence factors (capsule and melanin), reduced survival in macrophages, and attenuated virulence in a mouse model of cryptococcosis. Additionally, analysis of nutrient sensing functions for C. neoformans revealed regulatory connections between phosphate acquisition and storage and the iron regulator Cir1, cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), and the calcium-calmodulin-activated protein phosphatase calcineurin. Deletion of the VTC4 gene encoding a polyphosphate polymerase blocked the ability of C. neoformans to produce polyphosphate. The vtc4 mutant behaved like the wild-type strain in interactions with macrophages and in the mouse infection model. However, the fungal load in the lungs was significantly increased in mice infected with vtc4 deletion mutants. In addition, the mutant was impaired in the ability to trigger blood coagulation in vitro, a trait associated with polyphosphate. Overall, this study reveals that phosphate uptake in C. neoformans is critical for virulence and that its regulation is integrated with key signaling pathways for nutrient sensing.

Role of the Apt1 protein in polysaccharide secretion by Cryptococcus neoformans.

Flippases are key regulators of membrane asymmetry and secretory mechanisms. Vesicular polysaccharide secretion is essential for the pathogenic mechanisms of Cryptococcus neoformans. On the basis of the observations that flippases are required for polysaccharide secretion in plants and the putative Apt1 flippase is required for cryptococcal virulence, we analyzed the role of this enzyme in polysaccharide release by C. neoformans, using a previously characterized apt1Δ mutant. Mutant and wild-type (WT) cells shared important phenotypic characteristics, including capsule morphology and dimensions, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) composition, molecular size, and serological properties. The apt1Δ mutant, however, produced extracellular vesicles (EVs) with a lower GXM content and different size distribution in comparison with those of WT cells. Our data also suggested a defective intracellular GXM synthesis in mutant cells, in addition to changes in the architecture of the Golgi apparatus. These findings were correlated with diminished GXM production during in vitro growth, macrophage infection, and lung colonization. This phenotype was associated with decreased survival of the mutant in the lungs of infected mice, reduced induction of interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine levels, and inefficacy in colonization of the brain. Taken together, our results indicate that the lack of APT1 caused defects in both GXM synthesis and vesicular export to the extracellular milieu by C. neoformans via processes that are apparently related to the pathogenic mechanisms used by this fungus during animal infection.

Where do they come from and where do they go: candidates for regulating extracellular vesicle formation in fungi.

In the past few years, extracellular vesicles (EVs) from at least eight fungal species were characterized. EV proteome in four fungal species indicated putative biogenesis pathways and suggested interesting similarities with mammalian exosomes. Moreover, as observed for mammalian exosomes, fungal EVs were demonstrated to be immunologically active. Here we review the seminal and most recent findings related to the production of EVs by fungi. Based on the current literature about secretion of fungal molecules and biogenesis of EVs in eukaryotes, we focus our discussion on a list of cellular proteins with the potential to regulate vesicle biogenesis in the fungi.

Role for Golgi reassembly and stacking protein (GRASP) in polysaccharide secretion and fungal virulence.

Secretion of virulence factors is a critical mechanism for the establishment of cryptococcosis, a disease caused by the yeast pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. One key virulence strategy of C. neoformans is the release of glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), a capsule-associated immune-modulatory polysaccharide that reaches the extracellular space through secretory vesicles. Golgi reassembly and stacking protein (GRASP) is required for unconventional protein secretion mechanisms in different eukaryotic cells, but its role in polysaccharide secretion is unknown. This study demonstrates that a C. neoformans functional mutant of a GRASP orthologue had attenuated virulence in an animal model of cryptococcosis, in comparison with wild-type (WT) and reconstituted cells. Mutant cells manifested altered Golgi morphology, failed to produce typical polysaccharide capsules and showed a reduced ability to secrete GXM both in vitro and during animal infection. Isolation of GXM from cultures of WT, reconstituted or mutant strains revealed that the GRASP orthologue mutant produced polysaccharides with reduced dimensions. The mutant was also more efficiently associated to and killed by macrophages than WT and reconstituted cells. These results demonstrate that GRASP, a protein involved in unconventional protein secretion, is also required for polysaccharide secretion and virulence in C. neoformans.

The GATA-type transcriptional activator Gat1 regulates nitrogen uptake and metabolism in the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

Nitrogen uptake and metabolism are essential to microbial growth. Gat1 belongs to a conserved family of zinc finger containing transcriptional regulators known as GATA-factors. These factors activate the transcription of Nitrogen Catabolite Repression (NCR) sensitive genes when preferred nitrogen sources are absent or limiting. Cryptococcus neoformans GAT1 is an ortholog to the Aspergillus nidulans AreA and Candida albicans GAT1 genes. In an attempt to define the function of this transcriptional regulator in C. neoformans, we generated null mutants (gat1Δ) of this gene. The gat1 mutant exhibited impaired growth on all amino acids tested as sole nitrogen sources, with the exception of arginine and proline. Furthermore, the gat1 mutant did not display resistance to rapamycin, an immunosuppressant drug that transiently mimics a low-quality nitrogen source. Gat1 is not required for C. neoformans survival during macrophage infection or for virulence in a mouse model of cryptococcosis. Microarray analysis allowed the identification of target genes that are regulated by Gat1 in the presence of proline, a poor and non-repressing nitrogen source. Genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, iron uptake, cell wall organization and capsule biosynthesis, in addition to NCR-sensitive genes, are Gat1-regulated in C. neoformans.

The vacuolar Ca²(+) exchanger Vcx1 is involved in calcineurin-dependent Ca²(+) tolerance and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast that causes a life-threatening meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised individuals. The ability to survive and proliferate at the human body temperature is an essential virulence attribute of this pathogen. This trait is controlled in part by the Ca²(+)-calcineurin pathway, which senses and utilizes cytosolic calcium for signaling. In the present study, the identification of the C. neoformans gene VCX1, which encodes a vacuolar calcium exchanger, is reported. The VCX1 knockout results in hypersensitivity to the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine A at 35°C, but not at 30°C. Furthermore, high concentrations of CaCl2 lead to growth inhibition of the vcx1 mutant strain only in the presence of cyclosporine A, indicating that Vcx1 acts in parallel with calcineurin. The loss of VCX1 does not influence cell wall integrity or capsule size but decreases secretion of the major capsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) in culture supernatants.Vcx1 also influences C. neoformans phagocytosis by murine macrophages and is required for full virulence in mice. Analysis of cellular distribution by confocal microscopy confirmed the vacuolar localization of Vcx1 in C. neoformans cells.

Characterization of yeast extracellular vesicles: evidence for the participation of different pathways of cellular traffic in vesicle biogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles in yeast cells are involved in the molecular traffic across the cell wall. In yeast pathogens, these vesicles have been implicated in the transport of proteins, lipids, polysaccharide and pigments to the extracellular space. Cellular pathways required for the biogenesis of yeast extracellular vesicles are largely unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We characterized extracellular vesicle production in wild type (WT) and mutant strains of the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae using transmission electron microscopy in combination with light scattering analysis, lipid extraction and proteomics. WT cells and mutants with defective expression of Sec4p, a secretory vesicle-associated Rab GTPase essential for Golgi-derived exocytosis, or Snf7p, which is involved in multivesicular body (MVB) formation, were analyzed in parallel. Bilayered vesicles with diameters at the 100-300 nm range were found in extracellular fractions from yeast cultures. Proteomic analysis of vesicular fractions from the cells aforementioned and additional mutants with defects in conventional secretion pathways (sec1-1, fusion of Golgi-derived exocytic vesicles with the plasma membrane; bos1-1, vesicle targeting to the Golgi complex) or MVB functionality (vps23, late endosomal trafficking) revealed a complex and interrelated protein collection. Semi-quantitative analysis of protein abundance revealed that mutations in both MVB- and Golgi-derived pathways affected the composition of yeast extracellular vesicles, but none abrogated vesicle production. Lipid analysis revealed that mutants with defects in Golgi-related components of the secretory pathway had slower vesicle release kinetics, as inferred from intracellular accumulation of sterols and reduced detection of these lipids in vesicle fractions in comparison with WT cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggest that both conventional and unconventional pathways of secretion are required for biogenesis of extracellular vesicles, which demonstrate the complexity of this process in the biology of yeast cells.

Extracellular vesicles from Cryptococcus neoformans modulate macrophage functions.

Cryptococcus neoformans and distantly related fungal species release extracellular vesicles that traverse the cell wall and contain a varied assortment of components, some of which have been associated with virulence. Previous studies have suggested that these extracellular vesicles are produced in vitro and during animal infection, but the role of vesicular secretion during the interaction of fungi with host cells remains unknown. In this report, we demonstrate by fluorescence microscopy that mammalian macrophages can incorporate extracellular vesicles produced by C. neoformans. Incubation of cryptococcal vesicles with murine macrophages resulted in increased levels of extracellular tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). Vesicle preparations also resulted in a dose-dependent stimulation of nitric oxide production by phagocytes, suggesting that vesicle components stimulate macrophages to produce antimicrobial compounds. Treated macrophages were more effective at killing C. neoformans yeast. Our results indicate that the extracellular vesicles of C. neoformans can stimulate macrophage function, apparently activating these phagocytic cells to enhance their antimicrobial activity. These results establish that cryptococcal vesicles are biologically active.

Biogenesis of extracellular vesicles in yeast: Many questions with few answers.

The cellular events required for unconventional protein secretion in eukaryotic pathogens are beginning to be revealed. In fungi, extracellular release of proteins involves passage through the cell wall by mechanisms that are poorly understood. In recent years, several studies demonstrated that yeast cells produce vesicles that traverse the cell wall to release a wide range of cellular components into the extracellular space. These studies suggested that extracellular vesicle release involves components of both conventional and unconventional secretory pathways, although the precise mechanisms required for this process are still unknown. We discuss here cellular events that are candidates for regulating this interesting but elusive event in the biology of yeast cells.

Cryptococcus neoformans cryoultramicrotomy and vesicle fractionation reveals an intimate association between membrane lipids and glucuronoxylomannan.

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated pathogenic fungus. The cryptococcal capsule is composed of polysaccharides and is necessary for virulence. It has been previously reported that glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the major capsular component, is synthesized in cytoplasmic compartments and transported to the extracellular space in vesicles, but knowledge on the organelles involved in polysaccharide synthesis and traffic is extremely limited. In this paper we report the GXM distribution in C. neoformans cells sectioned by cryoultramicrotomy and visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and polysaccharide immunogold staining. Cryosections of fungal cells showed high preservation of intracellular organelles and cell wall structure. Incubation of cryosections with an antibody to GXM revealed that cytoplasmic structures associated to vesicular compartments and reticular membranes are in close proximity to the polysaccharide. GXM was generally found in association with the membrane of intracellular compartments and within different layers of the cell wall. Analysis of extracellular fractions from cryptococcal supernatants by transmission electron microscopy in combination with serologic, chromatographic and spectroscopic methods revealed fractions containing GXM and lipids. These results indicate an intimate association of GXM and lipids in both intracellular and extracellular spaces consistent with polysaccharide synthesis and transport in membrane-associated structures.

Extracellular vesicles produced by Cryptococcus neoformans contain protein components associated with virulence.

Cryptococcus neoformans produces vesicles containing its major virulence factor, the capsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM). These vesicles cross the cell wall to reach the extracellular space, where the polysaccharide is supposedly used for capsule growth or delivered into host tissues. In the present study, we characterized vesicle morphology and protein composition by a combination of techniques including electron microscopy, proteomics, enzymatic activity, and serological reactivity. Secretory vesicles in C. neoformans appear to be correlated with exosome-like compartments derived from multivesicular bodies. Extracellular vesicles manifested various sizes and morphologies, including electron-lucid membrane bodies and electron-dense vesicles. Seventy-six proteins were identified by proteomic analysis, including several related to virulence and protection against oxidative stress. Biochemical tests indicated laccase and urease activities in vesicles. In addition, different vesicle proteins were recognized by sera from patients with cryptococcosis. These results reveal an efficient and general mechanism of secretion of pathogenesis-related molecules in C. neoformans, suggesting that extracellular vesicles function as "virulence bags" that deliver a concentrated payload of fungal products to host effector cells and tissues.

Vesicular Trans-Cell Wall Transport in Fungi: A Mechanism for the Delivery of Virulence-Associated Macromolecules?

Fungal cells are encaged in rigid, complex cell walls. Until recently, there was remarkably little information regarding the trans-fungal cell wall transfer of intracellular macromolecules to the extracellular space. Recently, several studies have begun to elucidate the mechanisms that fungal cells utilize to secrete a wide variety of macromolecules through the cell wall. The combined use of transmission electron microscopy, serology, biochemistry, proteomics and lipidomics have revealed that the fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans, Histoplasma capsulatum, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Sporothrix schenckii, as well as the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, each produces extracellular vesicles that carry lipids, proteins, polysaccharides and pigment-like structures of unquestionable biological significance. Compositional analysis of the C. neoformans and H. capsulatum extracellular vesicles suggests that they may function as 'virulence bags', with the potential to modulate the host-pathogen interaction in favor of the fungus. The cellular origin of the extracellular vesicles remains unknown, but morphological and biochemical features indicate that they are similar to the well-described mammalian exosomes.

Vesicular polysaccharide export in Cryptococcus neoformans is a eukaryotic solution to the problem of fungal trans-cell wall transport.

The mechanisms by which macromolecules are transported through the cell wall of fungi are not known. A central question in the biology of Cryptococcus neoformans, the causative agent of cryptococcosis, is the mechanism by which capsular polysaccharide synthesized inside the cell is exported to the extracellular environment for capsule assembly and release. We demonstrate that C. neoformans produces extracellular vesicles during in vitro growth and animal infection. Vesicular compartments, which are transferred to the extracellular space by cell wall passage, contain glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), a component of the cryptococcal capsule, and key lipids, such as glucosylceramide and sterols. A correlation between GXM-containing vesicles and capsule expression was observed. The results imply a novel mechanism for the release of the major virulence factor of C. neoformans whereby polysaccharide packaged in lipid vesicles crosses the cell wall and the capsule network to reach the extracellular environment.