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Aluminum-containing adjuvants have been used for nearly 100 years to enhance immune responses in billions of doses of vaccines. To date, only a few adjuvants have been approved for use in humans, among which aluminum-containing adjuvants are the only ones widely used. However, the medical need for potent and safe adjuvants is currently continuously increasing, especially those triggering cellular immune responses for cytotoxic T lymphocyte activation, which are urgently needed for the development of efficient virus and cancer vaccines. Manganese is an essential micronutrient required for diverse biological activities, but its functions in immunity remain undefined. We previously reported that Mn2+ is important in the host defense against cytosolic dsDNA by facilitating cGAS-STING activation and that Mn2+ alone directly activates cGAS independent of dsDNA, leading to an unconventional catalytic synthesis of 2′3′-cGAMP. Herein, we found that Mn2+ strongly promoted immune responses by facilitating antigen uptake, presentation, and germinal center formation via both cGAS-STING and NLRP3 activation. Accordingly, a colloidal manganese salt (Mn jelly, MnJ) was formulated to act not only as an immune potentiator but also as a delivery system to stimulate humoral and cellular immune responses, inducing antibody production and CD4+/CD8+ T-cell proliferation and activation by either intramuscular or intranasal immunization. When administered intranasally, MnJ also worked as a mucosal adjuvant, inducing high levels of secretory IgA. MnJ showed good adjuvant effects for all tested antigens, including T cell-dependent and T cell-independent antigens, such as bacterial capsular polysaccharides, thus indicating that it is a promising adjuvant candidate.

Introduction The characteristics of Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) based on its radiological classification is still unclear. Objectives To investigate the clinical significances of ABPA patients with central bronchiectasis (ABPA‐CB) by different radiological classifications of mucus plugs. Methods ABPA‐CB patients from a pulmonary hospital between 2008 and 2015 were retrospectively included and analysed. According to the chest imaging in their first visit to physician, the ABPA‐CB patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of high‐attenuation mucus (HAM) or low‐attenuation mucus (LAM). The primary endpoint was ABPA relapse within 1 year since the glucocorticoid withdrawal. The relationship between the imaging findings and the clinical prognosis was illuminated. Results A total of 125 ABPA patients were analysed in this study. Compared to the LAM group, the HAM group presented higher blood eosinophil cells counts, higher rates of Aspergillus detection isolated in sputum and expectoration of brownish‐black mucus plugs, more affected lobes and segments, poorer pulmonary function and higher rate of relapse. Conclusions The clinical characteristics and prognosis of ABPA‐CB patients are closely related to its radiological phenotype of mucus plugs in the central bronchiectasis. Clinicians should promote a diversity of personalized treatments for different patients with different radiological characteristics.

Cryptococcosis is a potentially lethal disease that is primarily caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, treatment options for cryptococcosis are limited. Here, we show glucuronoxylomannan, the major polysaccharide component of C. neoformans, induces the recruitment of neutrophilic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in mice and patients with cryptococcosis. Depletion of neutrophilic myeloid-derived suppressor cells enhances host defense against C. neoformans infection. We identify C-type lectin receptor-2d recognizes glucuronoxylomannan to potentiate the immunosuppressive activity of neutrophilic myeloid-derived suppressor cells by initiating p38-mediated production of the enzyme arginase-1, which inhibits T-cell mediated antifungal responses. Notably, pharmacological inhibition of arginase-1 expression by a specific inhibitor of p38, SB202190, or an orally available receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, vandetanib, significantly enhances T-cell mediated antifungal responses against cryptococcosis. These data reveal a crucial suppressive role of neutrophilic myeloid-derived suppressor cells during cryptococcosis and highlight a promising immunotherapeutic application by inhibiting arginase-1 production to combat infectious diseases.

Background Our previous study shows that Adipose tissue‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are a promising strategy for cell‐based therapy against pulmonary infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Methods cDNA microarray assay was performed to explore the transcriptome of ASCs primed by P. aeruginosa. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was constructed to select the receptor candidates for P. aeruginosa recognition and granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) production in ASCs. The soluble protein chimeras containing the extracellular domain of human CD69 fused to the Fc region of human immunoglobulin IgG1 were used as a probe to validate the recognition of P. aeruginosa. The association between CD69 and extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) was explored via co‐immunoprecipitation, siRNA, and inhibitor. The murine models of P. aeruginosa pneumonia treated with WT‐ASCs, GM‐CSF −/−‐ASCs Cd69 −/−‐ASCs or Erk1 −/−‐ASCs were used to determine the role of GM‐CSF, CD69, and ERK1 in ASCs against P. aeruginosa infection. Results We showed that C‐type lectin receptor CD69 mediated the protective effects of ASCs partly through GM‐CSF. CD69 could specifically recognize P. aeruginosa and regulate GM‐CSF secretion of ASCs. CD69 regulated the production of GM‐CSF via ERK1 in ASCs after P. aeruginosa infection. Moreover, the Administration of ASCs with deficiency of CD69 or ERK1 completely blocked its protective effects in a murine model of P. aeruginosa pneumonia. Conclusions CD69 recognizes P. aeruginosa and further facilitates ERK1 activation, which plays a crucial role in ASCs‐based therapy against P. aeruginosa pneumonia. CD69 may be a novel target molecule to improve ASCs‐based therapy against P. aeruginosa infection., 1. CD69 mediates the protective effects of ASCs partly through GM‐CSF. 2. ASCs use CD69 to recognize P. aeruginosa for ERK1 activation and subsequent GM‐CSF production. 3. CD69‐ERK1 pathway plays a key role in ASCs‐based therapy against P. aeruginosa pneumonia.

c-Cbl suppresses RelB activation to facilitate protective benefits of commensal fungi and maintain intestinal homeostasis., Intestinal fungi are critical for modulating host immune homeostasis and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We show that dendritic cell (DC)–specific deficiency of casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) renders mice susceptible to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)–induced colitis. Mechanistically, we identify that c-Cbl functions downstream of Dectin-2 and Dectin-3 to mediate the ubiquitination and degradation of noncanonical nuclear factor κB subunit RelB. Thus, c-Cbl deficiency in DCs promotes α-mannan–induced activation of RelB, which suppresses p65-mediated transcription of an anti-inflammatory cytokine gene, il10, thereby aggravating DSS-induced colitis. Moreover, suppressing fungal growth with fluconazole or inhibition of RelB activation in vivo attenuates colitis in mice with DC-specific deletion of c-Cbl. We also demonstrate an interaction between c-Cbl and c-Abl tyrosine kinase and find that treatment with DPH, a c-Abl agonist, synergistically increases fungi-induced c-Cbl activation to restrict colitis. Together, these findings unravel a previously unidentified fungi-induced c-Cbl/RelB axis that sustains intestinal homeostasis and protects against intestinal inflammation.

The recently identified anion channel LRRC8 volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) are heteromeric hexamers constituted with the obligate LRRC8A subunit paired with at least one of the accessory LRRC8B to LRRC8E subunits. In addition to transport chloride, taurine, and glutamate, LRRC8 VRACs also transport the anticancer agent cisplatin and STING agonists 2′3′-cyclic GMP–AMP (cGAMP) and cyclic dinucleotides; hence, they are implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, such as cell swelling, stroke, cancer, and viral infection. Although the subunit composition largely determines VRAC substrate specificity, the opening of various VRAC pores under physiological and pathological settings remains enigmatic. In this study, we demonstrated that VRACs comprising LRRC8A and LRRC8E (LRRC8A/E–containing VRACs), specialized in cGAMP transport, can be opened by a protein component present in serum under resting condition. Serum depletion ablated the tonic activity of LRRC8A/E–containing VRACs, decreasing cGAMP transport in various human and murine cells. Also, heating or proteinase K treatment abolished the ability of serum to activate VRAC. Genetic analyses revealed a crucial role for cGAMP synthase (cGAS) in serum/TNF–promoted VRAC activation. Notably, the presence of cGAS on the plasma membrane, rather than its DNA-binding or enzymatic activity, enabled VRAC activation. Moreover, phospholipid PIP2 seemed to be instrumental in the membrane localization of cGAS and its association with VRACs. Corroborating a role for LRRC8A/D–containing VRACs in cisplatin transport, serum and TNF markedly potentiated cisplatin uptake and killing of cancer cells derived from human or mouse. Together, these observations provide new insights into the complex regulation of VRAC activation and suggest a novel approach to enhance the efficacy of cGAMP and cisplatin in treating infection and cancer.

Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is one of the most common Gram-negative bacteria causing hospital-acquired pulmonary infection, with high drug resistance and mortality. Therefore, it is urgent to introduce new non-antibiotic treatment strategies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as important members of the stem cell family, were demonstrated to alleviate pathological damage in acute lung injury. However, the potential mechanism how MSC alleviate acute lung infection caused by PA remains unclear. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) on acute pulmonary infections and the possible mechanisms how ASCs reduce pulmonary inflammation induced by PA. Methods The therapeutic and mechanistic effects of ASCs on PA pulmonary infection were evaluated respectively in a murine model as well as in an in vitro model stimulated by PA and co-cultured with ASCs. Results 1. ASCs treatment significantly reduced the bacterial load, inflammation of lung tissue and histopathological damage by PA. 2. PA infection mainly activated Nod-like receptor containing a caspase activating and recruitment domain 4 (NLRC4) inflammasome in the lung of mice. ASCs attenuated acute lung infection in mice by inhibiting NLRC4 inflammasome activation. 3. NLRC4−/− mice showed a significant improvement in survival rate and lung bacterial load after PA infection. 4. ASCs mainly increased expression and secretion of STC‐1 in response to PA‐stimulated NLRC4 inflammasome activation. Conclusions PA infection attenuated macrophage phagocytosis through activation of NLRC4 inflammasome in macrophages, which eventually led to pulmonary inflammatory damage in mouse; ASCs reduced the activation of NLRC4 inflammasome in macrophages induced by PA infection, thereby increasing the phagocytic ability of macrophages, and ultimately improving lung tissue damage in mouse; ASCs may inhibit NLRC4 inflammasome through the secretion of STC-1.

Infection by invasive fungi, such as Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans, is one of the leading death causes for the increasing population of immunocompromised and immunodeficient patients. Several C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), including Dectin-1, -2, and -3 and Mincle can recognize fungal surface components and initiate the host antifungal immune responses. Nevertheless, it remains to be determined whether other CLRs are involved in antifungal immunity. Our recent study suggests that CD23 (CLEC4J), a CLR and also a well-known B cell surface marker, may function to sense C. albicans components in antifungal immunity. However, it is not clear how CD23 functions as a fungal pattern recognition receptor and whether the antifungal role of CD23 is specific to C. albicans or not. In this study, we show that CD23 can recognize both α-mannan and β-glucan from the cell wall of C. albicans or A. fumigatus but cannot recognize glucuronoxylomannan from Cryptococcus. Through forming a complex with FcRγ, CD23 can induce NF-κB activation. Consistently, CD23-deficient mice were highly susceptible to C. albicans and A. fumigatus but not to C. neoformans infection. The expression of CD23 in activated macrophages is critical for the activation of NF-κB. CD23 deficiency results in impaired expression of NF-κB–dependent genes, especially iNOS, which induces NO production to suppress fungal infection. Together, our studies reveal the CD23-induced signaling pathways and their roles in antifungal immunity, specifically for C. albicans and A. fumigatus, which provides the molecular basis for designing potential therapeutic agents against fungal infection.

The adaptor CARD9 functions downstream of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) for the sensing of microbial infection, which leads to responses by the TH1 and TH17 subsets of helper T cells. The single-nucleotide polymorphism rs4077515 at CARD9 in the human genome, which results in the substitution S12N (CARD9S12N), is associated with several autoimmune diseases. However, the function of CARD9S12N has remained unknown. Here we generated CARD9S12N knock-in mice and found that CARD9S12N facilitated the induction of type 2 immune responses after engagement of CLRs. Mechanistically, CARD9S12N mediated CLR-induced activation of the non-canonical transcription factor NF-κB subunit RelB, which initiated production of the cytokine IL-5 in alveolar macrophages for the recruitment of eosinophils to drive TH2 cell-mediated allergic responses. We identified the homozygous CARD9 mutation encoding S12N in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and revealed activation of RelB and production of IL-5 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these patients. Our study provides genetic and functional evidence demonstrating that CARD9S12N can turn alveolar macrophages into IL-5-producing cells and facilitates TH2 cell-mediated pathologic responses.

Opportunistic fungal infections are a leading cause of death among immune-compromised patients, and there is a pressing need to develop new antifungal therapeutic agents because of toxicity and resistance to the antifungal drugs currently in use. Although C-type lectin receptor- and Toll-like receptor-induced signaling pathways are key activators of host antifungal immunity, little is known about the mechanisms that negatively regulate host immune responses to a fungal infection. Here we found that JNK1 activation suppresses antifungal immunity in mice. We showed that JNK1-deficient mice had a significantly higher survival rate than wild-type control mice in response to Candida albicans infection, and the expression of JNK1 in hematopoietic innate immune cells was critical for this effect. JNK1 deficiency leads to significantly higher induction of CD23, a novel C-type lectin receptor, through NFATc1-mediated regulation of the CD23 gene promoter. Blocking either CD23 upregulation or CD23-dependent nitric oxide production eliminated the enhanced antifungal response found in JNK1-deficient mice. Notably, JNK inhibitors exerted potent antifungal therapeutic effects in both mouse and human cells infected with C. albicans, indicating that JNK1 may be a therapeutic target for treating fungal infection.

The incidence of Aspergillus fumigatus infection and the rate of resistance to antifungal drugs have sharply increased in recent years. LL37 has been reported as a host defense peptide with broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. However, the role of LL37 during A. fumigatus infection remains unclear. Here, we examined the interaction between LL37 and A. fumigatus and found that synthetic LL37 could directly bind to the surface of A. fumigatus, disrupting the integrity of the cell wall in vitro. LL37 inhibited mycelial growth in a concentration-dependent manner, rather than fungicidal effect even at high concentration (e.g., 20 μM). Interestingly, low concentrations of LL37 (e.g., 4 μM) significantly attenuated mycelial adhesion and prevented the invasion and destruction of epithelial cells. Following LL37 treatment, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines released by A. fumigatus-stimulated macrophages decreased significantly, accompanied by downregulation of M1 type markers. In a mouse model of pulmonary A. fumigatus infection, LL37-treated mice showed lower amounts of fungi load, moderate pathological damage, and reduced proinflammatory cytokines. Further, LL37 transgenic mice (LL37+/+) were examined to investigate the effects of endogenous LL37 in an A. fumigatus infection model and showed lower susceptibility to A. fumigatus infection in comparison with wild-type mice. In addition, LL37 also played a protective role in an immunosuppressed mouse model of A. fumigatus infection. Thus, LL37 inhibits A. fumigatus infection via directly binding to mycelia and reducing excessive inflammation. LL37 or its analogs may therefore constitute potential drug components for A. fumigatus infection.

Multi-drug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms is becoming a serious threat, particularly to immunocompromised populations. The high mortality of systematic fungal infections necessitates novel antifungal drugs and therapies. Unfortunately, with traditional drug discovery approaches, only echinocandins was approved by FDA as a new class of antifungals in the past two decades. Drug efflux is one of the major contributors to multi-drug resistance, the modulator of drug efflux pumps is considered as one of the keys to conquer multi-drug resistance. In this study, we combined structure-based virtual screening and whole-cell based mechanism study, identified a natural product, beauvericin (BEA) as a drug efflux pump modulator, which can reverse the multi-drug resistant phenotype of Candida albicans by specifically blocking the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters; meantime, BEA alone has fungicidal activity in vitro by elevating intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS). It was further demonstrated by histopathological study that BEA synergizes with a sub-therapeutic dose of ketoconazole (KTC) and could cure the murine model of disseminated candidiasis. Toxicity evaluation of BEA, including acute toxicity test, Ames test, and hERG (human ether-à-go-go-related gene) test promised that BEA can be harnessed for treatment of candidiasis, especially the candidiasis caused by ABC overexpressed multi-drug resistant C. albicans.

The incidence of Aspergillus fumigatus infection and the rate of resistance to antifungal drugs have sharply increased in recent years. LL37 has been reported as a host defense peptide with broad-spectrum antibacterial activities. However, the role of LL37 during A. fumigatus infection remains unclear. Here, we examined the interaction between LL37 and A. fumigatus and found that synthetic LL37 could directly bind to the surface of A. fumigatus, disrupting the integrity of the cell wall in vitro. LL37 inhibited mycelial growth in a concentration-dependent manner, rather than fungicidal effect even at high concentration (e.g., 20 μM). Interestingly, low concentrations of LL37 (e.g., 4 μM) significantly attenuated mycelial adhesion and prevented the invasion and destruction of epithelial cells. Following LL37 treatment, the levels of proinflammatory cytokines released by A. fumigatus-stimulated macrophages decreased significantly, accompanied by downregulation of M1 type markers. In a mouse model of pulmonary A. fumigatus infection, LL37-treated mice showed lower amounts of fungi load, moderate pathological damage, and reduced proinflammatory cytokines. Further, LL37 transgenic mice (LL37+/+) were examined to investigate the effects of endogenous LL37 in an A. fumigatus infection model and showed lower susceptibility to A. fumigatus infection in comparison with wild-type mice. In addition, LL37 also played a protective role in an immunosuppressed mouse model of A. fumigatus infection. Thus, LL37 inhibits A. fumigatus infection via directly binding to mycelia and reducing excessive inflammation. LL37 or its analogs may therefore constitute potential drug components for A. fumigatus infection.

The adaptor CARD9 functions downstream of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) for the sensing of microbial infection, which leads to responses by the T

Fungal infection stimulates the canonical C-type lectin receptor (CLR) signaling pathway via activation of the tyrosine kinase Syk. Here we identify a crucial role for the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 in mediating CLR-induced activation of Syk. Ablation of the gene encoding SHP-2 (Ptpn11; called 'Shp-2' here) in dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages impaired Syk-mediated signaling and abrogated the expression of genes encoding pro-inflammatory molecules following fungal stimulation. Mechanistically, SHP-2 operated as a scaffold, facilitating the recruitment of Syk to the CLR dectin-1 or the adaptor FcRγ, through its N-SH2 domain and a previously unrecognized carboxy-terminal immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM). We found that DC-derived SHP-2 was crucial for the induction of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and IL-23 and anti-fungal responses of the TH17 subset of helper T cells in controlling infection with Candida albicans. Together our data reveal a mechanism by which SHP-2 mediates the activation of Syk in response to fungal infection.

Multi-drug resistance of pathogenic microorganisms is becoming a serious threat, particularly to immunocompromised populations. The high mortality of systematic fungal infections necessitates novel antifungal drugs and therapies. Unfortunately, with traditional drug discovery approaches, only echinocandins was approved by FDA as a new class of antifungals in the past two decades. Drug efflux is one of the major contributors to multi-drug resistance, the modulator of drug efflux pumps is considered as one of the keys to conquer multi-drug resistance. In this study, we combined structure-based virtual screening and whole-cell based mechanism study, identified a natural product, beauvericin (BEA) as a drug efflux pump modulator, which can reverse the multi-drug resistant phenotype of Candida albicans by specifically blocking the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters; meantime, BEA alone has fungicidal activity in vitro by elevating intracellular calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS). It was further demonstrated by histopathological study that BEA synergizes with a sub-therapeutic dose of ketoconazole (KTC) and could cure the murine model of disseminated candidiasis. Toxicity evaluation of BEA, including acute toxicity test, Ames test, and hERG (human ether-à-go-go-related gene) test promised that BEA can be harnessed for treatment of candidiasis, especially the candidiasis caused by ABC overexpressed multi-drug resistant C. albicans.

Innate immune responses mediated by C-type lectin receptors Dectin-2 and Dectin-3 against fungal infections are negatively regulated by Cbl-b ubiquitination., Activation of various C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) initiates potent proinflammatory responses against various microbial infections. However, how activated CLRs are negatively regulated remains unknown. In this study, we report that activation of CLRs Dectin-2 and Dectin-3 by fungi infections triggers them for ubiquitination and degradation in a Syk-dependent manner. Furthermore, we found that E3 ubiquitin ligase Casitas B–lineage lymphoma protein b (Cbl-b) mediates the ubiquitination of these activated CLRs through associating with each other via adapter protein FcR-γ and tyrosine kinase Syk, and then the ubiquitinated CLRs are sorted into lysosomes for degradation by an endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) system. Therefore, the deficiency of either Cbl-b or ESCRT subunits significantly decreases the degradation of activated CLRs, thereby resulting in the higher expression of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammation. Consistently, Cbl-b–deficient mice are more resistant to fungi infections compared with wild-type controls. Together, our study indicates that Cbl-b negatively regulates CLR-mediated antifungal innate immunity, which provides molecular insight for designing antifungal therapeutic agents.

Widespread and repeated use of azoles, particularly fluconazole, has led to the rapid development of azole resistance in Candida albicans. We investigated the role of CaIPF14030 during the development of azole resistance in C albicans. The expression of CaIPF14030 was measured by quantitative RT-PCR, and CaIPF14030 was disrupted by the hisG-URA3-hisG (URA-blaster) method. The sensitivity of C albicans to azoles was examined using a spot assay, and the intracellular ATP concentrations were measured by a luminometer. CaIPF14030 expression in C albicans was up-regulated by Ca2+ in a calcineurin-dependent manner, and the protein was overexpressed during the stepwise acquisition of azole resistance. However, disruption or ectopic overexpression of CaIPF14030 did not affect the sensitivity of C albicans to azoles. Finally, we demonstrated that disruption of CaIPF14030 significantly increased intracellular ATP levels, and overexpression significantly decreased intracellular ATP levels in C albicans. CaIPF14030 may negatively modulate intracellular ATP levels during the development of azole resistance in C albicans.

The calcineurin pathway has been reported to be essential for the development of azole resistance in Candida albicans. The depletion or ectopic over-expression of RTA2 increased or decreased susceptibility of C. albicans to azoles, respectively. CaCl(2)- induced activation of the calcineurin pathway in wildtype C. albicans promoted resistance to azoles, while the Ca(2+) chelator (EGTA), calcineurin inhibitors (FK506 and cyclosporin A) and the deletion of RTA2 blocked the resistance-promoting effects of CaCl(2). Furthermore, we found that RTA2 was up-regulated in a calcineurin-dependent manner. The depletion of RTA2 also made the cell membrane of C. albicans liable to be destroyed by azoles and RTA2 over-expression attenuated the destroying effects. Finally, the disruption of RTA2 caused an increased accumulation of dihydrosphingosine (DHS), one of the two sphingolipid long-chain bases, by decreasing release of DHS. In conclusion, our findings suggest that RTA2 is involved in calcineurin-mediated azole resistance and sphingoid long-chain base release in C. albicans.

The study was aimed to investigate the effects and mechanism of action of Changtai granule (CT), a traditional compound Chinese medicinal formula, in rodent 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis. Rats with TNBS/ethanol-induced colitis were used. The colonic wet weight, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, macroscopic and histological colon injury was observed. Inflammation cytokines were determined by ELISA methods and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. When dosed orally once daily, CT markedly attenuated TNBS-induced colitis. CT significantly attenuated colonic wet weight, macroscopic and histological colon injury. CT decreased mucosal mRNA levels for several inflammatory mediators: inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase 2, and macrophage inflammatory protein 2. CT also decreased mucosal mRNA and protein levels of T effectors cytokines: tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Systemic levels of these cytokines were also dramatically attenuated. CD3/CD28-mediated costimulation of T helper 1 effector cytokines release in lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) was markedly inhibited by CT ex vivo and in vitro. Also CT prevented cytokines production by nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB). The potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect of CT in TNBS colitis suggests that CT may be an effective treatment approach for inflammatory bowel disease.

Introduction: The Candida albicansTHI13 gene was identified by its homology to the Candida tropicalis CtNMT1 gene, which is involved in pyrimidine precursor biosynthesis. Methods: Disruption of THI13 revealed that this gene played a minor role in thiamin biosynthesis in C. albicans. Purified human monocytes were incubated with C. albicans at the optimal Candida: monocyte ratio of 0.5 and cytokines in the supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results and discussion: This experiment showed that the wild-type strain significantly induced interleukin-10 (IL-10) production but had little effect on IL-12 production, and that THI13 mutants had no significant effect on IL-10 production, though the IL-12 level was increased in the supernatants. These results suggest that THI13 is involved in the host effective immune response by regulating IL-10 and IL-12 production.

CaIPF7817, a functionally unknown gene in Candida albicans, was suggested to be involved in the redox system previously, but its exact role is unknown. In this study, ipf7817 null mutant was generated with the URA-blaster method. After the deletion of CaIPF7817, intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species were significantly increased; mitochondrial membrane potential, a direct indicator of mitochondrial function, was elevated; some important redox-related genes, including GLR1, SOD2, and TRR1, were up-regulated; and the GSH/GSSG ratio was raised. These changes indicated that CaIPF7817 played important roles in the regulation of redox homeostasis in C. albicans.

In the present study, wild-type and mutant Candida drug resistance protein 1 (Cdr1p) was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and phenotype alterations were observed in order to understand the importance of Cdr1p in azole resistance. Cdr1p was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis resulting in an alteration (W629L) to transmembrane segment 4 (TMS4). The susceptibilities to azole antifungal drugs of yeast cells as well as passive efflux of Rhodamine 6G were measured. The mutant strain showed greater sensitivity to azole antifungal drugs than the strain with the wild-type plasmid (AD-CDR1) as well as reduced efflux of Rhodamine 6G. Taken together, these phenotypic alterations of yeast cells were caused by the mutation in TMS4 of Cdr1p, which suggests that TMS4 plays a major role in azole antifungal drug efflux and is an azole antifungal drug-binding site.

Antifungal activity of natural products is being studied widely. Saponins are known to be antifungal and antibacterial. We used bioassay-guided fractionation to have isolated eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris L., which were identified as hecogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-8), tigogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-9), hecogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-10), hecogenin-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-11), tigogenin-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)]-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-12), 3-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->2)]-beta-D-galactopyranosyl]-26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-22-methoxy-(3beta,5alpha,25R)-furostan-3,26-diol (TTS-13), hecogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-14), tigogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside (TTS-15). The in vitro antifungal activities of the eight saponins against five yeasts, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans were studied using microbroth dilution assay. In vivo activity of TTS-12 in a Candida albicans vaginal infection model was studied in particular. The results showed that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very effective against several pathogenic candidal species and Cryptococcus neoformans in vitro. It is noteworthy that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very active against Candida albicans (MIC(80) = 10 and 2.3 microg/mL) and Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC(80) = 1.7 and 6.7 microg/mL). Phase contrast microscopy showed that TTS-12 inhibited hyphal formation, an important virulence factor of Candida albicans, and transmission electron microscopy showed that TTS-12 destroyed the cell membrane of Candida albicans. In conclusion, TTS-12 has significant in vitro and in vivo antifungal activity, weakening the virulence of Candida albicans and killing fungi through destroying the cell membrane.

The antifungal activity of ZJ-522, a new triazole antifungal agent restructured from fluconazole and butenafine, was compared to that of fluconazole and butenafine against 43 strains of fungi representing 13 fungal species. MICs were determined by using the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS)-recommended broth microdilution method for yeasts, which was modified for filamentous fungi. ZJ-522 was about 50-fold and 2 to 16-fold more potent than fluconazole against yeasts and filamentous fungi respectively, but it was less active than butenafine against filamentous fungi, although butenafine was inactive against most yeasts. Thus, the fashion of ZJ-522 antifungal activity more similar to that of fluconazole than that of butenafine indicates that ZJ-522 should be an inhibitor of lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase but not of squalene epoxidase, and should be a candidate for clinical development.

CARD9 is dispensable for NF-κB activation induced by Dectin-1 ligands in mice. However, Dectin-1–induced H-Ras activation is mediated by a complex with CARD9, which leads to ERK activation for host innate immune responses to Candida albicans infection., Dectin-1 functions as a pattern recognition receptor for sensing fungal infection. It has been well-established that Dectin-1 induces innate immune responses through caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9)–mediated NF-κB activation. In this study, we find that CARD9 is dispensable for NF-κB activation induced by Dectin-1 ligands, such as curdlan or Candida albicans yeast. In contrast, we find that CARD9 regulates H-Ras activation by linking Ras-GRF1 to H-Ras, which mediates Dectin-1–induced extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) activation and proinflammatory responses when stimulated by their ligands. Mechanistically, Dectin-1 engagement initiates spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk)–dependent Ras-GRF1 phosphorylation, and the phosphorylated Ras-GRF1 recruits and activates H-Ras through forming a complex with CARD9, which leads to activation of ERK downstream. Finally, we show that inhibiting ERK activation significantly accelerates the death of C. albicans–infected mice, and this inhibitory effect is dependent on CARD9. Together, our studies reveal a molecular mechanism by which Dectin-1 induces H-Ras activation that leads to ERK activation for host innate immune responses against fungal infection.

Previous studies indicate that both Dectin-3 (also called MCL or Clec4d) and Mincle (also called Clec4e), two C-type lectin receptors, can recognize trehalose 6,6′-dimycolate (TDM), a cell wall component from mycobacteria, and induce potent innate immune responses. Interestingly, stimulation of Dectin-3 by TDM can also induce Mincle expression, which may enhance the host innate immune system to sense Mycobacterium infection. However, the mechanism by which Dectin-3 induces Mincle expression is not fully defined. Here, we show that TDM-induced Mincle expression is dependent on Dectin-3-mediated NF-κB, but not nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT), activation, and Dectin-3 induces NF-κB activation through the CARD9-BCL10-MALT1 complex. We found that bone marrow-derived macrophages from Dectin-3-deficient mice were severely defective in the induction of Mincle expression in response to TDM stimulation. This defect is correlated with the failure of TDM-induced NF-κB activation in Dectin-3-deficient bone marrow-derived macrophages. Consistently, inhibition of NF-κB, but not NFAT, impaired TDM-induced Mincle expression, whereas NF-κB, but not NFAT, binds to the Mincle promoter. Dectin-3-mediated NF-κB activation is dependent on the CARD9-Bcl10-MALT1 complex. Finally, mice deficient for Dectin-3 or CARD9 produced much less proinflammatory cytokines and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)-specific antibodies after immunization with an adjuvant containing TDM. Overall, this study provides the mechanism by which Dectin-3 induces Mincle expression in response to Mycobacterium infection, which will have significant impact to improve adjuvant and design vaccine for antimicrobial infection.

Due to the emergence of drug-resistance, first-line therapy with fluconazole (FLC) increasingly resulted in clinical failure for the treatment of candidemia. Our previous studies found that in vitro RTA2 was involved in the calcineurin-mediated resistance to FLC in C. albicans. In this study, we found that calcium-activated-calcineurin significantly reduced the in vitro sensitivity of C. albicans to FLC by blocking the impairment of FLC to the plasma membrane via Rta2p. Furthermore, we found that RTA2 itself was not involved in C. albicans virulence, but the disruption of RTA2 dramatically increased the therapeutic efficacy of FLC in a murine model of systemic candidiasis. Conversely, both re-introduction of one RTA2 allele and ectopic expression of RTA2 significantly reduced FLC efficacy in a mammalian host. Finally, we found that calcium-activated-calcineurin, through its target Rta2p, dramatically reduced the efficacy of FLC against candidemia. Given the critical roles of Rta2p in controlling the efficacy of FLC, Rta2p can be a potential drug target for antifungal therapies.

In Candida albicans, lipid rafts (also called detergent-resistant membranes, DRMs) are involved in many cellular processes and contain many important proteins. In our previous study, we demonstrated that Rta2p was required for calcineurin-mediated azole resistance and sphingoid long-chain base release in C. albicans. Here, we found that Rta2p was co-localized with raft-constituted ergosterol on the plasma membrane of C. albicans. Furthermore, this membrane expression pattern was totally disturbed by inhibitors of either ergosterol or sphingolipid synthesis. Biochemical fractionation of DRMs together with immunoblot uncovered that Rta2p, along with well-known DRM-associated proteins (Pma1p and Gas1p homologue), was associated with DRMs and their associations were blocked by inhibitors of either ergosterol or sphingolipid synthesis. Finally, we used the proteomic analysis together with immunoblot and identified that Rta2p was required for the association of 10 proteins with DRMs. These 5 proteins (Pma1p, Gas1p homologue, Erg11p, Pmt2p and Ali1p) have been reported to be DRM-associated and also that Erg11p is a well-known target of azoles in C. albicans. In conclusion, our results showed that Rta2p was predominantly localized in lipid rafts and was required for the association of certain membrane proteins with lipid rafts in C. albicans.

Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide and can be accumulated in response to heat or oxidative stresses in Candida albicans. Here we showed that a C. albicans tps1Δ mutant, which is deficient in trehalose synthesis, exhibited increased apoptosis rate upon H(2)O(2) treatment together with an increase of intracellular Ca(2+) level and caspase activity. When the intracellular Ca(2+) level was stimulated by adding CaCl(2) or A23187, both the apoptosis rate and caspase activity were increased. In contrast, the presence of two calcium chelators, EGTA and BAPTA, could attenuate these effects. Moreover, we investigated the role of Ca(2+) pathway in C. albicans apoptosis and found that both calcineurin and the calcineurin-dependent transcription factor, Crz1p, mutants showed decreased apoptosis and caspase activity upon H(2)O(2) treatment compared to the wild-type cells. Expression of CaMCA1, the only gene found encoding a C. albicans metacaspase, in calcineurin-deleted or Crz1p-deleted cells restored the cell sensitivity to H(2)O(2). Our results suggest that Ca(2+) and its downstream calcineurin/Crz1p/CaMCA1 pathway are involved in H(2)O(2)-induced C. albicans apoptosis. Inhibition of this pathway might be the mechanism for the protective role of trehalose in C. albicans.

In this study the role of theTOP2gene in fungal drug susceptibility was investigated by disrupting and overexpressing the gene inCandida albicans. MIC determination and a spot assay showed that atop2Δ/Δ null mutant (strain T2bc) was more resistant to the antifungals tested than the wild-type (strain CAI4). Real-time RT-PCR and rhodamine 6G efflux examination showed thatTOP2 did not influence the activity of drug efflux pumps. Sterol analysis with GC/high-resolution MS indicated that the intracellular ergosterol composition of thetop2Δ/Δ mutant was significantly increased. Subsequently, fluorescence polarization measurements also revealed that Top2-deprived cells displayed a decrease in membrane fluidity, resulting in enhanced passive diffusion of the drugs. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis further confirmed that theERG11gene, an essential gene in ergosterol biosynthesis, was upregulated. These results demonstrate a close relationship between theTOP2gene and drug susceptibility inC. albicans.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) on the antifungal activity of fluconazole (FCZ) in a systemic murine candidiasis model as well as in vitro. 2. The murine model was established by infusion of Candida albicans via the tail vein. Control mice received no further treatment. Other groups of mice were injected with FCZ (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) and then treated or not with 50 or 500 mg/kg AA intragastrically (i.g.) or i.p. In all groups, FCZ was administered i.p. 2 h after fungal inoculation, whereas AA was administered 6 h after fungal inoculation. Survival rate, kidney fungal burden and renal pathological changes were evaluated. 3. The in vitro effects of AA (5, 1 and 0.2 mmol/L) on the growth of various Candida strains in the presence of FCZ (0.125-64 microg/mL) were also investigated. The in vitro effects of two anti-oxidants, namely N-acetylcysteine (NAC; 5, 1 and 0.2 mmol/L) and reduced glutathione (GSH; 5, 1 and 0.2 mmol/L), on FCZ activity were evaluated to determine the mechanism of action of AA. 4. Intragastric administration of AA (50 or 500 mg/kg) significantly decreased the antifungal effect of 0.5 mg/kg FCZ. Although i.p. administration of AA (50 or 500 mg/kg) had no significant effect on the survival of mice, it dose-dependently inhibited the activity of FCZ, with significant inhibition observed with 500 mg/kg AA. 5. In vitro, AA decreased the activity of FCZ against various Candida strains. Both NAC and GSH dose-dependently decreased the activity of FCZ. 6. The results of the present study indicate that AA inhibits the antifungal activity of FCZ, suggesting that the two should not be used together clinically for the treatment of candidiasis.

Widespread and repeated use of azoles, particularly fluconazole, has led to the rapid development of azole resistance in Candida albicans. Overexpression of CDR1, CDR2, and CaMDR1 has been reported contributing to azole resistance in C. albicans. In this study, hyper-resistant C. albicans mutant, with the above three genes deleted, was obtained by exposure to fluconazole and fluphenezine for 28 passages. Thirty-five differentially expressed genes were identified in the hyper-resistant mutant by microarray analysis; among the 13 up-regulated genes, we successfully constructed the rta2 and ipf14030 null mutants in C. albicans strain with deletions of CDR1, CDR2 and CaMDR1. Using spot dilution assay, we demonstrated that the disruption of RTA2 increased the susceptibility of C. albicans to azoles while the disruption of IPF14030 did not influence the sensitivity of C. albicans to azoles. Meanwhile, we found that ectopic overexpression of RTA2 in C. albicans strain with deletions of CDR1, CDR2 and CaMDR1 conferred resistance to azoles. RTA2 expression was found elevated in clinical azole-resistant isolates of C. albicans. In conclusion, our findings suggest that RTA2 is involved in the development of azole resistance in C. albicans.

Cap1p, a transcription factor in Candida albicans, is believed to be required for tolerance to oxidative stress. However, no information is available concerning its function on basal transcriptional profile. In this study, differentially expressed genes between the CAP1-deleted strain and its parental strain under normal culture condition were identified through microarray analysis. Notably, among the 48 down-regulated genes with the deletion of CAP1, there were three clusters, functionally related to intracellular redox, energy metabolism and substance transport. IPF7817, IPF11105 and FDH11, the three putative Cap1p target genes functionally related to redox, were shown to be activated by oxidative stress in a Cap1p-dependent manner. Furthermore, rhodamine 6G efflux analyses demonstrated that Cap1p contributed to the energy-driven efflux. Taken together, these results reveal that Cap1p plays a significant role in redox status regulation, energy metabolism and substance transport under normal culture condition.

Antifungal activity of natural products is being studied widely. Saponins are known to be antifungal and antibacterial. We have isolated eight steroid saponins from Tribulus terrestris L., namely TTS-8, TTS-9, TTS-10, TTS-11, TTS-12, TTS-13, TTS-14 and TTS-15. TTS-12 and TTS-15 were identified as tigogenin-3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)]-beta-D-galactopyranoside and tigogenin-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->3)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-beta-D-galactopyranoside, respectively. The in vitro antifungal activities of the eight saponins against six fluconazole-resistant yeasts, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, and Cryptococcus neoformans were studied using microbroth dilution assay. The results showed that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very effective against several pathogenic candidal species and C. neoformans in vitro. It is noteworthy that TTS-12 and TTS-15 were very active against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans (MIC(80)=4.4, 9.4 microg/ml), C. neoformans (MIC(80)=10.7, 18.7 microg/ml) and inherently resistant C. krusei (MIC(80)=8.8, 18.4 microg/ml). So in vivo activity of TTS-12 in a vaginal infection model with fluconazole-resistant C. albicans was studied in particular. Our studies revealed TTS-12 also showed in vivo activities against fluconazole-resistant yeasts. In conclusion, steroid saponins TTS-12 and TTS-15 from Tribulus terrestris L. have significant in vitro antifungal activity against fluconazole-resistant fungi, especially TTS-12 also showed in vivo activity against fluconazole-resistant C. albicans.