Mechanisms of <i>Talaromyces marneffei</i> induced CNS injury: Synergistic roles of tauopathy, pyroptosis, and microglial inflammation.

ABSTRACT: Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) is an opportunistic, dimorphic fungus that has been clinically reported to involve the central nervous system (CNS). However, its neuroinvasive capacity and the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, T. marneffei infection was found to impair learning, memory, and motor balance in mice, as demonstrated by Morris water maze and accelerating rotarod assays. Viable T. marneffei was subsequently isolated from hippocampus and cortex through fungal cultures, confirming its ability to invade the CNS. Histopathological analysis revealed CNS damage following infection, characterized by neuronal pyknosis, neurofibrillary tangles, and an increased presence of glial cells in the cortex. To investigate t

SUBMITTER: Yuan Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12574570 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature