Divergent Immunomodulatory Roles of Fungal DNA in Shaping Treg and Inflammatory Responses.

ABSTRACT: Fungal communities in the gut influence host immunity, yet most studies have focused on cell wall components rather than genetic materials. Here, we explore how fungal genomic DNA (gDNA) from Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Cryptococcus neoformans modulate immune responses in human CD4⁺ T cells, murine splenocytes, and THP-1-derived macrophages. We find that C. albicans gDNA promotes the development of regulatory T cells and increases IL-10, fostering immune tolerance and preserving CD4⁺ T cell viability in an inflammatory setting. S. cerevisiae gDNA induces moderate Treg responses with restrained effector T cell expansion and higher checkpoint gene expression, entirely consistent with its commensal nature. In contras

SUBMITTER: Li D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12653120 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature