Depletion of alveolar macrophages decreases the dissemination of a glucosylceramide-deficient mutant of Cryptococcus neoformans in immunodeficient mice.

ABSTRACT: In previous studies we showed that a Cryptococcus neoformans mutant lacking glucosylceramide (Deltagcs1) is avirulent and unable to reach the brain when it is administered intranasally into an immunocompetent mouse and is contained in a lung granuloma. To determine whether granuloma formation is key for containment of C. neoformans Deltagcs1, we studied the role of C. neoformans glucosylceramide in a T- and NK-cell-immunodeficient mouse model (Tgepsilon26) in which alveolar macrophages (AMs) are not activated and granuloma formation is not expected. The results show that Tgepsilon26 mice infected with Deltagcs1 do not produce a lung granuloma and that the Deltagcs1 mutant proliferates in the lungs and does disseminate to the brain, although its virulence phenotype is dramatically reduced.

SUBMITTER: Kechichian TB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2044542 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature