Project description:Coccidioides immitis (C. immitis) is a dimorphic fungus that causes disease in mammals including human beings. It grows as a mycelium in the soil but differentiates into a pathogenic structure called a spherule in the host. We compared the transcriptome of C. immitis mycelia and day 2 and day 8 spherules grown in vitro using a custom custom oligonucleotide microarray from Nimblegen.
Project description:Herein we i) identify Coccidioides spp.-specific CAZymes by bioinformatically comparing the CAZyme repertoire (CAZome) of Coccidioides spp. to other common fungal lung pathogens and a non-pathogenic close fungal relative, ii) experimentally evaluate Coccidioides spp. CAZyme abundance in vivo and in vitro, and iii) identify Coccidioides genus-specific N-glycans by experimentally determining the N-glycan population (N-glycome) of Coccidioides-infected lung tissues using tandem mass spectrometry. As far as we are aware, this is the first use of mass spectrometry to compare the N-glycomes and CAZomes of different fungal genera during infection in human hosts.
Project description:The aims of this study were to present modifications to the annotations of the genome of C. posadasii, one of two closely related species of Coccidioides, a dimorphic fungal pathogen that causes coccidioidomycosis, also called Valley Fever. Proteins present in lysates and filtrates of in vitro grown mycelia and parasitic phase spherules from C. posadasii strain Silveira were analyzed using a GeLC-MS/MS method.
Project description:Mouse strains have been identified that are resistant (i.e. DBA/2) or susceptible (i.e. C57BL/6) to infection from pathogenic fungus Coccidioides immitis. However, the genetic and immunological basis for this difference has not been fully characterized. Microarray technology was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed in lung tissue between resistant DBA/2 and sensitive C57BL/6 mice after infection with C. immitis.
Project description:The plant recognition specific PCA cluster mediates early chemical communication between plant and fungus, is required for colonization and it is likely responsible for the high potential of T. harzianum and closely related species for biocontrol applications.
Project description:Mouse strains have been identified that are resistant (i.e. DBA/2) or susceptible (i.e. C57BL/6) to infection from pathogenic fungus Coccidioides immitis. However, the genetic and immunological basis for this difference has not been fully characterized. Microarray technology was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed in lung tissue between resistant DBA/2 and sensitive C57BL/6 mice after infection with C. immitis. C57BL/6 and DBA/2 mice were infected with arthoconidia of C. immitis and RNA was extracted at different days post-infection and hybridized to Affymetrix microarrays (MGU74Av2), in order to identify differentially expressed genes between the two strains.
Project description:Coccidioides immitis (C. immitis) is a dimorphic fungus that causes disease in mammals including human beings. It grows as a mycelium in the soil but differentiates into a pathogenic structure called a spherule in the host. We compared the transcriptome of C. immitis mycelia and day 2 and day 8 spherules grown in vitro using a custom custom oligonucleotide microarray from Nimblegen. C. immitis RS strain isolated from infected mice was grown on agar. Arthroconidia was harvested and inoculated into mycelial spores. RNA was extracted from spores at different days post-inoculation and hybridized to a custom Nimblegen array, in order to identify differentially expressed genes between mycelia and spherules.
Project description:The innate immune responses to Coccidioides are not well understood, particularly regarding which immune cells initiate the response upon infection. This study uses mouse models 24 hours post-infection to explore the initial immunological response to Coccidioides. Data sets include CD45+ MACS bead-sorted lung immune cells labeled with Coccidioides to differentiate which immune cells were directly interacting with the fungus versus bystander cells. The unlabeled Coccidioides data set includes all immune cells from the lungs. Using fungal fluorescent labeling and single-cell RNA sequencing, we identified CD274 (PD-L1) expressing neutrophils and contact-dependent Spp1+ macrophages as dominant responders, indicating an anti-inflammatory initial response. These findings elucidate the early dynamics of host immune interactions with Coccidioides, providing a foundation for further understanding host-pathogen interactions in fungal respiratory infections.
