Abstract
Adherence of the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis to lung epithelial cells is considered an essential event for the establishment of infection. We have previously shown that the PbHAD32 hydrolase is important in this early stage of the host-P. brasiliensis yeast cells interaction. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the role of PbHAD32 in conidial thermodimorphism and their interaction with lung epithelial cells. Analysis of the PbHAD32 gene expression revealed higher mRNA levels during the conidia to mycelia (C–M) germination when compared to the conidia to yeast (C–Y) transition. Moreover, PbHAD32 was consistently expressed at higher levels upon infection of lung epithelial cells, but to a greater extent when conidia germinated to produce mycelia. Interestingly, at this particular transitional stage, more conidia adhered to epithelial cells than when they were transiting to the yeast form. Altogether our data further corroborates the importance of PbHAD32 during initial adherence to host cells and suggest that the 32-KDa hydrolase may also participate at different stages of the C–M and C–Y conversions.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by COLCIENCIAS Colombia, Project No. 2213-343-19183, the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas, and the Instituto de Biología of the Universidad de Antioquia. The National Doctoral Program of COLCIENCIAS 2008 supported Orville Hernández Ruiz. We thank Fernando Rodrigues for his initial support with the project from the School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
This paper was first published online on Early Online on 10 October 2011.