title: Binding of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis to laminin through surface glycoprotein gp43 leads to enhancement of fungal pathogenesis.
abstract: Extracellular matrix protein laminin binds specifically to yeast forms of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and enhances adhesion of the fungus to the surface of epithelial Madin-Darby canine kidney cells in vitro. Immunoblotting of fungal extracts showed that the gp43 glycoprotein is responsible for adhesion. This was confirmed by binding assays using purified gp43, with a Kd of 3.7 nM. The coating of P. brasiliensis yeast forms with laminin before injection into hamster testicles enhanced the fungus virulence, resulting in a faster and more severe granulomatous disease. These results indicate that interaction of fungi with extracellular matrix elements may constitute a basis for the evolution of fungal infection toward regional spreading and dissemination.
authors.affiliation: Disciplina de Biologia Celular, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Vicentini
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gesztesi
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: J Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: de Moraes
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Travassos
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000268:Adhesiveness; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D004285:Dogs; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007797:Laminin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000472:pathogenicity*
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D007797:Laminin