title: The interaction between Histoplasma capsulatum cell wall carbohydrates and host components: relevance in the immunomodulatory role of histoplasmosis.
abstract: Histoplasma capsulatum is an intracellular fungal pathogen that causes respiratory and systemic disease by proliferating within phagocytic cells. The binding of H. capsulatum to phagocytes may be mediated by the pathogen's cell wall carbohydrates, glucans, which consist of glucose homo and hetero-polymers and whose glycosydic linkage types differ between the yeast and mycelial phases. The alpha-1,3-glucan is considered relevant for H. capsulatum virulence, whereas the beta-1,3-glucan is antigenic and participates in the modulation of the host immune response. H. capsulatum cell wall components with lectin-like activity seem to interact with the host cell surface, while host membrane lectin-like receptors can recognize a particular fungal carbohydrate ligand. This review emphasizes the relevance of the main H. capsulatum and host carbohydrate-driven interactions that allow for binding and internalization of the fungal cell into phagocytes and its subsequent avoidance of intracellular elimination.
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, México, DF, México. pgorocica@yahoo.com.mx
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Gorocica
authors: Maria Lucia
authors: ML
authors: Taylor
authors: Noé
authors: N
authors: Alvarado-Vásquez
authors: Armando
authors: A
authors: Pérez-Torres
authors: Ricardo
authors: R
authors: Lascurain
authors: Edgar
authors: E
authors: Zenteno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000276:immunology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D007155:Immunologic Factors