title: Cell surface expression of adhesins for fibronectin correlates with virulence in Sporothrix schenckii.
abstract: The virulence of four Sporothrix schenckii isolates was compared in a murine model of sporotrichosis, together with the protein pattern of the yeast cell surface and the capacity to bind the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin. Virulence was determined by the mortality rate, fungal burden and histopathology. Two clinical isolates were more virulent for C57BL/6 mice, but no direct correlation was seen between virulence and the clinical or environmental origin of the isolates. The lowest virulence was observed for an isolate recovered from a patient with meningeal sporotrichosis. Although all isolates could effectively disseminate, the dissemination patterns were not similar. Using flow cytometry analysis, we investigated the interaction of all the strains with fibronectin, and showed that the binding capacity correlated with virulence. Western blot analysis of S. schenckii cell wall extracts revealed positive bands for fibronectin in the range of 37-92 kDa. The 70 kDa adhesin was also recognized by a protective monoclonal antibody raised against a gp70 antigen of S. schenckii (mAb P6E7). Confocal microscopy confirmed the co-localization of fibronectin and mAb P6E7 on the yeast cell surface. To our knowledge, this is the first report identifying adhesins for fibronectin on the surface of this human pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Antônio Castelo
authors.initials: PAC
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaela Alves
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas - Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.|Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosana Cícera
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.affiliation: Groupe d'Étude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène, UPRES-EA 3142, Université d'Angers, Angers, France.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tronchin
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunología Comparada de Piel y Mucosas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pérez Torres
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisa Clínica Evandro Chagas Filho - Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lazéra
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas - Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandro Rogério
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: de Almeida
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France.|Groupe d'Étude des Interactions Hôte-Pathogène, UPRES-EA 3142, Université d'Angers, Angers, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bouchara
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla Veronica
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Loureiro Y Penha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Celular, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Leila M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lopes-Bezerra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013174:Sporotrichosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins