title: Resistance of MBL gene-knockout mice to experimental systemic aspergillosis.
abstract: Mannose binding lectin (MBL) is a protein of the collectin family that appears important in resistance to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. We assessed the role of MBL in experimental systemic aspergillosis. MBL-sufficient C57BL/6 (WT) mice and B6.129S4--Mb11(tm1Kata) Mb12(tm1Kata)/J MBL A and C gene-knockout (KO) mice were infected intravenously with different inocula of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia. WT and KO mice were dose-responsively susceptible. In no instance were the KO mice more susceptible than WT. At the highest inoculum, all WT and 90% of KO mice died on day 4 (P>0.05). Reduction of the inoculum to 5.5 x 10(6) conidia was lethal, but comparison showed KO mice less susceptible to lethal infection (P<0.015). At the lowest inoculum used, deaths of KO mice were delayed, but survival was not significantly different than WT (P>0.05). These results suggest MBL may play a deleterious role in systemic aspergillosis.
authors.affiliation: California Institute for Medical Research, 2260 Clove Dr, San Jose, CA 95128, United States. clemons@cimr.org
authors.forename: Karl V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Clemons
authors.forename: Marife
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Ann-Jay
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stevens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D020297:Mice, Congenic; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D037601:Mannose-Binding Lectin