title: A new tool to quantify receptor recruitment to cell contact sites during host-pathogen interaction.
abstract: To understand the process of innate immune fungal recognition, we developed computational tools for the rigorous quantification and comparison of receptor recruitment and distribution at cell-cell contact sites. We used these tools to quantify pattern recognition receptor spatiotemporal distributions in contacts between primary human dendritic cells and the fungal pathogens C. albicans, C. parapsilosis and the environmental yeast S. cerevisiae, imaged using 3D multichannel laser scanning confocal microscopy. The detailed quantitative analysis of contact sites shows that, despite considerable biochemical similarity in the composition and structure of these species' cell walls, the receptor spatiotemporal distribution in host-microbe contact sites varies significantly between these yeasts. Our findings suggest a model where innate immune cells discriminate fungal microorganisms based on differential mobilization and coordination of receptor networks. Our analysis methods are also broadly applicable to a range of cell-cell interactions central to many biological problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Graus
authors.affiliation: Center for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pehlke
authors.affiliation: Center for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wester
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lisa B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Center for Spatiotemporal Modeling of Cell Signaling and Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stanly L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
authors.forename: Aaron K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Neumann
mesh_terms: D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000276:immunology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface