title: The formation of titan cells in Cryptococcus neoformans depends on the mouse strain and correlates with induction of Th2-type responses.
abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic yeast that can form titan cells in the lungs, which are fungal cells of abnormal enlarged size. Little is known about the factors that trigger titan cells. In particular, it is not known how the host environment influences this transition. In this work, we describe the formation of titan cells in two mouse strains, CD1 and C57BL/6J. We found that the proportion of C. neoformans titan cells was significantly higher in C57BL/6J mice than in CD1. This higher proportion of titan cells was associated with a higher dissemination of the yeasts to the brain. Histology sections demonstrated eosinophilia in infected animals, although it was significantly lower in the CD1 mice which presented infiltration of lymphocytes. Both mouse strains presented infiltration of granulocytes, but the amount of eosinophils was higher in C57BL/6J. CD1 mice showed a significant accumulation of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL17, while C57BL/BL mice had an increase in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4. IgM antibodies to the polysaccharide capsule and total IgE were more abundant in the sera from C57BL/6J, confirming that these animals present a Th2-type response. We conclude that titan cell formation in C. neoformans depends, not only on microbe factors, but also on the host environment.
authors.affiliation: Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: García-Barbazán
authors.affiliation: Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Trevijano-Contador
authors.affiliation: Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rueda
authors.affiliation: Immunobiology Unit, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Belén
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Andrés
authors.affiliation: Histology Unit, Functional Unit for Research in Chronic Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pérez-Tavárez
authors.affiliation: Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Inés
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herrero-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Immunobiology Unit, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: María Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gaspar
authors.affiliation: Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Carretera Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km2, Majadahonda, Madrid, 28220, Spain.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zaragoza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000276:immunology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D016207:Cytokines; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: C57BL/6J; CD1; Th1-Th2-Th17 cytokines; antibodies; capsule; cryptococcal titan cells