title: Fungal Enolase, β-Tubulin, and Chitin Are Detected in Brain Tissue from Alzheimer's Disease Patients.
abstract: Recent findings provide evidence that fungal structures can be detected in brain tissue from Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients using rabbit polyclonal antibodies raised against whole fungal cells. In the present work, we have developed and tested specific antibodies that recognize the fungal proteins, enolase and β-tubulin, and an antibody that recognizes the fungal polysaccharide chitin. Consistent with our previous studies, a number of rounded yeast-like and hyphal structures were detected using these antibodies in brain sections from AD patients. Some of these structures were intracellular and, strikingly, some were found to be located inside nuclei from neurons, whereas other fungal structures were detected extracellularly. Corporya amylacea from AD patients also contained enolase and β-tubulin as revealed by these selective antibodies, but were devoid of fungal chitin. Importantly, brain sections from control subjects were usually negative for staining with the three antibodies. However, a few fungal structures can be observed in some control individuals. Collectively, these findings indicate the presence of two fungal proteins, enolase and β-tubulin, and the polysaccharide chitin, in CNS tissue from AD patients. These findings are consistent with our hypothesis that AD is caused by disseminated fungal infection.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pisa
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology and Tissue Bank, Unidad de Investigación Proyecto Alzheimer, Fundación CIEN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rábano
authors.affiliation: Division of Basic Medical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon GA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Horst
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carrasco
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; chitin; fungal infection; fungal proteins; neurodegenerative disease