Infective capacity of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii in a human astrocytoma cell line.
Pathogenesis of cryptococcosis in the central nervous system (CNS) is a topic of ongoing research, including the mechanisms by which this fungus invades and infects the brain. Astrocytes, the most common CNS cells, play a fundamental role in the local immune response. Astrocytes might participate in cryptococcosis either as a host or by responding to fungal antigens. To determine the infectivity of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and Cryptococcus gattii in a human astrocytoma cell line and the induction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. A glioblastoma cell line was infected with C. neoformans var. grubii and C. gattii blastoconidia labelled with FUN-1 fluorescent stain. The percentage of infection and expression of HLA class I and II molecules were determined by flow cytometry. The interactions between the fungi and cells were observed by fluorescence microscopy. There was no difference between C. neoformans var. grubii and C. gattii in the percentage infection, but C. neoformans var. grubii induced higher expression of HLA class II than C. gattii. More blastoconidia were recovered from C. neoformans-infected cells than from C. gattii infected cells. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii may have different virulence mechanisms that allow its survival in human glia-derived cells.
Grupo Ciencias Básicas Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá DC, Colombia.
M C
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5109-907X
MC
Olave
Grupo Ciencias Básicas Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá DC, Colombia.
J C
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5609-7046
JC
Vargas-Zambrano
Mycology and Phytopathology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá DC, Colombia.
A M
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3057-1966
AM
Celis
Grupo de Micología, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá DC, Colombia.
E
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5970-1598
E
Castañeda
Grupo Ciencias Básicas Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá DC, Colombia.
J M
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6925-0620
JM
González
D001253:Astrocytes / Q000382:microbiology*; D002460:Cell Line; D056285:Cryptococcus gattii / Q000254:growth & development*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000254:growth & development*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence
D006680:HLA Antigens

Cryptococcus gattii
; 
Cryptococcus neoformans
; astrocytes; cryptococcosis; flow cytometry