Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus produce airborne spores (conidia), which are inhaled in abundant quantity. In an immunocompromised population, the host immune system fails to clear the inhaled conidia, which then germinate and invade, leading to pulmonary aspergillosis. In an immunocompetent population, the inhaled conidia are efficiently cleared by the host immune system. Soluble mediators of the innate immunity, that involve the complement system, acute-phase proteins, antimicrobial peptides and cytokines, are often considered to play a complementary role in the defense of the fungal pathogen. In fact, the soluble mediators are essential in achieving an efficient clearance of the dormant conidia, which is the morphotype of the fungus upon inhalation by the host. Importantly, harnessing the host soluble mediators challenges the immunological inertness of the dormant conidia due to the presence of the rodlet and melanin layers. In the review, we summarized the major soluble mediators in the lung that are involved in the recognition of the dormant conidia. This knowledge is essential in the complete understanding of the immune defense against A. fumigatus.
Highlights
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous fungus that produces spores, called “conidia”, through asexual reproduction [1]
The recognition of the conidia by the immune cells are challenged by the presence of the rodlet and melanin layers of the outer cell wall of A. fumigatus that masks the immunogenic polysaccharides in the inner cell wall [4,5]
The responsible soluble mediators involved in the immune recognition of dormant A. fumigatus conidia are mainly related to complement components and acute-phase proteins, which would be discussed
Summary
Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous fungus that produces spores, called “conidia”, through asexual reproduction [1] These conidia are small-sized (2–3 μm) and encased with a hydrophobic cell wall and are, airborne [2]. The recognition of the conidia by the immune cells are challenged by the presence of the rodlet and melanin layers of the outer cell wall of A. fumigatus that masks the immunogenic polysaccharides in the inner cell wall [4,5]. Soluble mediators, including complement system, acute-phase proteins, antimicrobial peptides, and cytokines, constitute an integral part of innate immune response [7]. The responsible soluble mediators involved in the immune recognition of dormant A. fumigatus conidia are mainly related to complement components and acute-phase proteins, which would be discussed . It is important to elucidate (1) the soluble mediators that bind to the surface of the dormant A. fumigatus conidia; (2) to which ligands they are binding; and (3) the immune receptors responsible for the opsonin-mediated recognition
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