Abstract
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a critical role in regulating myeloid cell host defense. In this study, we demonstrated that GM-CSF signaling plays an essential role in antifungal defense against Aspergillus fumigatus. Mice that lack the GM-CSF receptor β chain (GM-CSFRβ) developed invasive hyphal growth and exhibited impaired survival after pulmonary challenge with A. fumigatus conidia. GM-CSFRβ signaling regulated the recruitment of inflammatory monocytes to infected lungs, but not the recruitment of effector neutrophils. Cell-intrinsic GM-CSFRβ signaling mediated neutrophil and inflammatory monocyte antifungal activity, because lung GM-CSFRβ(-/-) leukocytes exhibited impaired conidial killing compared with GM-CSFRβ(+/+) counterparts in mixed bone marrow chimeric mice. GM-CSFRβ(-/-) neutrophils exhibited reduced (hydrogenated) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity in vivo. Conversely, administration of recombinant GM-CSF enhanced neutrophil NADPH oxidase function, conidiacidal activity, and lung fungal clearance in A. fumigatus-challenged mice. Thus, our study illustrates the functional role of GM-CSFRβ signaling on lung myeloid cell responses against inhaled A. fumigatus conidia and demonstrates a benefit for systemic GM-CSF administration.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.