Surface hydrophobin prevents immune recognition of airborne fungal spores

Vishukumar Aimanianda, Jagadeesh Bayry, Silvia Bozza, Olaf Kniemeyer, Katia Perruccio, Sri Ramulu Elluru, Cécile Clavaud, Sophie Paris, Axel A. Brakhage, Srini V. Kaveri, Luigina Romani and Jean-Paul Latgé ()
Additional contact information
Vishukumar Aimanianda: Unité des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur
Jagadeesh Bayry: INSERM, U 872,
Silvia Bozza: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences,
Olaf Kniemeyer: Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI) and Friedrich Schiller University
Katia Perruccio: Clinical Immunology, University of Perugia, Perugia 06122, Italy
Sri Ramulu Elluru: INSERM, U 872,
Cécile Clavaud: Unité des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur
Sophie Paris: Unité des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur
Axel A. Brakhage: Leibniz-Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI) and Friedrich Schiller University
Srini V. Kaveri: INSERM, U 872,
Luigina Romani: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences,
Jean-Paul Latgé: Unité des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur

Nature, 2009, vol. 460, issue 7259, 1117-1121

Abstract: Breathe easy: why inhaled fungal spores don't provoke an immune reaction Every day we inhale thousands of tiny fungal spores (conidia), originating from many different fungal species. Yet although these spores are packed with antigens and allergens, their inhalation does not continuously activate our innate immune cells or provoke inflammatory responses. A series of immunological, biochemical and genetic experiments shows why: immune recognition of these spores is prevented by a hydrophobic layer of rodlet proteins covering the conidial surface. If this layer is removed, spores activate the immune system. A pathogenic spore equipped with this defensive layer might lie dormant beyond host defences until conditions are suitable for germination. Therapeutically the robust nature of the rodlet proteins might be exploited to generate nanoparticles containing embedded molecules targeted to a specific location in the body, or optimized for sustained delivery.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08264

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