Atomic Force Microscopy: A Promising Tool for Deciphering the Pathogenic Mechanisms of Fungi in Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

During the past decades, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has emerged as a powerful tool in microbiology. Although most of the works concerned bacteria, AFM also permitted major breakthroughs in the understanding of physiology and pathogenic mechanisms of some fungal species associated with cystic fibrosis. Complementary to electron microscopies, AFM offers unprecedented insights to visualize the cell wall architecture and components through three-dimensional imaging with nanometer resolution and to follow their dynamic changes during cell growth and division or following the exposure to drugs and chemicals. Besides imaging, force spectroscopy with piconewton sensitivity provides a direct means to decipher the forces governing cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions, but also to quantify specific and non-specific interactions between cell surface components at the single-molecule level. This nanotool explores new ways for a better understanding of the structures and functions of the cell surface components and therefore may be useful to elucidate the role of these components in the host-pathogen interactions as well as in the complex interplay between bacteria and fungi in the lung microbiome.

Fungal Respiratory Infections in Cystic Fibrosis (CF): Recent Progress and Future Research Agenda

“…Next, they summarize key findings from the current and earlier studies using AFM images from Aspergillus species and Scedosporium species to highlight surface rodlet structures, germination changes and details of surface adhesion forces. The authors conclude by re-emphasizing the central role that AFM is likely to play in elucidation of cell surface interactions, molecular recognitions and innovative strategies to develop antiadhesion molecule to control fungal infections in CF patients [27].…”

“…Host response of fungal diseases in CF patients [21] 7. Fungal virulence mechanisms [22][23][24][25][26][27] large study involved 243 CF patients from seven centers in France over a 15-month period. The investigators found that about half of the patients presented with at least one fungal species, while 37% were co-colonized with two species.…”

“…The last two articles in the special issue describe innovative experimental approaches for the investigations of fungal pathogens in CF patients [26,27]. The research group led by Rementeria uses proteomics approaches to investigate the cell wall and secretory proteins of Aspergillus species and Scedosporium/ Lomentospora species [26].…”

“…Although all proteins are cataloged, there is special emphasis on the immunoreactive ones as they might have critical diagnostic and therapeutic applications in CF patients [26]. Cuénot and Bouchara [27] provide a fitting conclusion to this special issue by describing the exciting applications of atomic force microscopy (AFM) for understanding host-pathogen interactions in CF. The authors begin by providing a series of schematics about the use of AFM for the nanoscale resolution of cell surface structures and interactions under physiological conditions, which is not possible with other electron microscopy approaches.…”