The Cell Biology of the Trichosporon-Host Interaction

Abstract

Fungi of the genus Trichosporon are increasingly recognized as causative agents of superficial and invasive fungal disease in humans. Although most species are considered commensals of the human skin and gastrointestinal tract, these basidiomycetes are an increasing cause of fungal disease among immunocompromised hosts, such as hematological patients and solid organ transplant recipients. The initiation of commensal or pathogenic programs by Trichosporon spp. involves the adaptation to the host microenvironment and its immune system. However, the exact virulence factors activated upon the transition to a pathogenic lifestyle, including the intricate biology of the cell wall, and how these interact with and subvert the host immune responses remain largely unknown. Here, we revisit our current understanding of the virulence attributes of Trichosporon spp., particularly T. asahii, and their interaction with the host immune system, and accommodate this knowledge within novel perspectives on fungal diagnostics and therapeutics.

Urinary Tract Infections Caused by Fluconazole-Resistant Trichosporon japonicum in 2 Kidney Transplant Patients and Analysis of Their Homology

“…Here, we hypothesize that the portal of entry of the fungus passes through the drainage tube or urinary catheter. It is possible that the ability of Trichosporon strains to adhere to and from biofilms on implanted devices may account for the progress of invasive trichosporonosis, as this ability promotes escape from drugs and host immune responses [ 10 ].…”

Trichosporon inkin meningitis in Northeast Brazil: first case report and review of the literature

“…Several clinical conditions are considered to be risk factors for invasive trichosporonosis including the history of intensive chemotherapy, high dose of corticosteroids, burns, neutropenia, broad spectrum antibiotics usage and hematological malignancies [ 8 , 20 , 27 ]. In fact, the patient described in this study was previously immunocompetent but further submitted to long periods of corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics, besides suffering the invasive medical procedure to remove an acoustic neuroma.…”

“…Invasive trichosporonosis is a deep-seated infection which may be observed in leukemia or lymphoma patients who developed severe neutropenia, associated with broad spectrum antibiotic therapy [ 2 , 4 ]. Trichosporon asahii and T. mucoides are the most frequently isolated species in invasive trichosporonosis [ 4 , 8 ]. Pubmed searches using the terms “ Trichosporon inkin ”, “invasive” and “infection” only retrieved six publications [ 9 – 14 ].…”

“…The gold standard diagnosis of CNS trichosporonosis is the isolation of Trichosporon in culture of tissue samples or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) [ 1 , 19 ]. The reference method for Trichosporon species identification is based on Intergenic Spacer 1 (IGS1) region of the ribosomal DNA sequencing [ 8 , 26 ]. However, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry has been shown to be a valuable alternative to Trichosporon species identification [ 1 , 27 ].…”

The Interaction of Human Pathogenic Fungi With C-Type Lectin Receptors

“…T . asahii, T. asteroids , and T. mucoides are the major causes of trichosporonosis and opportunistic infections ( 330 ). Only a little is known about the interaction of these fungi with CLRs.…”