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The innate immune system is the first line of defense against invasive fungal infections. As a consequence, many successful fungal pathogens have evolved elegant strategies to interact with host immune cells. For example, Candida albicans undergoes a morphogenetic switch coupled to cell wall remodeling upon phagocytosis by macrophages and then induces macrophage pyroptosis, an inflammatory cell death program. To elucidate the genetic circuitry through which C. albicans orchestrates this host response, we performed the first large-scale analysis of C. albicans interactions with mammalian immune cells. We identified 98 C. albicans genes that enable macrophage pyroptosis without influencing fungal cell morphology in the macrophage, including specific determinants of cell wall biogenesis and the Hog1 signaling cascade. Using these mutated genes, we discovered that defects in the activation of pyroptosis affect immune cell recruitment during infection. Examining host circuitry required for pyroptosis in response to C. albicans infection, we discovered that inflammasome priming and activation can be decoupled. Finally, we observed that apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) oligomerization can occur prior to phagolysosomal rupture by C. albicans hyphae, demonstrating that phagolysosomal rupture is not the inflammasome activating signal. Taking the data together, this work defines genes that enable fungal cell wall remodeling and activation of macrophage pyroptosis independently of effects on morphogenesis and identifies macrophage signaling components that are required for pyroptosis in response to C. albicans infection.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is a natural member of the human mucosal microbiota that can also cause superficial infections and life-threatening systemic infections, both of which are characterized by inflammation. Host defense relies mainly on the ingestion and destruction of C. albicans by innate immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils. Although some C. albicans cells are killed by macrophages, most undergo a morphological change and escape by inducing macrophage pyroptosis. Here, we investigated the C. albicans genes and host factors that promote macrophage pyroptosis in response to intracellular fungi. This work provides a foundation for understanding how host immune cells interact with C. albicans and may lead to effective strategies to modulate inflammation induced by fungal infections.

The innate immune system is the first line of defense against invasive fungal infections. As a consequence, many successful fungal pathogens have evolved elegant strategies to interact with host immune cells. For example, Candida albicans undergoes a morphogenetic switch coupled to cell wall remodeling upon phagocytosis by macrophages and then induces macrophage pyroptosis, an inflammatory cell death program. To elucidate the genetic circuitry through which C. albicans orchestrates this host response, we performed the first large-scale analysis of C. albicans interactions with mammalian immune cells. We identified 98 C. albicans genes that enable macrophage pyroptosis without influencing fungal cell morphology in the macrophage, including specific determinants of cell wall biogenesis and the Hog1 signaling cascade. Using these mutated genes, we discovered that defects in the activation of pyroptosis affect immune cell recruitment during infection. Examining host circuitry required for pyroptosis in response to C. albicans infection, we discovered that inflammasome priming and activation can be decoupled. Finally, we observed that apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) oligomerization can occur prior to phagolysosomal rupture by C. albicans hyphae, demonstrating that phagolysosomal rupture is not the inflammasome activating signal. Taking the data together, this work defines genes that enable fungal cell wall remodeling and activation of macrophage pyroptosis independently of effects on morphogenesis and identifies macrophage signaling components that are required for pyroptosis in response to C. albicans infection.IMPORTANCECandida albicans is a natural member of the human mucosal microbiota that can also cause superficial infections and life-threatening systemic infections, both of which are characterized by inflammation. Host defense relies mainly on the ingestion and destruction of C. albicans by innate immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils. Although some C. albicans cells are killed by macrophages, most undergo a morphological change and escape by inducing macrophage pyroptosis. Here, we investigated the C. albicans genes and host factors that promote macrophage pyroptosis in response to intracellular fungi. This work provides a foundation for understanding how host immune cells interact with C. albicans and may lead to effective strategies to modulate inflammation induced by fungal infections.

D-Glycero-β-D-manno-heptose 1,7-biphosphate (β-HBP) is a novel microbial-associated molecular pattern that triggers inflammation and thus has the potential to act as an immune modulator in many therapeutic contexts. To better understand the structure--activity relationship of this molecule, we chemically synthesized analogs of β-HBP and tested their ability to induce canonical TIFA-dependent inflammation in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293T) and colonic epithelial cells (HCT 116). Of the analogs tested, only D-glycero-b-D-manno-heptose 1-phosphate (β-HMP) induced TIFA-dependent NF-κB activation and cytokine production in a manner similar to β-HBP. This finding expands the spectrum of metabolites from the Gram-negative ADP--heptose biosynthesis pathway that can function as innate immune agonists and provides a more readily available agonist of the TIFA-dependent inflammatory pathway that can be easily produced by synthetic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neutrophil-specific innate immune receptor CEACAM3 functions as a decoy to capture Gram-negative pathogens, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, that exploit CEACAM family members to adhere to the epithelium. Bacterial binding to CEACAM3 results in their efficient engulfment and triggers activation of an nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB)-dependent inflammatory response by human neutrophils. Herein, we report that CEACAM3 cross-linking is not sufficient for induction of cytokine production and show that the inflammatory response induced by Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is elicited by an integration of signals from CEACAM3 and toll-like receptors. Using neutrophils from a human CEACAM-expressing mouse line (CEABAC), we use a genetic approach to reveal a molecular bifurcation of the CEACAM3-mediated antimicrobial and inflammatory responses. Ex vivo experiments with CEABAC- Rac2−/−, CEABAC- Bcl10−/−, and CEABAC- Malt1−/− neutrophils indicate that these effectors are not necessary for gonococcal engulfment, yet all 3 effectors contribute to CEACAM3-mediated cytokine production. Interestingly, although Bcl10 and Malt1 are often inextricably linked, Bcl10 enabled synergy between toll-like receptor 4 and CEACAM3, whereas Malt1 did not. Together, these findings reveal an integration of the specific innate immune receptor CEACAM3 into the network of more conventional pattern recognition receptors, providing a mechanism by which the innate immune system can unleash its response to a relentless pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]