Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. It is surrounded by three concentric structures that separate the cell from the extracellular space: the plasma membrane, the cell wall and the polysaccharide (PS) capsule. Although...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.609244/full |
| _version_ | 1818418999363371008 |
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| author | Glauber R. de S. Araújo Glauber R. de S. Araújo Carolina de L. Alcantara Noêmia Rodrigues Wanderley de Souza Wanderley de Souza Bruno Pontes Bruno Pontes Susana Frases Susana Frases |
| author_facet | Glauber R. de S. Araújo Glauber R. de S. Araújo Carolina de L. Alcantara Noêmia Rodrigues Wanderley de Souza Wanderley de Souza Bruno Pontes Bruno Pontes Susana Frases Susana Frases |
| author_sort | Glauber R. de S. Araújo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. It is surrounded by three concentric structures that separate the cell from the extracellular space: the plasma membrane, the cell wall and the polysaccharide (PS) capsule. Although several studies have revealed the chemical composition of these structures, little is known about their ultrastructural organization and remodeling during C. neoformans budding events. Here, by combining the latest and most accurate light and electron microscopy techniques, we describe the morphological remodeling that occurs among the capsule, cell wall and plasma membrane during budding in C. neoformans. Our results show that the cell wall deforms to generate a specialized region at one of the cell’s poles. This region subsequently begins to break into layers that are slightly separated from each other and with thick tips. We also observe a reorganization of the capsular PS around the specialized regions. While daughter cells present their PS fibers aligned in the direction of budding, mother cells show a similar pattern but in the opposite direction. Also, daughter cells form multilamellar membrane structures covering the continuous opening between both cells. Together, our findings provide compelling ultrastructural evidence for C. neoformans surface remodeling during budding, which may have important implications for future studies exploring these remodeled specialized regions as drug-targets against cryptococcosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T12:31:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-50cfa6ed1b8c457982b0ec66ea5dc9d8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T12:31:36Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-50cfa6ed1b8c457982b0ec66ea5dc9d82022-12-21T23:01:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2021-03-011210.3389/fmicb.2021.609244609244Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding EventsGlauber R. de S. Araújo0Glauber R. de S. Araújo1Carolina de L. Alcantara2Noêmia Rodrigues3Wanderley de Souza4Wanderley de Souza5Bruno Pontes6Bruno Pontes7Susana Frases8Susana Frases9Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCentro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (CENABIO), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCentro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem (CENABIO), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Pinças Óticas (LPO-COPEA), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilLaboratório de Biofísica de Fungos, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilCryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. It is surrounded by three concentric structures that separate the cell from the extracellular space: the plasma membrane, the cell wall and the polysaccharide (PS) capsule. Although several studies have revealed the chemical composition of these structures, little is known about their ultrastructural organization and remodeling during C. neoformans budding events. Here, by combining the latest and most accurate light and electron microscopy techniques, we describe the morphological remodeling that occurs among the capsule, cell wall and plasma membrane during budding in C. neoformans. Our results show that the cell wall deforms to generate a specialized region at one of the cell’s poles. This region subsequently begins to break into layers that are slightly separated from each other and with thick tips. We also observe a reorganization of the capsular PS around the specialized regions. While daughter cells present their PS fibers aligned in the direction of budding, mother cells show a similar pattern but in the opposite direction. Also, daughter cells form multilamellar membrane structures covering the continuous opening between both cells. Together, our findings provide compelling ultrastructural evidence for C. neoformans surface remodeling during budding, which may have important implications for future studies exploring these remodeled specialized regions as drug-targets against cryptococcosis.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.609244/fullCryptococcus neoformanspolysaccharide capsulecell wallbuddingelectron microscopy |
| spellingShingle | Glauber R. de S. Araújo Glauber R. de S. Araújo Carolina de L. Alcantara Noêmia Rodrigues Wanderley de Souza Wanderley de Souza Bruno Pontes Bruno Pontes Susana Frases Susana Frases Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events Frontiers in Microbiology Cryptococcus neoformans polysaccharide capsule cell wall budding electron microscopy |
| title | Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events |
| title_full | Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events |
| title_fullStr | Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events |
| title_short | Ultrastructural Study of Cryptococcus neoformans Surface During Budding Events |
| title_sort | ultrastructural study of cryptococcus neoformans surface during budding events |
| topic | Cryptococcus neoformans polysaccharide capsule cell wall budding electron microscopy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.609244/full |
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