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Researchers have now discovered how the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus destroys immune defenses, allowing the development of a life-threatening fungal infection.
Pathogenicity refers to the ability of an organism to cause disease.
While healthy people generally have no problem if microorganisms enter their body, their immune system preventing spores from functioning, a specific type of fungus can threaten lives with a compromised immune system, such as that patients immunosuppressed as a result of organ transplantation, says a new study.
Researchers have now discovered how the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus destroys immune defenses, allowing the development of a life-threatening fungal infection.
Among other factors, it is gliotoxin – a potent mycotoxin – that is responsible for the pathogenicity of Aspergillus fumigatus.
Pathogenicity refers to the ability of an organism to cause disease.
"It was known that this substance had an immunosuppressive effect, which means that it weakened the activity of the cells of the immune defense system.However, it was not clear exactly how it happened before," Oliver said. Werz, professor at the University of London. Jena in Germany.
To do this, they put the immune cells in contact with gliotoxin produced by synthesis. These cells – the neutrophil granulocytes – represent the first line of the immune defense system.
Their task is to detect pathogens and eliminate them. As soon as such a cell comes into contact with a pathogen, for example a fungus, it releases into the blood specific messenger substances (leukotrienes) that attract other immune cells. Once a sufficient number of immune cells are collected, they can make the intruder harmless, revealed results published in the journal Cell Chemical Biology.
This does not happen if the pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is involved. Gliotoxin guarantees the inhibition of the production of the leukotriene B4 messenger substance in the neutrophil granulocytes, so that they can not send a signal to other immune cells. This is due to a specific enzyme (LTA4 hydrolase) which is deactivated by the mycotoxin.
"This interrupts the communication between the immune cells and destroys the defense mechanism.As a result, it is easy for spores – in this case the fungus – that enter the body to infiltrate tissues or organs "said Werz.
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