Jaime David Acosta Espana

Title : In vitro whole leukocyte infection model and detection of hydrophobic surface-binding protein A (HsbA) in L. corymbidera

Abstract:

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection caused by members of the order Mucorales, the most prominent group among zygosporic fungi (formerly ascribed to Zygomycetes). A total of 26 mucoralean species can infect humans. Among these, the highest proportions of infections are caused by Rhizopus arrhizus (ex: R. oryzae), Mucor circinelloides, and Lichtheimia corymbifera. In this study, we present the interaction between L. corymbifera with professional phagocytes which represents the first line of defense after infection. We demonstrate an in vitro whole leukocyte infection model and detection of hydrophobic surface-binding protein A (HsbA) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS /MS). Initially, our analysis revealed the presence of the predominant spore coat protein (CotH) and HsbA on the surface of L. corymbifera sporangiospores. Interestingly, it was possible to detect the secretion of HsbA by L. corymbifera spores. Subsequently, coinfection (MOI 1:2) of leukocytes (1) with L. corymbifera spores (2) allowed detection of HsbA in the supernatant after 72 hours by LC-MS / MS. Finally, HsbA was shown to bind predominantly to monocytes and macrophages. In addition, this work established the antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of HsbA on MH -S cells. Altogether, our results suggested that HsbA plays a key role in interaction with the host immune system and helps to unravel the pathogenicity mechanism during mucormycosis.

Biography:

Jaime David Acosta España graduated with a medical doctorate from the Central University of Ecuador in 2014. In Brazil, he completed postgraduate studies in medical microbiology at the Federal University of Ceará with a scholarship from the Organisation of American States.In Spain, he completed a Master's degree in Infectious Diseases and another Master's degree in Human Immunodeficiency Viruses. At Harvard,he completed the Training to Teach in Medicine certificate.
He was the head of medical microbiology in 4 public and private hospitals in Quito. He worked as an infectious disease consultant for Padre Carollo Hospital in Quito. In 2020 he was invited to be part of the Emergency Response Committee in Ecuador for COVID -19. in 2021, he received a research award from the National Institute for Research and Public Health (INSPI). He is currently working as a research associate at the University of Jena, Germany, in association with the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology e. V. Hans Knoell Institute. And he is a professor of the Postgraduate Programme in Infectious Diseases at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. He is also doing his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Infection Biology at the University of Jena, Germany.