Figure 6. Chelation of endothelial cell iron protects the cells from invasion and subsequent damage by R. oryzae.

(A) Endothelial cells were incubated with the iron chelator phenanthroline (60 μM), cytochalasin D (200 nM), or phenanthroline saturated with hemin (20 μM) for 16 hours, then the cells were rinsed and processed for endocytosis and adherence (data derived from >400 fungal cells interacting with approximately 150 endothelial cells/each group/experiment, with an average of 77% being endocytosed in the control). (B) Endothelial cells were treated with varying concentrations of phenanthroline for 16 hours, then the iron chelator was removed prior to carrying out R. oryzae–induced endothelial cell damage. *P < 0.001 versus control (R. oryzae germlings without phenanthroline) by Wilcoxon rank-sum test. n = 6 slides per group from 3 independent experiments for endocytosis, and n = 8 wells per group from 2 independent experiments for damage assay. Data are expressed as median ± interquartile range.