Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1982 Dec;38(3):1217–1222. doi: 10.1128/iai.38.3.1217-1222.1982

Mucorales species activation of a serum leukotactic factor.

R S Marx, K R Forsyth, S K Hentz
PMCID: PMC347878  PMID: 6759409

Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that the focal accumulation of phagocytic leukocytes is an important feature of the host response in mucormycosis. To ascertain the basis for this influx of inflammatory cells, we evaluated the effect of members of the order Mucorales, including species from the genera Rhizopus, Absidia, and Mucor, on the chemotactic activity of normal human serum for neutrophils and monocytes. Both hyphae and spores produced concentration-dependent chemotaxigenesis in serum to a maximum level equivalent to that produced by zymosan activation of serum. Chemotactic activity was similar for live and heat-killed hyphae. No leukotactic activity was demonstrated in the absence of serum. The pretreatment of serum with anti-C3 antibody, heating at 56 degrees C, or 0.01 M EDTA abolished the activity. The pretreatment of serum with 0.01 M ethylene glycol-bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N-tetraacetic acid did not abolish the activity. These data provide evidence that the leukotactic activity of Mucorales species is generated through the alternative complement pathway.

Full text

PDF
1217

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BAUER H., FLANAGAN J. F., SHELDON W. H. Experimental cerebral mucormycosis in rabbits with alloxan diabetes. Yale J Biol Med. 1955 Sep;28(1):29–36. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BAUER H., SHELDON W. H. Leukopenia with granulocytopenia in experimental mucormycosis (Rhizopus oryzae infection). J Exp Med. 1957 Oct 1;106(4):501–508. doi: 10.1084/jem.106.4.501. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Campbell P. B. An improved method for the in vitro evaluation of monocyte leukotaxis. J Lab Clin Med. 1977 Aug;90(2):381–388. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cutler J. E. Chemotactic factor produced by Candida albicans. Infect Immun. 1977 Dec;18(3):568–573. doi: 10.1128/iai.18.3.568-573.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Denning T. J., Davies R. R. Candida albicans and the chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Sabouraudia. 1973 Nov;11(3):210–221. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Diamond R. D., Krzesicki R., Epstein B., Jao W. Damage to hyphal forms of fungi by human leukocytes in vitro. A possible host defense mechanism in aspergillosis and mucormycosis. Am J Pathol. 1978 May;91(2):313–328. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GALE G. R., WELCH A. M. Studies of opportunistic fungi. I. Inhibition of Rhizopus oryzae by human serum. Am J Med Sci. 1961 May;241:604–612. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Galgiani J. N., Isenberg R. A., Stevens D. A. Chemotaxigenic activity of extracts from the mycelial and spherule phases of Coccidioides immitis for human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Infect Immun. 1978 Sep;21(3):862–865. doi: 10.1128/iai.21.3.862-865.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Galgiani J. N., Yam P., Petz L. D., Williams P. L., Stevens D. A. Complement activation by Coccidioides immitis: in vitro and clinical studies. Infect Immun. 1980 Jun;28(3):944–949. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.3.944-949.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Laxalt K. A., Kozel T. R. Chemotaxigenesis and activation of the alternative complement pathway by encapsulated and non-encapsulated Cryptococcus neoformans. Infect Immun. 1979 Nov;26(2):435–440. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.2.435-440.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mucormycosis. Ann Intern Med. 1980 Jul;93(1):93–108. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-93-1-93. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. NOBLE W. C., CLAYTON Y. M. FUNGI IN THE AIR OF HOSPITAL WARDS. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Sep;32:397–402. doi: 10.1099/00221287-32-3-397. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ray T. L., Wuepper K. D. Activation of the alternative (properdin) pathway of complement by Candida albicans and related species. J Invest Dermatol. 1976 Dec;67(6):700–703. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12598581. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. SCHAUBLE M. K., BAKER R. D. The inflammatory response in acute alloxan diabetes; enhanced proliferation of Rhizopus and Micrococcus in cutaneous lesions of rabbits. AMA Arch Pathol. 1957 Nov;64(5):563–569. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SHELDON W. H., BAUER H. Activation of quiescent mucormycotic granulomata in rabbits by induction of acute alloxan diabetes. J Exp Med. 1958 Jul 1;108(1):171–178. doi: 10.1084/jem.108.1.171. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SHELDON W. H., BAUER H. The development of the acute inflammatory response to experimental cutaneous mucormycosis in normal and diabetic rabbits. J Exp Med. 1959 Dec 1;110:845–852. doi: 10.1084/jem.110.6.845. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. STRAATSMA B. R., ZIMMERMAN L. E., GASS J. D. Phycomycosis. A clinicopathologic study of fifty-one cases. Lab Invest. 1962 Nov;11:963–985. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Weeks B. A., Escobar M. R., Hamilton P. B., Fueston V. M. Chemotaxis of polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes by mannan-enriched preparations of Candida albicans. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1976;73(PT-A):161–169. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4684-3297-8_15. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES