Fig. 1.

Platelets impact on hyphal elongation and metabolic activity of A. fumigatus. (A) A. fumigatus was incubated for 16 h in the absence or presence of platelets at a platelets to conidia ratio of 100:1 prior to determination of hyphal elongation. Bars represent mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. Significance versus control (0) treatment is indicated (^***p < 0.001). (B) Conidia were incubated for 16 h to procude hyphae and platelets were added for the times indicated. Thereafter hyphal damage was analysed by XTT assay and untreated platelets served as control. Antifungal activity was calculated as percentage of hyphal damage and bars represent mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. (C) Viable untreated A. fumigatus is characterized by green fluorescent hyphae with clearly red fluorescent vacuole structures in FUN-1 staining. (D) Exposure to platelets impaired A. fumigatus viability as shown by green fluorescent hyphae and lack of red fluorescent vacuole structures at sites of hyphal-platelet contact identified by light microscopy (E; arrows). (F) Amphotericin B-treated A. fumigatus showed no remaining red fluorescent vacuole structures.