A bacterial endosymbiont of the fungus Rhizopus microsporus drives phagocyte evasion and opportunistic virulence

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.028
• Publication Date: 2022-02-07T15:40:12Z
• Authors: Herbert Itabangi; Poppy C.S. Sephto...; Diana P. Tamayo; Xin Zhou; Georgina P. Starling; Zamzam Mahamoud; Ignacio Insua; Mark Probert; Joao Correia; Patrick J. Moynihan; Teclegiorgis Gebr...; Yiyou Gu; Ashraf S. Ibrahim; Gordon D. Brown; Jason S. King; Elizabeth R. Ballou; Kerstin Voelz
• Keywords: Evasion (ethics); Phagocyte

Opportunistic infections by environmental fungi are a growing clinical problem, driven an increasing population of people with immunocompromising conditions. Spores the Mucorales order ubiquitous in environment but can also cause acute invasive humans through germination and evasion mammalian host immune system. How they achieve this evolutionary drivers underlying acquisition virulence mechanisms poorly understood. Here, we show that isolate Rhizopus microsporus contains Ralstonia pickettii bacterial endosymbiont required for both zebrafish mice endosymbiosis enables secretion factors potently suppress growth soil amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, as well their ability to engulf kill other microbes. As amoebas natural predators bacteria fungi, propose tri-kingdom interaction contributes establishing anti-phagocyte activity. Importantly, activity protects fungal spores from phagocytosis clearance human macrophages, removal renders avirulent vivo. Together, these findings describe new role pathogenesis animals suggest mechanism interactions amoebas.