The fungivorous amoeba Protostelium aurantium targets redox homeostasis and cell wall integrity during intracellular killing of Candida parapsilosis

• DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13389
• Publication Date: 2021-08-30T15:00:12Z
• Authors: Silvia Radosa; Jakob L. Sprague; Siu‐Hin Lau; Renáta Tóth; Jörg Linde; Thomas Krüger; Marcel Sprenger; Lydia Kasper; Martin Westermann; Olaf Kniemeyer; Bernhard Hube; Axel A. Brakhage; Attila Gácser; Falk Hillmann
• Keywords: Candida parapsilosis

Predatory interactions among microbes are major evolutionary driving forces for biodiversity. The fungivorous amoeba Protostelium aurantium has a wide fungal food spectrum including foremost pathogenic members of the genus Candida. Here we show that upon phagocytic ingestion by amoeba, Candida parapsilosis is confronted with an oxidative burst and undergoes lysis within minutes processing in acidified phagolysosomes. On side, functional genomic approach identified copper redox homeostasis as primary targets predation, highly expressed exporter gene CRP1 peroxiredoxin PRX1 contributing to survival when encountered P. aurantium. fungicidal activity was largely retained intracellular vesicles amoebae. Following their isolation, content these induced immediate killing C. vitro. Proteomic analysis 56 vesicular proteins from Although completely unknown were dominant, many them could be categorised hydrolytic enzymes targeting cell wall, indicating wall structures under selection pressure predatory phagocytes natural environments. TAKE AWAY: feeds on fungi, such parapsilosis. Ingested yeast cells exposed reactive oxygen species. A contribute defence. Yeast undergo lysis. Lysis occurs via cocktail vesicles.