Marina da Silva Ferreira, Diego de Souza Gonçalves, Susana Ruiz Mendoza, Gabriel Afonso de Oliveira, Bruno Pontes, Claudia Rodríguez-de la Noval, Leandro Honorato, Luis Felipe Costa Ramos, Fábio C S Nogueira, Gilberto B Domont, Arturo Casadevall, Leonardo Nimrichter, Jose Mauro Peralta, Allan J Guimaraes
In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis to characterize potential Acanthamoeba castellanii ( Ac ) proteins capable of recognizing fungal β-1,3-glucans. Ac specifically anchors curdlan or laminarin, indicating the presence of surface β-1,3-glucan-binding molecules. Using optical tweezers, strong adhesion of laminarin- or curdlan-coated beads to Ac was observed, highlighting their adhesive properties compared to controls (characteristic time τ of 46.9 and 43.9 s, respectively). Furthermore, Histoplasma capsulatum ( Hc ) G217B, possessing a β-1,3-glucan outer layer, showed significant adhesion to Ac compared to a Hc G186 strain with an α-1,3-glucan outer layer (τ of 5...
January 23, 2024: Applied and Environmental Microbiology