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. 2021 Jun 30;6(3):e0026021.
doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00260-21. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Enhance Alveolar Macrophage Activity against Aspergillus fumigatus but Are Dispensable for Host Protection

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Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Enhance Alveolar Macrophage Activity against Aspergillus fumigatus but Are Dispensable for Host Protection

Neta Shlezinger et al. mSphere. .

Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common cause of mold pneumonia worldwide, and a significant cause of infectious morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. The oxidative burst, which generates reactive oxidative species (ROS), plays a pivotal role in host defense against aspergillosis and induces regulated cell death in Aspergillus conidia, the infectious propagules. Beyond the well-established role of NADP (NADPH) oxidase in ROS generation by neutrophils and other innate effector cells, mitochondria represent a major ROS production site in many cell types, though it is unclear whether mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) contribute to antifungal activity in the lung. Following A. fumigatus infection, we observed that innate effector cells, including alveolar macrophages (AMs), monocyte-derived dendritic cells (Mo-DCS), and neutrophils, generated mtROS, primarily in fungus-infected cells. To examine the functional role of mtROS, specifically the H2O2 component, in pulmonary host defense against A. fumigatus, we infected transgenic mice that expressed a mitochondrion-targeted catalase. Using a reporter of fungal viability during interactions with leukocytes, mitochondrial H2O2 (mtH2O2) was essential for optimal AM, but not for neutrophil phagocytic and conidiacidal activity in the lung. Catalase-mediated mtH2O2 neutralization did not lead to invasive aspergillosis in otherwise immunocompetent mice and did not shorten survival in mice that lack NADPH oxidase function. Collectively, these studies indicate that mtROS-associated defects in AM antifungal activity can be functionally compensated by the action of NADPH oxidase and by nonoxidative effector mechanisms during murine A. fumigatus lung infection. IMPORTANCE Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungal pathogen that causes invasive disease in humans with defects in immune function. Airborne conidia, the infectious propagules, are ubiquitous and inhaled on a daily basis. In the respiratory tree, conidia are killed by the coordinated actions of phagocytes, including alveolar macrophages, neutrophils, and monocyte-derived dendritic cells. The oxidative burst represents a central killing mechanism and relies on the assembly of the NADPH oxidase complex on the phagosomal membrane. However, NADPH oxidase-deficient leukocytes have significant residual fungicidal activity in vivo, indicating the presence of alternative effector mechanisms. Here, we report that murine innate immune cells produce mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) in response to fungal interactions. Neutralizing the mtROS constituent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) via a catalase expressed in mitochondria of innate immune cells substantially diminished fungicidal properties of alveolar macrophages, but not of other innate immune cells. These data indicate that mtH2O2 represent a novel AM killing mechanism against Aspergillus conidia. mtH2O2 neutralization is compensated by other killing mechanisms in the lung, demonstrating functional redundancy at the level of host defense in the respiratory tree. These findings have important implications for the development of host-directed therapies against invasive aspergillosis in susceptible patient populations.

Keywords: fungus; innate immunity; lung.

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Figures

FIG 1
FIG 1
A. fumigatus conidia trigger mitochondrial ROS in lung leukocytes. C57BL/6 mice were challenged with 3 × 107 A. fumigatus FLARE conidia, and single-cell lung suspensions were analyzed for mitochondrial ROS (MitoSox) and total ROS (CM-H2DCFDA) 24 h postchallenge. (A) Mitochondrial ROS staining in AF633 bystander and AF633+ fungus-engaged alveolar macrophages (AMs). The gates indicate the frequencies of mtROS-negative (R1 and R4) and mtROS-positive (R2 and R3) bystander (R1 and R2) or fungus-engaged (R3 and R4) AMs. (B) Histogram of mitochondrial ROS in bystander (broken line) or fungus-engaged (continuous line) alveolar macrophages, Mo-DCs, and lung neutrophils. (C and D) Mitochondrial ROS (C) and total ROS (D) in naive (white bars), bystander (gray bars), and engaged (black bars) CD45 nonhematopoietic, alveolar macrophages, Mo-DCs, and neutrophils. Data shown represent means ± SEM (error bars) from two independent experiments (n = 6 for infected mice, n = 3 for naive mice). Statistical analysis was performed with a one-way ANOVA (P < 0.001) followed by a post hoc Tukey HSD analysis. Statistical significance: *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ns, not significant.
FIG 2
FIG 2
Impact of mtH2O2 neutralization on AMs, Mo-DCs, and neutrophil conidial uptake and killing in the lung. Mixed BM chimeric mice were infected with 3 × 107 FLARE conidia intranasally. (A) Representative plots showing WT or mCAT-expressing AMs and lung Mo-DCs harvested from mixed bone marrow chimeric mice 24 h postinfection (p.i.), analyzed on the basis of dsRed (Aspergillus viability) and AF633 (Aspergillus tracer) fluorescence. R1, leukocytes with live conidia; R2, leukocytes with dead conidia. (B and C) The scatterplots indicate conidial uptake (R1 + R2) (B) by and intraphagosomal conidial viability [R1/(R1 + R2)] (C) in indicated leukocyte subsets. The lines indicate paired data sets isolated from a single mixed chimeric mouse. n ≥ 9 per group pooled from yeoindependent experiments. A paired t test was used for the statistical analysis.
FIG 3
FIG 3
mtH2O2 neutralization regulates lung inflammation but is dispensable for A. fumigatus susceptibility. Immunocompetent C57BL/6 and mCATTg/+ mice were challenged with 8 × 107 Af293 conidia. (A) Representative micrographs of hematoxylin and eosin-stained lung sections from two independent experiments (bar, 2 mm). (B) Quantitative morphometric analysis of lung consolidation at day +3 postinfection. (C) Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. (D) Lung fungal burden (fungal DNA) at day +3 postinfection, according to murine genotype. Data shown represent means ± SEM (error bars) (n = 5 for panel B, n = 10 for panel C, n = 6 for panel D). For statistical analysis, t test was used for the data in panels B and D, and log rank (Mantel-Cox) test was used for the data in panel C.
FIG 4
FIG 4
Impact of mtH2O2 neutralization on leukocyte conidial uptake and killing in NADPH oxidase-deficient mice. Mixed BM chimeric mice were infected with 3 × 107 FLARE conidia intranasally. (A) Representative plots showing p91phox−/− or mCAT-expressing p91phox−/− (mCATTg/+ p91phox−/−) BAL fluid alveolar macrophages and lung Mo-DCs harvested from mixed bone marrow chimeric mice 24 h p.i., analyzed on the basis of dsRed (viability) and AF633 (tracer) fluorescence. R1, leukocytes with live conidia; R2, leukocytes with dead conidia. (B and C) The scatterplots indicate conidial uptake (R1 + R2) (B) by and intraphagosomal conidial viability [R1/(R1 + R2)] (C) in indicated leukocyte subsets. The lines indicate paired data sets isolated from a single mixed chimeric mouse. n ≥ 6 per group pooled from two independent experiments. A paired t test was used for statistical analysis.
FIG 5
FIG 5
Impact of mtH2O2 neutralization on lung inflammation, survival, and fungal growth in NADPH oxidase-deficient mice. p91phox−/− and mCATTg/+ p91phox−/− mice were challenged with 5 × 104 Af293 conidia. (A) Micrographs of lung sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin from two independent experiments (bar, 2 mm). (B) Quantitative morphometric analysis of lung consolidation at day +3 postinfection. (C) Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. (D) Lung fungal burden (fungal DNA) day +3 postinfection, according to murine genotype. Data shown represent means ± SEM (n = 5 for panel B, n = 19 for p91phox−/− and n = 17 mCATTg/+ p91phox−/− in panel C, and n = 6 for panel D). For statistical analysis, t test was used for the data in panels B and D, and log rank (Mantel-Cox) test was used for the data in panel C.

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