Recognition of laminin by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia: a possible mechanism of adherence to human type II alveolar cells

This study addresses the recognition of laminin by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia, as well as its possible role in the adherence of conidia to A549 cells. Adherence of conidia to immobilized laminin was shown to be specific, as anti-laminin antibodies, soluble laminin or the laminin-derived peptides IKVAV and CDPGYIGSR inhibited this interaction. RGD containing peptides and various monosaccharides had no effect on adherence, with the exception of N-acetylneuraminic acid. Pre-treatment of conidia with fibrinogen and fibronectin, but not with BSA, also resulted in significant inhibition, suggesting that P. brasiliensis conidia might cross-recognize host proteins involved in colonization. In assays using transmission electron microscopy, we observed internalization of conidia 30 min after exposition to A549 cells. Laminin present on the surface of A549 cells shown to serve as mediator of this interaction, with a significant decrease in fungal adherence when the epithelial cells were pre-treated with anti-laminin antibodies or when conidia were pre-incubated with either soluble laminin or the laminin-specific peptides. Together these results suggest that the recognition of laminin by P. brasiliensis conidia is a key process in the interaction with pulmonary epithelial cells, where this extracellular matrix protein acts as bridging molecule.