Identification of constituents of human neutrophil azurophil granules that mediate fungistasis against Histoplasma capsulatum

Previously we demonstrated that human neutrophils mediate potent and long-lasting fungistasis against Histoplasma capsulatum yeasts and that all of the fungistatic activity resides in the azurophil granules. In the present study, specific azurophil granule constituents with fungistatic activity were identified by incubation with H. capsulatum yeasts for 24 h and by quantifying the subsequent growth of yeasts via the incorporation of [(3)H]leucine. Human neutrophil defensins HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3 inhibited the growth of H. capsulatum yeasts in a concentration-dependent manner with maximum inhibition at 8 microg/ml. At a concentration of 4 microg/ml, all possible paired combinations of defensins exhibited additive fungistatic activity against H. capsulatum yeasts. Cathepsin G and bactericidal-permeability-increasing protein (BPI) also mediated fungistasis against H. capsulatum in a concentration-dependent manner. The fungistatic activities of combinations of cathepsin G and BPI were additive, as were those of combinations of cathepsin G or BPI with HNP-1, HNP-2, and HNP-3. Lysozyme and elastase exhibited modest antifungal activity, and azurocidin and proteinase 3 exhibited no significant fungistasis against H. capsulatum yeasts. Thus, defensins, cathepsin G, and BPI are the major anti-H. capsulatum effector molecules in the azurophil granules of human neutrophils.