Relevance of Macrophage Extracellular Traps in C. albicans Killing

This study suggests that the formation of METs occurs before pyroptosis (first 6–8 h) and macrophage cell death (up to 24 h), and thus, METs could be included in models describing C. albicans–macrophage interactions. We also observed that macrophage ETosis and phagocytosis can occur simultaneously and that, in the first hours of infection, both processes are similarly important in controlling the proliferation of yeast cells, this being critical in neutropenic patients. Finally, it can also be concluded that, since C. albicans can degrade DNA, the structural component of METs, yeast extracellular DNase activity can be considered as an important virulence factor.
Source: Frontiers in Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research