Wirtsschädigung
Candida albicans hat eine Vielzahl von Mechanismen zur Verfügung, um den Wirt zu schädigen. Man nimmt an, dass die Kombination von Adhäsion, Invasion, Hyphenbildung und -verlängerung, Turgordruck und Sekretion von hydrolytischen Enzymen entscheidend für die Schädigung ist. Zusätzlich wurde schon lange vermutet, dass C. albicans zur Bildung von Toxinen (Zellgiften) in der Lage ist. Tatsächlich zeigt der Überstand von C. albicans-Hyphenkulturen eine hämolytische (blutzellzerstörende) Aktivität. Der molekulare Mechanismus, mit dem C. albicans Wirtszellen zerstört, war aber bislang unbekannt. Klar war nur, dass dieser Mechanismus mit der Hyphenbildung in Zusammenhang stehen muss, da nur Hyphen zu Adhesion, Invasion und Schädigung von Wirtszellen in der Lage sind.
Wir konnten ein von C. albicans sezerniertes Peptid identifizieren, das eine erstaunliche Ähnlichkeit zu dem Bienengift Melittin aufweist. Durch Deletion dieses Gens und über eine künstliche Synthese des Peptids konnten wir zeigen, dass dieses Peptid nötig und alleine ausreichend für die Zerstörung von Wirtszellen ist. In enger Koopereration mit Dr. Julian Naglik (Kings College London) und Dr. Thomas Gutsmann (Forschungszentrum Borstel) untersuchen wir nun den genauen Mechanismus, mit dem dieses neuartige, hochwirksame C. albicans-Toxin die Wirtszellintegrität zerstören kann.
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