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Title: Spatiotemporal analysis of lung immune dynamics in lethal Coccidioides posadasii infection

Journal Article · · mBio (Online)
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States)
  3. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA (United States)

Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is a lung disease caused by inhalation of Coccidioides fungi, prevalent in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. Annually, the United States reports 10,000–20,000 cases, although those numbers are expected to increase as climate change expands the fungal geographic range. While 60% of infections are asymptomatic, 40% symptomatic infections are often misdiagnosed due to similarities with bronchitis or pneumonia. A small subset of infection progress to severe illness, necessitating a better understanding of immune responses during lethal infection. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, we characterized lung responses during Coccidioides infection. We identified monocyte-derived Spp1-expressing macrophages as potential mediators of tissue remodeling and fibrosis, marked by high expression of profibrotic and proinflammatory transcripts. These macrophages showed elevated TGF-β and IL-6 signaling, pathways involved in fibrosis pathogenesis. Additionally, we observed significant neutrophil infiltration and defective lymphocyte responses, indicating severe adaptive immunity dysregulation in lethal, acute infection. These findings enhance our understanding of Coccidioides infection and suggest new therapeutic targets.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
2519310
Report Number(s):
LLNL--JRNL-867863; 1103390
Journal Information:
mBio (Online), Journal Name: mBio (Online) Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 16; ISSN 2150-7511
Publisher:
American Society for Microbiology (ASM)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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