Evidence map›Paper›PMID 15784542›Full record

ArticleInfection and immunity2005

Melanization of Cryptococcus neoformans affects lung inflammatory responses during cryptococcal infection.

Aron J Mednick, Joshua D Nosanchuk, Arturo Casadevall

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Infection and immunity, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
55citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

55 citing papers in PubMed, 94 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. A Putative Multicopper Oxidase Encoded byInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Characterization of a High-Affinity Copper TransporterJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Mechanisms and Virulence Factors ofJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Measuring Laccase Activity and Melanin Production in Cryptococcus neoformans.Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) · 2024
    Article
  10. Genotyping Analysis ofJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Article
  11. Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Antifungal activity of liriodenine on clinical strains ofThe journal of venomous animals and toxins including tropical diseases · 2022
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Fungal Melanin and the Mammalian Immune System.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Aron J MednickDepartment of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Ave., Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
Joshua D Nosanchuk
Arturo Casadevall
Albert Einstein College of Medicine · US

Funding

Synergy of Host Defense Mechanisms in the LungR01HL059842 · NHLBI · YESHIVA UNIVERSITY · PI CASADEVALL, ARTURO · 1997 to 2023
$7.4M
Biology of Fungal MelaninR01AI052733 · NIAID · YESHIVA UNIVERSITY · PI CASADEVALL, ARTURO · 2003 to 2019
$6.6M
PROTECTIVE ANTIBODIES FOR CRYPTOCOCCAL INFECTIONSR01AI033774 · NIAID · YESHIVA UNIVERSITY · PI CASADEVALL, ARTURO · 1994 to 2014
$5.6M
Molecular Characterization of C. neoformans AntibodiesR37AI033142 · NIAID · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI CASADEVALL, ARTURO · 2007 to 2016
$3.9M
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF C NEOFORMANS ANTIBODIESR01AI033142 · NIAID · YESHIVA UNIVERSITY · PI CASADEVALL, ARTURO · 1994 to 2006
$1.7M
NHLBI NIH HHS HL059842NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL059842NIAID NIH HHS AI033142NIAID NIH HHS AI033774NIAID NIH HHS AI052733-02NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI033142NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI033774NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI052733NIAID NIH HHS R37 AI033142
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The production of melanin pigments is associated with virulence for many microbes. Melanin is believed to contribute to microbial virulence by protecting microbial cells from oxidative attack during infection. However, there is also evidence from various systems that melanins have immunomodulatory properties, which conceivably could contribute to virulence by altering immune responses. To investigate the effect of melanin on the immune response, we compared the murine pulmonary responses to infection with melanized and nonmelanized Cryptococcus neoformans cells. Infection with melanized cells resulted in a greater fungal burden during the early stages of infection and was associated with higher levels of interleukin-4 and MCP-1 and greater numbers of infiltrating leukocytes. Infection with laccase-positive (melanotic) C. neoformans cells also elicited higher MCP-1 levels and more infiltrating leukocytes than did infection with laccase-negative cells. Melanization interfered with phagocytosis in vivo for encapsulated C. neoformans but not for nonencapsulated cells. The results provide strong evidence that cryptococcal melanization can influence the immune response to infection and suggest that immunomodulation is an additional mechanism by which the pigment contributes to virulence.

Indexed as

AnimalsColony Count, MicrobialCryptococcosisCryptococcus neoformansCytokinesFemaleInflammationLungMelaninsMiceMice, Inbred BALB CPhagocytosisCytokinesMelanins

Identifiers

PMID15784542
PMCPMC1087470
OpenAlexW2157828953

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.