Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41604383›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Arp2/3 complex contributes to the actin-dependent uptake of Aspergillus terreus conidia by alveolar epithelial cells.

Natalia Mach, Julien Polleux, Lea Heinrich, Lukas Lechner, Iryna Levytska, Cornelia Lass-Flörl, Susanne Perkhofer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Natalia MachResearch and Innovation Unit, Heath University of Applied Sciences Tyrol/ fh gesundheit Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6638-5298
Julien PolleuxResearch and Innovation Unit, Heath University of Applied Sciences Tyrol/ fh gesundheit Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria.
Lea HeinrichResearch and Innovation Unit, Heath University of Applied Sciences Tyrol/ fh gesundheit Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria.
Lukas LechnerResearch and Innovation Unit, Heath University of Applied Sciences Tyrol/ fh gesundheit Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria.
Iryna LevytskaResearch and Innovation Unit, Heath University of Applied Sciences Tyrol/ fh gesundheit Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria.
Cornelia Lass-FlörlInstitute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Susanne PerkhoferResearch and Innovation Unit, Heath University of Applied Sciences Tyrol/ fh gesundheit Tirol, Innsbruck, Austria.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aspergillus terreus is an opportunistic fungal pathogen associated with high mortality rates and intrinsic resistance to amphotericin B. Its ability to persist within host tissues without inducing strong immune responses was suggested to contribute to poor clinical outcomes. The cellular mechanisms underlying A. terreus interactions with host cells remain largely unexplored. In this study, we have used a micropattern-based infection model to investigate the early interactions between A. terreus conidia and alveolar epithelial cells, focusing on the role of Arp2/3-dependent actin remodeling. This system allows quantitative analysis of conidia-cell interactions under defined spatial conditions. We show that A. terreus conidia rapidly bind to micropatterned A549 cell islands, with conidial numbers increasing over time. Conidia were found in actin- and Lamp1-positive vesicles already after one hour of infection. Inhibition of the Arp2/3 complex significantly impaired conidial binding and disrupted the formation of actin-positive vesicles, confirming the essential role of Arp2/3-mediated actin remodeling in early stages of conidial uptake. A subset of conidia was localized to Lamp1-positive phagolysosomes and accumulated over time. Interestingly, we have identified a small but consistent population of Lamp1-positive vesicles decorated with actin structures, potentially resembling actin flashes. These structures were entirely abolished upon Arp2/3 inhibition, indicating active cytoskeletal remodeling at the phagolysosomal interface. Our findings provide the first mechanistic insights into A. terreus internalization by alveolar epithelial cells and establish Arp2/3-mediated actin dynamics as a key process in early host-pathogen interactions. This cellular pathway may further contribute to intracellular trafficking and help understand the delayed onset of A. terreus infections.

Indexed as

Actin-Related Protein 2-3 ComplexActinsAlveolar Epithelial CellsAspergillusEpithelial CellsSpores, FungalA549 CellsHumansLysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1Actin-Related Protein 2-3 ComplexActinsLAMP1 protein, humanLysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1

Identifiers

PMID41604383
PMCPMC12851495

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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.