The pathogenesis of experimental Emergomycosis in mice
Authors: Höft Maxine A. , Duvenage Lucian , Salie Sumayah , Keeton Roanne , Botha Alfred , Schwartz Ilan S. , Govender Nelesh P. , Brown Gordon D. , Hoving J. Claire 
Published: August 2023

Emergomyces africanusis a recently identified thermally-dimorphic fungal pathogen that causes disseminated infection in people living with advanced HIV disease. Known as emergomycosis, this disseminated disease is associated with very high case fatality rates. Over the last decade, improved diagnostics and fungal identification in South Africa resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of reported cases. Although the true burden of disease is still unknown, emergomycosis is among the most frequently diagnosed dimorphic fungal infections in Southern Africa; and additional species in the genus have been identified on four continents. Little is known about the pathogenesis and the host’s immune response to this emerging pathogen. Therefore, we established a murine model of pulmonary infection using a clinical isolate,E. africanus(CBS 136260). Both conidia and yeast forms caused pulmonary and disseminated infection in mice with fungus subsequently isolated in culture from lung, spleen, liver, and kidney tissue. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice demonstrated a drop in body weight at two weeks post-infection, corresponding to a peak in fungal burden in the lung, spleen, liver, and kidney. An increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine production was detected in homogenized lung supernatants including IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL12-p40 and IL-17 at three- and four-weeks post-infection. Rag-1-deficient mice, lacking mature T and B cells, had an increased fungal burden associated with reduced IFN-γ production. Together our data support a protective T-helper type-1 immune response toE. africanusinfection. This may provide a possible explanation for the susceptibility of only a subset of people living with advanced HIV disease despite hypothesized widespread environmental exposure. In summary, we have established a novel murine model ofE. africanusdisease providing critical insights into the host immune components required for eliminating the infection.

Author summary

Emergomyces africanusis a thermally-dimorphic fungus that was recently described as the cause of disseminated infections in persons living with advanced HIV disease in South Africa, where emergomycosis is among the most frequently diagnosed dimorphic fungal diseases. Four additionalEmergomycesspecies have been described causing serious infections around the world, and the infection has a high case fatality rate. Despite the seriousness of this infection, the pathophysiology, immunology, diagnosis, and optimal management of emergomycosis remain largely unknown, hampered by the absence of an animal model. Here, we established a mouse model of pulmonary and disseminated emergomycosis using a clinical isolate ofE. africanuswith the aim of investigating the host immune response. We found that infection spread from the lungs to other organs within two weeks. We describe the effector immune responses in immune-competent mice aiding in controlled infection. We also highlight the immune-modulating components lacking in immunocompromised mice that promote susceptibilty to infection. Our study provides new insights into the components of the host immune response required for controllingEmergomycesspp. infection.