Pathogenic strategies of Pseudogymnoascus destructans during torpor and arousal of hibernating bats

Millions of hibernating bats across North America have died from white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease caused by a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus, , that invades their skin. Mechanisms of invasion of bat epidermis remain obscure. Guided by our in vivo observations, we modeled hibernatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2024-07, Vol.385 (6705), p.194-200
Main Authors: Isidoro-Ayza, Marcos, Klein, Bruce S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actin
Animal diseases
Animals
Apoptosis
Arousal
Arousal - physiology
Ascomycota - pathogenicity
Ascomycota - physiology
Cell disruption
Cell Line
Chiroptera - physiology
Conidia
Endocytosis
ErbB Receptors - metabolism
Fungal diseases
Fungi
Growth factors
Hibernation
Hyphae
Keratinocytes
Low temperature
Melanin
Melanins - metabolism
Pseudogymnoascus destructans
Torpor
Torpor - physiology
White-nose syndrome
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Summary:Millions of hibernating bats across North America have died from white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging disease caused by a psychrophilic (cold-loving) fungus, , that invades their skin. Mechanisms of invasion of bat epidermis remain obscure. Guided by our in vivo observations, we modeled hibernation with a newly generated little brown bat ( ) keratinocyte cell line. We uncovered the stealth intracellular lifestyle of , which inhibits apoptosis of keratinocytes and spreads through the cells by two epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-dependent mechanisms: active penetration during torpor and induced endocytosis during arousal. Melanin of endocytosed blocks endolysosomal maturation, facilitating survival and germination after return to torpor. Blockade of EGFR aborts entry into keratinocytes.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.adn5606