PLB-985 Neutrophil-Like Cells as a Model To Study Aspergillus fumigatus Pathogenesis
Muhammad Rafiq, Flora Rivieccio, Ann-Kathrin Zimmermann, Corissa Visser, Alexander Bruch, Thomas Krüger, Katherine González, Olaf Kniemeyer, Matthew G. Blango, Axel A. Brakhage
Abstract
Polymorphonuclear leukocytes are an important defense against human fungal pathogens, yet our model systems to study this group of cells remain very limited in scope. In this study, we established that differentiated PLB-985 cells can serve as a model to recapitulate several important aspects of human polymorphonuclear leukocyte interactions with the important human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. The proposed addition of a cultured neutrophil-like cell line to the experimental toolbox to study fungal pathogenesis will allow for a more mechanistic description of neutrophil antifungal biology. In addition, the easier handling of the cell line compared to primary human neutrophils allowed us to use PLB-985 cells to provide an improved method for isolation of neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicles using size exclusion chromatography. Together, these results provide significant tools and a baseline knowledge for the future study of neutrophil-derived extracellular vesicles in the laboratory.