Larval Zebrafish Model Providing Unprecedented Views of C. albicans and Innate Immune System Interactions

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

August 9, 2011 College News

A larval zebrafish model developed by University of Maine biomedical scientists is providing unprecedented, real-time views of the little-understood interactions between immune cells and fungal pathogens in blood vessels.

Their in vivo model that enables imaging of the immune system in action has the potential to be used for screening new drug therapies. It already led the UMaine researchers to discover evidence of an enzyme that regulates the growth of one of the most common yet lethal fungal pathogens to humans.

The researchers studied Candida albicans, a yeast that makes its home in the human body, where a healthy innate immune system keeps it in check. But in people with compromised immune systems, the fungal pathogen causes life-threatening infections. It is the fourth leading cause of infection in patients hospitalized in the United States.

To better understand the molecular nature of the interactions between Candida and innate immune cells, the researchers developed a novel candidemia infection model in zebrafish larvae. Larval zebrafish are transparent, facilitating noninvasive visualization of the interactions of pathogens with the innate immune system.

With the zebrafish model, the scientists showed that immune NADPH oxidase limits the proliferation and filamentous growth of C. albicans.

The UMaine researchers — graduate student Kimberly Brothers, undergraduate Zachary Newman, and microbiology professor Robert Wheeler — published their findings in the journal Eukaryotic Cell, where their discovery was featured in the journal’s Highlights section. It also was spotlighted in the American Society for Microbiology’s Microbe magazine.

Contact: Robert Wheeler, (207) 581-2890