# IMMUNOREACTIVE MACROMOLECULES IN COCCIDIOIDES CELL TYPES

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 1987 · $146,953

## Abstract

Coccidioides immitis is a pathogenic fungus which is the causative agent of
a primary respiratory infection of man and other animals.  It is endemic to
southwestern United States from California to Texas and its natural habitat
is arid soil.  The saprobic phase of this fungus releases infectious
propagules, or, arthroconidia, into the air which are inhaled by the host.
About 100,000 people are infected each year.  Although less than half of
these infections produce symptoms, those that do account for a significant
amount of morbidity and mortality.  The latter is limited to individuals
who suffer extrapulmonary spread of the infection.  This organism is unique
among fungi in that the parasitic stage occurs in a repetitive
morphogenetic cycle involving conversion of the propagule into a
multinucleate spherule which subsequently cleaves internally to produce a
myriad of tiny endospores.  The latter disseminate within the host and
convert into a new generation of spherules.  These morphological forms are
associated with different tissue responses; e.g., the spherules are
associated primarily with granulomatous response and the relased endospores
with suppurative response.  Thus, C. immitis is an ideal model for
examining the intricate mechanisms by which the host cells respond to the
insult of the propagule and successive cell types of the parasitic cycle.
Such host-pathogen interactions are poorly understood in this and other
mycotic diseases.  Evidence has been presented that antigenic composition
of the cell envelope of C. immitis is altered during morphogenesis.  Such
changes may be related to variations in host response.  Published data also
indicate that clinically significant biological activities associated with
this disease, including cell-mediated immune responses, reactivity with
immununoglobulin antibody and immunoprotection against challenge in
experimental animals are elicited by cell wall fractions.  The aims of this
project are to identify the antigenic composition and biological activity
of fractionated soluble wall components of C. immitis cell types, prepare
polycolonal and monoclonal antibodies to these fractions and assess the
homogeneity of the fractions, determine the location and/or presentation of
antigens on the cell envelope using cell surface probes, and evaluate the
immunoprotective capacity of the fractions in experimental animals.  The
results of these studies will provide for improved immunodiagnosis of the
various clinical manifestations of coccidioidomycosis as well as the basis
for developing a human vaccine against this fungal disease.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3128555
- **Project number:** 5R01AI019149-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **SAM.gov UEI:** V6AFQPN18437
- **Principal Investigator:** GARRY Thomas COLE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1987
- **Award amount:** $146,953
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1986-09-01 → 1989-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3128555

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3128555, IMMUNOREACTIVE MACROMOLECULES IN COCCIDIOIDES CELL TYPES (5R01AI019149-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3128555. Licensed CC0.

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