Infectious particle identity determines dissemination and disease outcome for the inhaled human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus
Fig 8
Model of cryptococcal spore-mediated disseminated disease.
Graphical representation of our model of spore-mediated lung escape and disseminated disease: (1) spores are inhaled from the environment into the lungs where they are taken up by resident lung CD11c-positive phagocytes, likely alveolar macrophages (2). Inside phagocytes, spores are able to (3) germinate and efficiently (4) traffic to the mediastinal lymph nodes (the order of events 3 and 4 is unknown). From the lymph node, (5) Cryptococcus gains access to the blood stream, which can be used to disseminate to and colonize peripheral organs, eventually resulting in fatal CNS disease.