Comparative DDA and DIA-PASEF proteomics profiling of cross-kingdom macrophage infection reveals new mechanisms driving pathogen virulence

Opportunistic infections of the respiratory tract often succeed under a weakened immune response caused by an underlying illness or hospitalization. The human fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, and the bacterial pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae, are both well-characterized microbes that cause severe infections within immunocompromised individuals. In this study, we simulate a concentration-dependent pulmonary coinfection of a bacterial and fungal pathogen, and profile the proteomic changes by DDA vs. DIA. Dual perspective profiling provides new insights into host defense regulation of infection and pathogenic mechanisms of invasion.