Invasive aspergillosis by Aspergillus fumigatus is a leading cause of infection-related mortality in immune-compromised patients. In order to discover potential genetic targets to control A. fumigatus infections we characterized rtfA, a gene encoding a putative RNA polymerase II transcription elongation factor-like protein. Our recent work has shown that the rtfA ortholog in the model fungus As...

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ASPERGILLUS: fumigatus is a ubiquitous soil fungus that causes invasive lung disease in the immunocompromised host. The structure of the conidial wall has not been well characterized although it is thought that adhesins present on the surface are involved in attachment of the conidia to host lung cells and proteins, which is a prerequisite for the establishment of infection. Negatively charged ...

Several studies have previously shown that exposure to indoor air microbes from moisture-damaged buildings can cause adverse health effects. Aspergillus fumigatus is one of the best-documented moulds causing health problems to those exposed. In this study, inhalation of a commercial A. fumigatus solution was assessed, to establish if it would have effects on fractional exhaled (FeNO) and nasal ...

Azole-resistant strains of Aspergillus fumigatus have been detected and the underlying molecular mechanisms of resistance characterized. Point mutations in the cyp51A gene have been proved to be related to azole resistance in A. fumigatus clinical strains and with different resistance profiles depending on the amino acid change (G54E, G54V, G54R, G54W, M220V, M220K, M220T, M220I). The aim of th...

An Aspergillus fumigatus extracellular alkaline protease (ALP) which is an enzyme of the subtilisin family is a potential virulent factor of the fungus. The gene encoding ALP was isolated from a genomic library made from DNA of an A. fumigatus isolate. The nucleotide sequence of this gene was compared to that of a cDNA encoding A. oryzae ALP and to that of a cDNA from A. fumigatus encoding the ...

Several substances including proteases and restrictocin have been suggested as candidates for virulence determinants in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. However, the roles of such substances are not well understood. This study compared the in vitro suppressive effects of Aspergillus fumigatus culture filtrates (ACFs), on the functions of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs), the principa...

The lack of an experimentally amenable sexual genetic system in Aspergillus fumigatus is a major limitation in the study of the organism's pathogenesis. A recent comparative genome analysis revealed evidence for potential sexuality in A. fumigatus. Homologs of mating type genes as well as other genes of the "sexual machinery" have been identified in anamorphic A. fumigatus. The mat1-2 gene enco...

The role of Aspergillus fumigatus in the airways of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with bronchiectasis is currently unclear. We searched for a sensitive and noninvasive method for A. fumigatus detection in the sputum of COPD patients and addressed potential risk factors for its presence. Induced sputum samples of 18 COPD patients and 17 COPD patients with bronchiectasis w...