Calcineurin Orchestrates Hyphal Growth, Septation, Drug Resistance and Pathogenesis of Aspergillus fumigatus: Where Do We Go from Here?

Pathogens

Praveen R Juvvadi¹  William J Steinbach¹ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: Aspergillus fumigatus;    calcineurin;    hyphal growth;    septation;    virulence;    FK506;    cyclosporine A;    phosphorylation;    drug target;    drug resistance;   

DOI  :  10.3390/pathogens4040883

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Studies on fungal pathogens belonging to the ascomycota phylum are critical given the ubiquity and frequency with which these fungi cause infections in humans. Among these species, Aspergillus fumigatus causes invasive aspergillosis, a leading cause of death in immunocompromised patients. Fundamental to A. fumigatus pathogenesis is hyphal growth. However, the precise mechanisms underlying hyphal growth and virulence are poorly understood. Over the past 10 years, our research towards the identification of molecular targets responsible for hyphal growth, drug resistance and virulence led to the elucidation of calcineurin as a key signaling molecule governing these processes. In this review, we summarize our salient findings on the significance of calcineurin for hyphal growth and septation in A. fumigatus and propose future perspectives on exploiting this pathway for designing new fungal-specific therapeutics.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.