title: Functional analysis of the superoxide dismutase family in Aspergillus fumigatus.
abstract: Reactive oxidant species produced by phagocytes have been reported as being involved in the killing of Aspergillus fumigatus. Fungal superoxide dismutases (SODs) that detoxify superoxide anions could be putative virulence factors for this opportunistic pathogen. Four genes encoding putative Sods have been identified in the A. fumigatus genome: a cytoplasmic Cu/ZnSOD (AfSod1p), a mitochondrial MnSOD (AfSod2p), a cytoplasmic MnSOD (AfSod3p) and AfSod4 displaying a MnSOD C-terminal domain. During growth, AfSOD1 and AfSOD2 were highly expressed in conidia whereas AfSOD3 was only strongly expressed in mycelium. AfSOD4 was weakly expressed compared with other SODs. The deletion of AfSOD4 was lethal. Delta sod1 and Delta sod2 mutants showed a growth inhibition at high temperature and a hypersensitivity to menadione whereas the sod3 mutant had only a slight growth delay at high temperature. Multiple mutations had only an additive effect on the phenotype. The triple sod1/sod2/sod3 mutant was characterized by a delay in conidial germination, a reduced conidial survival during storage overtime, the highest sensitivity to menadione and an increased sensitivity to killing by alveolar macrophage of immunocompetent mice. In spite of these phenotypes, no significant virulence difference was observed between the triple mutant and parental strain in experimental murine aspergillosis models in immunocompromised animals.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lambou
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lamarre
authors.forename: Rémi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beau
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Latge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D025282:Mycelium / Q000378:metabolism; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics; D024483:Vitamin K 3 / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors; D013481:Superoxides; D024483:Vitamin K 3; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase