title: Iron homeostasis--Achilles' heel of Aspergillus fumigatus?
abstract: The opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus adapts to iron limitation by upregulation of iron uptake mechanisms including siderophore biosynthesis and downregulation of iron-consuming pathways to spare iron. These metabolic changes depend mainly on the transcription factor HapX. Consistent with the crucial role of iron in pathophysiology, genetic inactivation of either HapX or the siderophore system attenuates virulence of A. fumigatus in a murine model of aspergillosis. The differences in iron handling between mammals and fungi might serve to improve therapy and diagnosis of fungal infections.
authors: Division of Molecular Biology/Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Fritz-Pregl-Str. 3, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Schrettl
authors: Hubertus
authors: H
authors: Haas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000382:microbiology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D006706:Homeostasis; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017262:Siderophores / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D017262:Siderophores; D007501:Iron