Aspergillus fumigatus transcription factor ZfpA regulates hyphal development and alters susceptibility to antifungals and neutrophil killing during infection.

ABSTRACT: Hyphal growth is essential for host colonization during Aspergillus infection. The transcription factor ZfpA regulates A. fumigatus hyphal development including branching, septation, and cell wall composition. However, how ZfpA affects fungal growth and susceptibility to host immunity during infection has not been investigated. Here, we use the larval zebrafish-Aspergillus infection model and primary human neutrophils to probe how ZfpA affects A. fumigatus pathogenesis and response to antifungal drugs in vivo. ZfpA deletion promotes fungal clearance and attenuates virulence in wild-type hosts and this virulence defect is abrogated in neutrophil-deficient zebrafish. ZfpA deletion also increases susceptibility to human neutrophils ex vivo while overexpression impairs fungal killing. Overexpr

SUBMITTER: Schoen TJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10174577 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature