Deletion of the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A in Aspergillus fumigatus alters morphology, sensitivity to oxidative damage, and virulence.

ABSTRACT: Aspergillus fumigatus is an important opportunistic fungal pathogen. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating morphology, growth, and virulence in a number of fungal pathogens of plants and animals. We have constructed a mutant of A. fumigatus that lacks the regulatory subunit of PKA, pkaR, and analyzed the growth and development, sensitivity to oxidative damage, and virulence of the mutant, along with those of the wild type and a complemented mutant. Both growth and germination rates of the mutant are reduced, and there are morphological abnormalities in conidiophores, leading to reduced conidiation. Conidia from the DeltapkaR mutant are more sensitive to killing by hydrogen peroxide, menadione, paraquat, and diamide. However, the hyp

SUBMITTER: Zhao W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1539607 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature