The molecular pathogenicity of Fusarium keratitis: a fungal transcriptional regulator promotes hyphal penetration of the cornea.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The pathogenic mechanisms of fungal infection during human keratomycosis were investigated in an ex vivo corneal model that used strains of Fusarium oxysporum differing in the production of a fungal transcription factor.

Methods

A pacC loss-of-function mutant and a pacC dominant-activating mutant were constructed from a wild-type isolate of F. oxysporum, and the 3 strains were characterized by in vitro growth kinetics. Twenty-seven human donor corneas maintained in tissue culture were superficially scarified and topically inoculated with the wild-type, the pacC loss-of-function mutant, or the pacC dominant-activating strains. Relative hyphal invasion into the stroma was compared histopathologically in corneal sections.

Results

F. oxysporum strains demonstrated

SUBMITTER: Hua X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2991523 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature