Culturing and Mating of Aspergillus fumigatus.

ABSTRACT: Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen, capable of causing invasive aspergillosis in patients with compromised immune systems. The fungus was long considered a purely asexual organism. However, a sexual cycle was reported in 2009, with methods described to induce mating under laboratory conditions. The presence of a sexual cycle now offers a valuable tool for classical genetic analysis of the fungus, such as allowing determination of whether traits of interest are mono- or poly-genic in nature. For example, the sexual cycle is currently being exploited to determine the genetic basis of traits of medical importance such as resistance to azole antifungals and virulence, and to characterize the genes involved. The sexual cycle can also be used to assess the possibilit

SUBMITTER: Ashton GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9285815 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature