A call to arms: Mustering secondary metabolites for success and survival of an opportunistic pathogen

• Published in: PLoS pathogens 2019-04, Vol.15 (4), p.e1007606-e1007606
• Main Authors: Raffa, Nicholas, Keller, Nancy P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acids; African trypanosomiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial activity; Antibiotics; Antiprotozoal activity; Apoptosis; Aspergillosis; Aspergillosis - drug therapy; Aspergillosis - metabolism; Aspergillosis - microbiology; Aspergillus; Aspergillus fumigatus; Aspergillus fumigatus - drug effects; Bacteriology; Biology and Life Sciences; Chagas disease; Cupolas; Cyclic AMP; Fungi; Gene expression; Genes; Helvolic acid; Host-Pathogen Interactions - drug effects; Humans; Immune system; Immunology; Kinases; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolites; Metabolome; Microbiology; Molds (Fungi); Mycoses; Neutropenia; Neutrophils; Opportunist infection; Opportunistic Infections - etiology; Opportunistic Infections - metabolism; Opportunistic Infections - pathology; Organic matter; Patient outcomes; Pearls; Physical Sciences; Plant metabolites; Protein kinase A; Pulmonary aspergillosis; Risk factors; Roles; Secondary metabolites; Space stations; Toxoplasmosis; Trypanosome; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Vector-borne diseases
• ISSN: 1553-7374; 1553-7366; 1553-7374
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007606

About the Authors: Nicholas Raffa Affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America ORCID logo http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0112-5262 Nancy P. Keller * E-mail: [e-mail] Affiliations Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America ORCID logo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4386-9473 Introduction Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic mold able to grow on a diversity of material ranging from decayed organic matter in the environment to space station cupolas [1]. The compound displays activity against Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro that causes toxoplasmosis and Chagas disease, respectively. Helvolic acid Helvolic acid is a fusidane antibiotic that exhibits in vitro antiprotozoal activity against the trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei brucei GUTat3.1, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness [29], and helvolic acid derivatives exhibit antibacterial activity against Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus [30]. Macheleidt J, Scherlach K, Neuwirth T, Schmidt‐Heck W, Straßburger M, Spraker J, Baccile JA, Schroeder FC, Keller NP, Hertweck C, Heinekamp T. Transcriptome analysis of cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase A–regulated genes reveals the production of the novel natural compound fumipyrrole by Aspergillus fumigatus.