Secreted Aspergillus fumigatus protease Alp1 degrades human complement proteins C3, C4, and C5.

The opportunistic human pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus is a major cause of fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. Innate immunity plays an important role in the defense against infections. The complement system represents an essential part of the innate immune system.

Elucidation of the complete ferrichrome A biosynthetic pathway in Ustilago maydis.

Iron is an important element for many essential processes in living organisms. To acquire iron, the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis synthesizes the iron-chelating siderophores ferrichrome and ferrichrome A. The chemical structures of these siderophores have been elucidated long time ago but so far only two enzymes involved in their biosynthesis have been described.

Two-dimensional proteome reference maps for the human pathogenic filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus has become the most important airborne fungal pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. We established a 2-D reference map for A. fumigatus.

Proteome analysis for pathogenicity and new diagnostic markers for Aspergillus fumigatus.

With the completion of the Aspergillus fumigatus genome it is now possible to study protein regulation on a global scale. One of the most suitable protein separation techniques is based on 2D-gel electrophoresis, which allows the separation of proteins based on their charge and size in a gel matrix. In addition, gel-free proteomics techniques based on liquid-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry have gained importance.

The Aspergillus fumigatus transcriptional regulator AfYap1 represents the major regulator for defense against reactive oxygen intermediates but is dispensable for pathogenicity in an intranasal mouse infection model.

Macrophages and neutrophils kill the airborne fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. The dependency of this killing process on reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) has been strongly suggested. Therefore, we investigated the enzymatic ROI detoxifying system by proteome analysis of A.

A ferroxidation/permeation iron uptake system is required for virulence in Ustilago maydis.

In the smut fungus Ustilago maydis, a tightly regulated cAMP signaling cascade is necessary for pathogenic development. Transcriptome analysis using whole genome microarrays set up to identify putative target genes of the protein kinase A catalytic subunit Adr1 revealed nine genes with putative functions in two high-affinity iron uptake systems. These genes locate to three gene clusters on different chromosomes and include the previously identified complementing siderophore auxotroph genes sid1 and sid2 involved in siderophore biosynthesis.

Optimisation of a 2-D gel electrophoresis protocol for the human-pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne fungal pathogen causing life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. One of the important questions concerning A. fumigatus is the identification of pathogenicity determinants.