Targeting dermatophyte Cdc42 and Rac GTPase signaling to hinder hyphal elongation and virulence.

The development of antifungal drugs requires novel molecular targets due to limited treatment options and drug resistance. Through chemical screening and establishment of a novel genetic technique to repress gene expression in , the primary causal fungus of dermatophytosis, we demonstrated that fungal Cdc42 and Rac GTPases are promising antifungal drug targets. Chemical inhibitors of these GTPases impair hyphal formation, which is crucial for growth and virulence in .

TrCla4 promotes actin polymerization at the hyphal tip and mycelial growth in .

Superficial fungal infections, such as athlete's foot, affect more than 10% of the world's population and have a significant impact on quality of life. Despite the fact that treatment-resistant fungi are a concern, there are just a few antifungal drug targets accessible, as opposed to the wide range of therapeutic targets found in bacterial infections. As a result, additional alternatives are sought.

Small GTPase R-Ras participates in neural tube formation in zebrafish embryonic spinal cord.

Ras related (R-Ras), a small GTPase, is involved in the maintenance of apico-basal polarity in neuroepithelial cells of the zebrafish hindbrain, axonal collapse in cultured murine hippocampal neurons, and maturation of blood vessels in adult mice. However, the role of R-Ras in neural tube formation remains unknown. Using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (AMOs), we found that in the spinal cord of zebrafish embryos, the lumen was formed bilaterally in rras morphants, whereas it was formed at the midline in control embryos.