Curtis, Aaron and Walshe, Kieran and Kavanagh, Kevin (2023) Prolonged Subculturing of Aspergillus fumigatus on Galleria Extract Agar Results in Altered Virulence and Sensitivity to Antifungal Agents. Cells, 12 (7). p. 1065. ISSN 2073-4409

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Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental saprophyte and opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans. The aim of the work presented here was to examine the effect of serially subculturing A. fumigatus on agar generated from Galleria mellonella larvae in order to characterize the alterations in the phenotypes that might occur. The passaged strains showed alterations in virulence, antifungal susceptibility, and in protein abundances that may indicate adaptation after 25 passages over 231 days on Galleria extract agar. Passaged strains demonstrated reduced virulence in G. mellonella larvae and increased tolerance to hemocyte-mediated killing, hydrogen peroxide, itraconazole, and amphotericin B. A label-free proteomic analysis of control and passaged A. fumigatus strains revealed a total of 3329 proteins, of which 1902 remained following filtration, and 32 proteins were statistically significant as well as differentially abundant. Proteins involved in the response to oxidative stress were altered in abundance in the passaged strain and included (S)-S-oxide reductase (+2.63-fold), developmental regulator FlbA (+2.27-fold), and histone H2A.Z (−1.82-fold). These results indicate that the prolonged subculturing of A. fumigatus on Galleria extract agar results in alterations in the susceptibility to antifungal agents and in the abundance of proteins associated with the oxidative stress response. The phenomenon may be a result of selection for survival in adverse conditions and highlight how A. fumigatus may adapt to tolerate the pulmonary immune response in cases of human infection.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Aspergillus; Galleria; infection; immunity; mini-model; passaging; virulence;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Biology Faculty of Science and Engineering > Research Institutes > Human Health Institute
Item ID:	19074
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12071065
Depositing User:	Dr. Kevin Kavanagh
Date Deposited:	17 Oct 2024 11:26
Journal or Publication Title:	Cells
Publisher:	Pub Med
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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