Putative Membrane Receptors Contribute to Activation and Efficient Signaling of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Cascades during Adaptation of Aspergillus fumigatus to Different Stressors and Carbon Sources

Abstract

<jats:p> <jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">Aspergillus fumigatus</jats:named-content> is an important human-pathogenic fungal species that is responsible for a high incidence of infections in immunocompromised individuals. <jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">A. fumigatus</jats:named-content> high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) and cell wall integrity pathways are important for the adaptation to different forms of environmental adversity such as osmotic and oxidative stresses, nutrient limitations, high temperatures, and other chemical and mechanical stresses that may be produced by the host immune system and antifungal drugs. Little is known about how these pathways are activated in this fungal pathogen. Here, we characterize four <jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">A. fumigatus</jats:named-content> putative homologues that are important for the activation of the yeast HOG pathway. <jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">A. fumigatus</jats:named-content> SlnA <jats:sup>Sln1p</jats:sup> , ShoA <jats:sup>Sho1p</jats:sup> , MsbA <jats:sup>Msb2p</jats:sup> , and OpyA <jats:sup>Opy2p</jats:sup> are genetically interacting and are essential for the activation of the HOG and cell wall integrity pathways. Our results contribute to the understanding of <jats:named-content content-type="genus-species">A. fumigatus</jats:named-content> adaptation to the host environment. </jats:p>