Browsing by Author "O’Dea, Evan M."

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    Isolate-Dependent Growth, Virulence, and Cell Wall Composition in the Human Pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus
    (Public Library of Science, 2014-06-19) Amarsaikhan, Nansalmaa; O’Dea, Evan M.; Tsoggerel, Angar; Owegi, Henry; Gillenwater, Jordan; Templeton, Steven P.; Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
    The ubiquitous fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is a mediator of allergic sensitization and invasive disease in susceptible individuals. The significant genetic and phenotypic variability between and among clinical and environmental isolates are important considerations in host-pathogen studies of A. fumigatus-mediated disease. We observed decreased radial growth, rate of germination, and ability to establish colony growth in a single environmental isolate of A. fumigatus, Af5517, when compared to other clinical and environmental isolates. Af5517 also exhibited increased hyphal diameter and cell wall β-glucan and chitin content, with chitin most significantly increased. Morbidity, mortality, lung fungal burden, and tissue pathology were decreased in neutropenic Af5517-infected mice when compared to the clinical isolate Af293. Our results support previous findings that suggest a correlation between in vitro growth rates and in vivo virulence, and we propose that changes in cell wall composition may contribute to this phenotype.