Development-dependent scavenging of nucleic acids in the filamentous fungusAspergillus fumigatus

• DOI: 10.4161/rna.6.2.7717
• Publication Date: 2010-01-28T21:43:05Z
• Authors: Christoph Jöchl; Edmund Loh; Andreas Ploner; Hubertus Haas; Alexander Hüttenh...
• Keywords: Pathogenic fungus

Aspergillus fumigatus is an ubiquitous, filamentous and opportunistic pathogenic fungus which causes fatal invasive aspergillosis among immuno-compromised patients. Since therapeutic strategies are currently limited, the mortality rate of high thus, alternative antifungal required. In this study, we demonstrate that during vegetative growth able to scavenge nucleic acids within its cell wall with accumulation rates several thousand-fold, compared surrounding medium. To investigate, whether acids, attached fungal wall, move further into cytoplasm cells, directly applied siRNAs, in absence lipo-transfection reagents, growing A. cells. fact, addition two 21-nt siRNA duplexes resulted knock-down their corresponding target mRNAs, odcA pyrG, respectively. These findings indicate RNA interference, mediated by can be used as a fast efficient tool investigate functions genes fungi. addition, siRNA-based therapies may provide novel approaches for treatment.