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Characterisation of the laccase-encoding gene abr2 of the dihydroxynaphthalene-like melanin gene cluster of Aspergillus fumigatus

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Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus is an important pathogen of the immunocompromised host. Previously, it was shown that the polyketide synthase encoded by the pksP (alb1) gene represents a virulence determinant. pksP is part of a gene cluster involved in dihydroxynaphthalene (DHN)-like melanin biosynthesis. Because a putative laccase-encoding gene (abr2) is also part of the cluster and a laccase was found to represent a virulence factor in Cryptococcus neoformans, here, the Abr2 laccase was characterised. Deletion of the abr2 gene changed the gray-green conidial pigment to a brown color and the ornamentation of conidia was reduced compared with wild-type conidia. In contrast to the white pksP mutant, the susceptibility of the Δabr2 mutant against reactive oxygen species (ROS) was not increased, suggesting that the intermediate of DHN-like melanin produced up to the step catalysed by Abr2 already possesses ROS scavenging activity. In an intranasal mouse infection model, the Δabr2 mutant strain showed no reduction in virulence compared with the wild type. In the Δabr2 mutant, overall laccase activity was reduced only during sporulation, but not during vegetative growth. An abr2p-lacZ gene fusion was expressed during sporulation, but not during vegetative growth confirming the pattern of laccase activity due to Abr2.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Yvonne Speidel, Ursula Stöckel and Birgit Weber for excellent technical assistance and Sven Krappmann for providing plasmid pAN8-1. This research was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Sonderforschungsbereich 587, Tp A8 and Priority Program 1160).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Jena, Germany

    Venelina Sugareva, Matthias Brock, Katrin Hübner, Thorsten Heinekamp & Axel A. Brakhage

  2. Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstrasse 11a, Jena, 07745, Germany

    Venelina Sugareva, Matthias Brock, Katrin Hübner, Thorsten Heinekamp & Axel A. Brakhage

  3. Drug Testing Group, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Beutenbergstrasse 11a, Jena, 07745, Germany

    Albert Härtl

  4. German Research Centre for Biotechnology (GBF), Mascheroder Weg 1, 38124, Braunschweig, Germany

    Manfred Rohde

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  1. Venelina Sugareva
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Correspondence to Axel A. Brakhage.

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Sugareva, V., Härtl, A., Brock, M. et al. Characterisation of the laccase-encoding gene abr2 of the dihydroxynaphthalene-like melanin gene cluster of Aspergillus fumigatus . Arch Microbiol 186, 345–355 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-006-0144-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-006-0144-2

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