Functional convergence of gliP and aspf1 in Aspergillus fumigatus pathogenicity

Gliotoxin contributes to the virulence of the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus in non-neutropenic mice that are immunosuppressed with corticosteroids. To investigate how the absence of gliotoxin affects both the fungus and the host, we used a nanoString nCounter to analyze their transcriptional responses during pulmonary infection of a non-neutropenic host with a gliotoxin-deficient ΔgliP mutant. We found that the ΔgliP mutation led to increased expression of aspf1, which specifies a secreted ribotoxin. Prior studies have shown that aspf1, like gliP, is not required for virulence in a neutropenic infection model, but its role in a non-neutropenic infection model has not been fully investigated. To investigate the functional significance of this up-regulation of aspf1, a Δaspf1 single mutant and a Δaspf1 ΔgliP double mutant were constructed. Both Δaspf1 and ΔgliP single mutants had reduced lethality in non-neutropenic mice, and a Δaspf1 ΔgliP double mutant had a greater reduction in lethality than either single mutant. Analysis of mice infected with these mutants indicated that the presence of gliP is associated with massive apoptosis of leukocytes at the foci of infection and inhibition of chemokine production. Also, the combination of gliP and aspf1 is associated with suppression of CXCL1 chemokine expression. Thus, aspf1 contributes to A. fumigatus pathogenicity in non-neutropenic mice and its up-regulation in the ΔgliP mutant may partially compensate for the absence of gliotoxin.

PAS: periodic acid-Schiff; PBS: phosphate buffered saline; ROS: reactive oxygen species; TUNEL: terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling.