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Virus Infection Impairs Fungal Response to Stress: Effect of Salt

David A Stevens1,2, Ioly Kotta-Loizou3,4, Marife Martinez1

  • 1California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, CA 95128, USA.

Viruses
|March 30, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Infection with Aspergillus fumigatus polymycovirus 1 (AfuPmV-1) impairs fungal stress responses. Virus-infected Aspergillus fumigatus shows reduced resistance to hypertonic salt stress compared to virus-free strains.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Virology
  • Microbial Ecology

Background:

  • Aspergillus fumigatus forms biofilms crucial in infections.
  • Polymycoviruses can alter fungal phenotypes and interactions.
  • Understanding fungal stress response is vital for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of Aspergillus fumigatus polymycovirus 1 (AfuPmV-1) infection on the stress tolerance of A. fumigatus.
  • To compare the salt stress sensitivity between virus-infected (VI) and virus-free (VF) A. fumigatus strains.

Main Methods:

  • Culturing of A. fumigatus reference strain Af293, both virus-infected (VI) and virus-free (VF).
  • Exposure of VI and VF strains to hypertonic salt stress conditions.
  • Monitoring and comparison of fungal growth rates under salt stress over time.

Main Results:

  • Salt stress inhibited growth in both VI and VF strains.
  • VF strains consistently exhibited higher growth than VI strains, both with and without salt.
  • While initially VI strains showed better relative salt tolerance, VF strains demonstrated superior persistent growth under salt stress by 120 hours.

Conclusions:

  • AfuPmV-1 infection compromises the ability of Aspergillus fumigatus to cope with hypertonic salt stress.
  • Virus infection negatively impacts fungal stress response mechanisms, potentially affecting virulence and antifungal susceptibility.
Keywords:
Aspergillus fumigatuspolymycovirussalt stress

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