Aspergillus fumigatus virulence through the lens of transcription factors

<span class="paragraphSection"><div class="boxTitle">Abstract</div>Invasive aspergillosis (IA), most commonly caused by the filamentous fungus <span style="font-style:italic;">Aspergillus fumigatus</span>, occurs in immune compromised individuals. The ability of <span style="font-style:italic;">A. fumigatus</span> to proliferate in a multitude of environments is hypothesized to contribute to its pathogenicity and virulence. Transcription factors (TF) have long been recognized as critical proteins for fungal pathogenicity, as many are known to play important roles in the transcriptional regulation of pathways implicated in virulence. Such pathways include regulation of conidiation and development, adhesion, nutrient acquisition, adaptation to environmental stress, and interactions with the host immune system among others. In both murine and insect models of IA, TF loss of function in <span style="font-style:italic;">A. fumigatus</span> results in cases of hyper- and hypovirulence as determined through host survival, fungal burden, and immune response analyses. Consequently, the study of specific TFs in <span style="font-style:italic;">A. fumigatus</span> has revealed important insights into mechanisms of pathogenicity and virulence. Although <span style="font-style:italic;">in vitro</span> studies have identified virulence-related functions of specific TFs, the full picture of their <span style="font-style:italic;">in vivo</span> functions remain largely enigmatic and an exciting area of current research. Moreover, the vast majority of TFs remain to be characterized and studied in this important human pathogen. Here in this mini-review we provide an overview of selected TFs in <span style="font-style:italic;">A. fumigatus</span> and their contribution to our understanding of this important human pathogen's pathogenicity and virulence.</span>

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