Propranolol is efficacious against and corneal isolates and in a murine model of keratitis.

Fungal keratitis is a severe corneal infection most commonly caused by filamentous fungi. Even with prompt treatment with current antifungals, it often results in corneal perforation and blindness. In this report, we observe that the beta-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol, displays antifungal activity against and corneal isolates o and strikingly blocks disease establishment in a murine model of keratitis.

The mammalian Ire1 inhibitor, 4µ8C, exhibits broad anti- activity and in a treatment model of fungal keratitis.

Objective: The fungal unfolded protein response consists of a two-component relay in which the ER-bound sensor, IreA, splices and activates the mRNA of the transcription factor, HacA. Previously, we demonstrated that is essential for virulence in a murine model of fungal keratitis (FK), suggesting the pathway could serve as a therapeutic target. Here we investigate the antifungal properties of known inhibitors of the mammalian Ire1 protein both and in a treatment model of FK.

The mammalian Ire1 inhibitor, 4μ8C, exhibits broad anti- activity and in a treatment model of fungal keratitis.

Objective: The fungal unfolded protein response consists of a two-component relay in which the ER-bound sensor, IreA, splices and activates the mRNA of the transcription factor, HacA. Previously, we demonstrated that is essential for virulence in a murine model of fungal keratitis (FK), suggesting the pathway could serve as a therapeutic target. Here we investigate the antifungal properties of known inhibitors of the mammalian Ire1 protein both and in a treatment model of FK.

The Aspergillus fumigatus UPR is variably activated across nutrient and host environments and is critical for the establishment of corneal infection.

The Aspergillus fumigatus unfolded protein response (UPR) is a two-component relay consisting of the ER-bound IreA protein, which splices and activates the mRNA of the transcription factor HacA. Spliced hacA accumulates under conditions of acute ER stress in vitro, and UPR null mutants are hypovirulent in a murine model of invasive pulmonary infection. In this report, we demonstrate that a hacA deletion mutant (ΔhacA) is furthermore avirulent in a model of fungal keratitis, a corneal infection, and an important cause of ocular morbidity and unilateral blindness worldwide.

A host defense peptide mimetic, brilacidin, potentiates caspofungin antifungal activity against human pathogenic fungi.

Fungal infections cause more than 1.5 million deaths a year. Due to emerging antifungal drug resistance, novel strategies are urgently needed to combat life-threatening fungal diseases.

Genomic and Phenotypic Trait Variation of the Opportunistic Human Pathogen Aspergillus flavus and Its Close Relatives.

Fungal diseases affect millions of humans annually, yet fungal pathogens remain understudied. The mold Aspergillus flavus can cause both aspergillosis and fungal keratitis infections, but closely related species are not considered clinically relevant. To study the evolution of A.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Replacement in the Fungal Keratitis Pathogen .

Fungal keratitis (FK) is a site-threatening infection of the cornea associated with ocular trauma and contact lens wear. Members of the species complex (FSSC) are predominant agents of FK worldwide, but genes that support their corneal virulence are poorly understood. As a means to bolster genetic analysis in FSSC pathogens, we sought to employ a CRISPR/Cas9 system in an FK isolate identified as .