The secreted proteases of pathogenic species of Aspergillus and their possible role in virulence

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The species of Aspergillus secrete aspartic, serine and metalloproteases. The role of secreted proteases in virulence were investigated with A. fumigatus which is the species the most frequently found in patients with aspergillosis. A mutant of A. fumigatus deficient in proteolytic activity at neutral pH in vitro, was constructed and tested for pathogenicity in a murine model. No difference in pathogenicity was observed between the wild type strain and the mutants, suggesting that the proteases secreted at neutral pH are not essential for the invasion of the lung tissues by the fungus. Key words: proteases, Aspergillus, virulence.