{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T12:49:25Z","timestamp":1792759765815,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"American Society for Microbiology","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,24]],"date-time":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1692835200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,24]],"date-time":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1692835200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/non-commercial-tdm-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.asm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["mSphere"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,24]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Germination of inhaled\n                    <jats:italic>Aspergillus fumigatus<\/jats:italic>\n                    conidia is a necessary sequitur for infection. Germination of conidia starts with the breaking of dormancy, which is initiated by an increase of the cellular perimeter in a process termed isotropic growth. This swelling phase is followed by polarized growth, resulting in the formation of a germ tube. The multinucleate tubular cells exhibit tip growth from the hyphae, after which lateral branches emerge to form the mycelial network. The regulatory mechanisms governing conidial germination are not well defined. In this study, we identified a novel role for the transcription factor SltA in the orchestration of germination and hyphal development. Conidia lacking\n                    <jats:italic>sltA<\/jats:italic>\n                    fail to appropriately regulate isotropic growth and begin to swell earlier and subsequently switch to polarized growth faster. Additionally, hyphal development is distorted in a \u2206\n                    <jats:italic>sltA<\/jats:italic>\n                    isolate as hyphae are hyper-branching and wider, and show branching at the apical tip. \u2206\n                    <jats:italic>sltA<\/jats:italic>\n                    conidia are more tolerant to cell wall stressors on minimal medium compared to the wild-type (WT) strain. A transcriptome analysis of different stages of early growth was carried out to assess the regulatory role of SltA. Null mutants generated for three of the most dysregulated genes showed rapid germ tube emergence. Distinct from the phenotype observed for \u2206\n                    <jats:italic>sltA<\/jats:italic>\n                    , conidia from these strains lacked defects in isotropic growth, but switched to polarized growth faster. Here, we characterize and describe several genes in the regulon of SltA, highlighting the complex nature of germination.\n                  <\/jats:p>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>IMPORTANCE<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:italic>Aspergillus fumigatus<\/jats:italic>\n                      is the main human fungal pathogen causing aspergillosis. For this fungus, azoles are the most commonly used antifungal drugs for treatment of aspergillosis. However, the prevalence of azole resistance is alarmingly increasing and linked with elevated mortality. Germination of conidia is crucial within its asexual life cycle and plays a critical role during the infection in the human host. Precluding germination could be a promising strategy considering the role of germination in\n                      <jats:italic>Aspergillus<\/jats:italic>\n                      spp. pathogenicity. Here, we identify a novel role for SltA in appropriate maintenance of dormancy, germination, and hyphal development. Three genes in the regulon of SltA were also essential for appropriate germination of conidia. With an expanding knowledge of germination and its different morphotypes, more advances can be made toward potential anti-germination targets for therapy.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1128\/msphere.00076-23","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,6,1]],"date-time":"2023-06-01T09:00:26Z","timestamp":1685610026000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/asmj-crossmark-policy-page","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["The C\n                    <sub>2<\/sub>\n                    H\n                    <sub>2<\/sub>\n                    transcription factor SltA is required for germination and hyphal development in\n                    <i>Aspergillus fumigatus<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1128","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7038-9005","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tim J.H.","family":"Baltussen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Norman","family":"van Rhijn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester , Manchester, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0443-6250","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Jordy P.M.","family":"Coolen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jan","family":"Dijksterhuis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute , Utrecht, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8600-9860","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Paul E.","family":"Verweij","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7611-0201","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Michael J.","family":"Bromley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Manchester Fungal Infection Group, Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester , Manchester, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5446-2230","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Willem J.G.","family":"Melchers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"235","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02681219480000701"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_3_2","first-page":"32","article-title":"Aspergillus in compost: straw man or fatal flaw","volume":"36","author":"Haines J","year":"1995","unstructured":"Haines J . 1995. Aspergillus in compost: straw man or fatal flaw. Biocycle 36:32\u201335.","journal-title":"Biocycle"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_4_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1029\/2000GL011599"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00436490"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijfoodmicro.2020.108958"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_7_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nrmicro.2017.90"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_8_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/scitranslmed.3004404"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00068-17"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_10_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/jof7010030"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/MMBR.00049-19"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00284-006-0413-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.01632-09"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1006\/emyc.1995.1017"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.funbio.2020.11.004"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_16_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10482-022-01762-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.ppat.1009235"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2022.907519"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/mmy\/myaa075"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41467-019-14191-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/cpmc.88"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_22_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nprot.2006.405"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_23_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fgb.2020.103479"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_24_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mSphere.00446-17"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_25_2","volume-title":"Statistical methods","author":"Snedecor GW","year":"1989","unstructured":"Snedecor GW , Cochran WG . 1989. Statistical methods. Iowa State University Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/biomet\/52.3-4.591"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01621459.1952.10483441"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_28_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01621459.1961.10482090"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_29_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.2517-6161.1995.tb02031.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_30_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01621459.1927.10502953"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_31_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/nmeth.2089"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_32_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4148\/1941-4765.1173"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_33_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/bts635"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_34_2","volume-title":"R: a language and environment for statistical computing","author":"Team RC","year":"2021","unstructured":"Team RC . 2021. R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Found Stat Comput Vienna, Austria."},{"key":"e_1_3_4_35_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13059-014-0550-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_36_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-24277-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_37_2","unstructured":"Blighe K Lun A\n. 2021. PCAtools: Everything principal Componentsanalysis. R package version 260"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_38_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/bioinformatics\/btu627"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_39_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2016.0023"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_40_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fgb.2018.04.013"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_41_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41579-018-0121-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_42_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1534\/genetics.105.040584"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_43_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11046-014-9794-9"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_44_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens4040883"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_45_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/AAC.01839-20"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_46_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.M313746200"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_47_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1074\/jbc.273.35.22181"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_48_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/bj3510477"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_49_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bbagen.2014.01.032"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_50_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0021-9258(18)47163-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_51_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbc.2022.101657"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_52_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.2003266117"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_53_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.csbj.2014.05.003"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_54_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1042\/BJ20080344"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_55_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0168561"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_56_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00253-011-3689-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_57_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms22073777"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_58_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mSphere.00998-20"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_59_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00253-015-6898-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_60_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/mBio.00863-21"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_61_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbr.2021.07.002"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_62_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/s1087-1845(02)00511-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_63_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.91.25.12228"},{"key":"e_1_3_4_64_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.94.17.9096"}],"container-title":["mSphere"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1128\/msphere.00076-23","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1128\/msphere.00076-23","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,31]],"date-time":"2023-08-31T14:31:55Z","timestamp":1693492315000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.asm.org\/doi\/10.1128\/msphere.00076-23"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Aaron P.","family":"Mitchell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,24]]},"references-count":63,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,24]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1128\/msphere.00076-23"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/msphere.00076-23","relation":{},"ISSN":["2379-5042"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2379-5042","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,24]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2023-02-09","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2023-03-23","order":1,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2023-06-01","order":2,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e00076-23"}}