An efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification system is vital for the survival of the pathogenic fungus
Aspergillus fumigatus
within the host high ROS environment of the host. Therefore, identifying and targeting factors essential for oxidative stress response is one approach to develop novel treatments for fungal infections. Oxidation resistance 1 (Oxr1) protein is essential for protection against oxidative stress in mammals, but its functions in pathogenic fungi remain unknown. The present study aimed to characterize the role of an Oxr1 homolog in
A. fumigatus
. The results indicated that the OxrA protein plays an important role in oxidative stress resistance by regulating the catalase function in
A. fumigatus
, and overexpression of catalase can rescue the phenotype associated with OxrA deficiency. Importantly, the deficiency of
oxrA
decreased the virulence of
A. fumigatus
and altered the host immune response. Using the
Aspergillus
-induced lung infection model, we demonstrated that the
ΔoxrA
mutant strain induced less tissue damage along with decreased levels of LDH and albumin release. Additionally, the
ΔoxrA
mutant caused inflammation at a lower degree, along with a markedly reduced influx of neutrophils to the lungs and a decreased secretion of cytokine usually associated with recruitment of neutrophils in mice. These results characterize for the role of OxrA in
A. fumigatus
, as a core regulator of oxidative stress resistance and fungal pathogenesis.
Importance
Knowledge of reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification in fungal pathogens is useful in the design of new antifungal drugs and could aid in the study of oxidative stress resistance mechanisms. In this study, we demonstrate that OxrA protein localize to the mitochondria and function to protect against oxidative damage. We demonstrate that OxrA contributes to oxidative stress resistance by regulating catalase function, and overexpression of catalase (CatA or CatB) can rescue the phenotype that is associated with OxrA deficiency. Remarkably, a loss of OxrA attenuated the fungal virulence in a mouse model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and altered the host immune response. Therefore, our finding indicates that inhibition of OxrA might be an effective approach for alleviating
A. fumigatus
infection. The present study is, to the best of our knowledge, a pioneer in reporting the vital role of Oxr1 protein in pathogenic fungi.
Role of rgsA in Oxidative Stress Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa