The mold Aspergillus fumigatus can cause serious illnesses in humans. Researchers have now found out to what extent the fungus can adapt to the human organism and even change it.
The fungus Aspergillus fumigatus triggers infections in many people, often with a fatal outcome. According to the WHO, it is one of the four types of fungi that are particularly dangerous for humans. A research group headed by Gianni Panagiotou from the Leibniz Institute in Jena has now discovered that the fungus’s metabolism is remarkably adaptable. This allows the fungus to adapt flexibly to the organism of the affected person. The researchers published the results in the journal nature communications.
Once the fungus has also infested the lungs, it can change the prevailing microbiome there. In the investigations of the research group, the fungus changed the microbiome in such a way that the prevailing conditions favored its own growth. According to the scientists, the new findings should be taken into account when developing new drugs.
Dangerous and particularly diverse
Aspergillus fumigatus is a life-threatening pathogen, especially for immunocompromised people. The fungus can infect numerous parts of the body. They range from the skin and paranasal sinuses to the heart and kidneys. However, the tendency of the fungus to colonize the lungs or attack the central nervous system is particularly threatening. The treatment of the fungal infection is also difficult, since only a limited number of drugs are currently available.
Aspergillus fumigatus shows remarkable diversity. There are numerous variants of mold in nature, some of which differ significantly from one another. Earlier research by the team from Jena had already shown that the genome of 250 Aspergillus fumigatus strains examined was only about 70 percent identical. A comparison illustrates the extent of this genetic diversity: The genetic similarity between humans and chimpanzees is around 98 percent. The variability among fungal strains is particularly pronounced between those that cause disease in humans and those found exclusively in the environment.
Aspergillus fumigatus is so adaptable
In order to shed light on the extent of the adaptability of the mold, Panagiotou and his team carried out in-depth investigations. The researchers examined 250 Aspergillus fumigatus strains. With the help of advanced computer models, the team was able to make predictions about which metabolic processes take place in the fungi and which products are formed.
The results make it clear that the pathogenic strains differ from the environmental strains primarily in their production and variety of amino acids. It seems as if the pathogens were highly flexible in adapting to the living conditions in the human organism.
Not only the adaptability of the fungus proves to be remarkable, but also its ability to strategically influence the host organism. Panagiotou’s team examined 40 patients before and after a proven infection with Aspergillus fumigatus. They analyzed which microorganisms colonized the lungs of those affected.
The results showed: The mold modifies the microbiome in the lungs in a way that creates ideal conditions for its own growth. These changes led to a change in the species composition of the microbes. They favored the increased production of metabolic products that the fungus needs to spread.
Sources used: WHO, nature communications
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