Construction and pathogenicity of Aspergillus fumigatus mutants that do not produce the ribotoxin restrictocin

Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus, the most common cause of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), produces a potent cytotoxin called restrictocin. To investigate the role of restrictocin in IPA, we have constructed fungal strains in which the res gene has been inactivated by gene disruption. These disruptants lack the specific extracellular ribonucleolytic activity associated with restrictocin, as measured by an in vitro rabbit reticulocyte lysate assay. Western blot analysis of one disruptant, using an anti-restrictocin monoclonal antibody, confirmed that the toxin is not produced. The growth characteristics of the disruptants could not be distinguished from those of their parental isolates on a variety of culture media. The pathogenicity of two disruptants was assessed in a murine model of IPA. There were no significant differences in mortality when these strains were compared with the parental isolates and an ectopic transformant. In addition, histological examination of infected lung tissue did not reveal any obvious differences in the number or size of fungal colonies or in the polymorphonuclear leucocyte response. Our results demonstrate that restrictocin is not an important virulence factor in this model of IPA.