Immunology & Infectious Diseases

Faculty Name

David Askew, PhD

Pathology & Lab Med

Associate Professor

Research Summary

Aspergillus fumigatus is an environmental mould that propagates itself by the release into the air of high concentrations of conidia (spores), which are unavoidably inhaled. Patients who are immunosuppressed, such as cancer or transplant patients, are at increased risk for infection with these conidia. Despite some advances in therapy, invasive aspergillosis continues to have a poor outcome, emphasizing the need for more information on fungal pathways that are essential to the growth of the organism in vivo. The ability of A. fumigatus to thrive in the host environment requires the secretion of abundant degradative enzymes. This exerts stress on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of the fungus, which is countered by the activation of a stress response pathway termed the unfolded protein response (UPR).

Our lab is currently interested in understanding how A. fumigatus harnesses the UPR and associated pathways to meet the demands of a high capacity secretory system, with the long term goal of developing new antifungal therapies that can interrupt ER homeostasis.

Recent Publications

Richie DL, Hartl L, Aimanianda V, Winters MS, Fuller KK, Miley MD, White S,McCarthy JW, Latgé JP, Feldmesser M, Rhodes JC, Askew DS. A role for the unfoldedprotein response (UPR) in virulence and antifungal susceptibility in Aspergillus fumigatus. PLoS Pathog. 2009 Jan;5(1):e1000258. Epub 2009 Jan 9. PubMed PMID:19132084; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2606855.

Richie DL, Askew DS. Autophagy in the filamentous fungus Aspergillusfumigatus. Methods Enzymol. 2008;451:241-50. PubMed PMID: 19185725.

 Askew DS. Aspergillus fumigatus: virulence genes in a street-smart mold. Curr Opin Microbiol. 2008 Aug;11(4):331-7. Epub 2008 Jun 23. Review. PubMed PMID:18579432; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2559812.

 Bhabhra R, Richie DL, Kim HS, Nierman WC, Fortwendel J, Aris JP, Rhodes JC,Askew DS. Impaired ribosome biogenesis disrupts the integration betweenmorphogenesis and nuclear duplication during the germination of Aspergillusfumigatus. Eukaryot Cell. 2008 Apr;7(4):575-83. Epub 2008 Feb 22. PubMed PMID:18296619; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2292631.

 Richie DL, Askew DS. Autophagy: a role in metal ion homeostasis? Autophagy.2008 Jan 1;4(1):115-7. Epub 2007 Nov 2. PubMed PMID: 18032915.

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