Molecular study of apoptotic processes in Aspergillus ssp. and the influence of Aspergillus fumigatus on apoptosis in host immune effector cells
Previous results suggest that some potent fungicidals induce a type of apoptosis in A. nidulans similar to the caspase-independent apoptosis observed in mammalian systems. Therefore, we aim at the molecular elucidation of such events in Aspergillus ssp. using most modern technologies like parallel Rapid PCR, chip/array approaches or MALDI-TOF/TOF and others. Furthermore, we plan to investigate molecular mechanisms of how Aspergillus fumigatus suppresses the human cellular immune response via apoptosis of immune effector cells.
Publications
(2011) Phagocytosis of melanized Aspergillus conidia by macrophages exerts cytoprotective effects by sustained PI3K/Akt signalling. Cell Microbiol 13(8), 1130-1148. Details PubMed
(2007) Apoptosis inhibition of alveolar macrophages upon interaction with conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus. FEMS Microbiol Lett 275(2), 250-254. Details PubMed
Supervisor
Start of PhD
March 1, 2006
Doctoral Disputation
May 1, 2011
