Table 1 Origin of the mutant isolates studied IHEM number Colonies on YPDA Year of isolation Origin of sample

Country of isolation 2508 White powdery 1985 Hospital environment Belgium 9860 White powdery 1975 Cultivated soil India 15998 Brown powdery 1999 Human sputum (patient with cystic fibrosis) France Figure 2 5-day-old cultures of the different strains or isolates studied on YPDA plates. Reference strains CBS 113.26 (A) and IHEM 18963 (B) produce typical dark-blue green powdery colonies, whereas mutant isolates IHEM 2508 (C), IHEM 9860 (D) produce white powdery colonies and IHEM 15998 (E), brown powdery colonies. Results Susceptibility to dihydroxy-naphtalene (DHN)-melanin inhibitors and characterisation of the genetic defect To identify which steps of the melanin biosynthesis pathway were affected in mutant isolates, the effect of specific DHN-melanin inhibitors was analysed based on PRIMA-1MET in vivo colony colour and radial Endocrinology antagonist Selleck CB-839 growth on culture media supplemented with tricyclazole, pyroquilon or fenoxanil. Tricyclazole and pyroquilon inhibit hydroxynaphtalene reductase encoded by the ARP2 gene, while fenoxanil interferes with scytalone dehydratase encoded by the ARP1 gene

(Figure 1). On Czapek medium supplemented with 20 μg/mL of tricyclazole, pyroquilon or fenoxanil, A. fumigatus CBS 113.26 and IHEM 18963 developed powdery colonies with pigmentation similar to that of colonies of the brownish isolate IHEM 15998 (Figure 3). The inhibitors had no effect on pigmentless or brownish isolates. The colour of the colonies of these mutant isolates was not affected, nor was their diameter significantly modified in most cases (Table 2). Figure 3 Effects of pyroquilon on colony colour of A. fumigatus grown on Czapek medium. The reference strain CBS 113.26 was grown on Czapek agar, supplemented (B) or not (A) with 20 μg/mL of pyroquilon. The colour of the colonies Abiraterone obtained in the presence of this inhibitor of the melanin biosynthesis pathway is similar to that of colonies of the brownish isolate IHEM 15998 grown on Czapek medium (C). Table

2 Growth on Czapek medium supplemented with inhibitors of melanin biosynthesis Strain or isolate number Control Tricyclazole Pyroquilon Fenoxanil Reference strains            CBS 113.26 31.7 ± 1.52 30 ± 4.36 29.3 ± 2.08 32.3 ± 0.58    IHEM 18963 32 ± 2 31.7 ± 1.15 28 ± 1* 31.2 ± 0.28 Mutant isolates            IHEM 2508 33.7 ± 0.58 32 ± 2 31 ± 1* 33.3 ± 1.15    IHEM 9860 31.7 ± 1.15 30.7 ± 1.53 34 ± 1.73 25.3 ± 1.53*    IHEM 15998 35.7 ± 0.58 34 ± 1.73 35 ± 2.64 27.7 ± 0.58* Experiments were performed in triplicate and results are expressed as mean diameter (mm) of the colonies (± standard deviation) after 72 hours of incubation at 37°C. *indicates statistically significant difference between control and inhibitor of melanin biosynthesis (unpaired Student’s t-test; P < 0.05).