A Histoplasma capsulatum Lipid Metabolic Map Identifies Antifungal Targets
Daniel Zamith-Miranda, Heino M. Heyman, Meagan C. Burnet, Sneha P. Couvillion, Xueyun Zheng, Nathalie Munoz, William C. Nelson, Jennifer E. Kyle, Erika M. Zink, Karl K. Weitz, Kent J. Bloodsworth, Geremy Clair, Jeremy D. Zucker, Jeremy R. Teuton, Samuel H. Payne, Young-Mo Kim, Morayma Reyes Gil, Erin S. Baker, Erin L. Bredeweg, Joshua D. Nosanchuk, Ernesto S. Nakayasu
Abstract
It is estimated that 150 people die per hour due to the insufficient therapeutic treatments to combat fungal infections. A major hurdle to developing antifungal therapies is the scarce knowledge on the fungal metabolic pathways and mechanisms of virulence. In this context, fungal lipid metabolism is an excellent candidate for developing drugs due to its essential roles in cellular scaffolds, energy storage, and signaling transductors. Here, we provide a detailed map of Histoplasma capsulatum lipid metabolism. The map revealed points of this fungus lipid metabolism that can be targeted for developing antifungal drugs.