Ribosomal biogenesis factor links ribosome homeostasis to host relevant stress survival in Aspergillus fumigatus

Depleting the ribosomal biogenesis factor BFR2 in Aspergillus fumigatus increases susceptibility to oxidative, replication, and DNA-damaging stresses and enhances neutrophil killing.

• Why it matters: Host immune cells impose oxidative and DNA-damaging stresses on inhaled conidia, but how ribosomal biogenesis factors support survival beyond ribosome production is unclear.
• What they did: The study repressed BFR2 to impair 18S rRNA formation and used an induction/shut-off system to transiently express BFR2 in swollen conidia, then deplete it to test stress survival and neutrophil killing.
• The result: BFR2 depletion increased in vitro neutrophil-mediated killing and, in mice, reduced conidial survival within neutrophils and pulmonary fungal burden, while attenuating virulence and extending survival by a few days in immunocompromised mice.