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Fungus breakthrough raises leukaemia hopes

Date published: 23/12/2005

New research into the gene code of a family of fungi could hold the key to tackling the leading cause of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. The study by international scientists into the genome sequences (genetic maps) for the fungi Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus oryzae has produced some important results.

The three species of fungus are genetically very different. Aspergillus is a very common air-borne fungus and, though usually harmless, the species Aspergillus fumigatus has been identified as a leading infectious cause of death in vulnerable leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients.

Aspergillus nidulans has been a leading experimental system helping to unravel many fundamental cellular processes for the last 50 years, whilst Aspergillus oryzae has been used in the Far East for 2000 years to produce sake (rice wine), miso (soybean paste) and shoyu (soy sauce).

Led by the University of Manchester, the researchers discovered that the three species of fungus only shared around 68 per cent of the same proteins, making them as different from one another as humans and fish. Almost a third (30 per cent) of the 9,500-14,000 genes identified are new to science and of completely new function and structure.

Published in Nature magazine, the research indicates that the species of fungus also differ considerably in genome size, with Aspergillus oryzae around 31 per cent bigger than Aspergillus fumigatus and 24 per cent bigger than Aspergillus nidulans.

University of Manchester Professor David Denning, who co-ordinated the project, said: "Identifying these genome sequences will transform scientific understanding of why this group of fungi is so lethal and allergenic. "The importance of the project in helping develop new drugs and diagnostic tests, and understand and prevent allergies and diseases like pneumonia and sinusitis, cannot be overestimated. The information revealed will also develop our understanding of the biology of composting and mycotoxin production, and provide benefits for many other areas of science and medicine."

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