Hybrid histidine kinases and antifungal warfare in thermal dimorphic fungi
Abstract
Thermal dimorphic fungal pathogens are fungi that infect humans, often through the inhalation of asexual conidia, and which transition from hyphae to yeast in the human body. These fungi cause severe or chronic mycoses and are typically treated with azoles or amphotericin B. Ambruticin, a polyketide antifungal, shows promise as an alternative therapy. It targets hybrid histidine kinases (HHKs), which are fungal-specific proteins essential for osmoregulation and parasitic morphology and are conserved across thermal dimorphic species. Targeting HHKs suggests that ambruticin may therapeutically treat infections from multiple fungi without causing mechanism-based toxicity. We explore ambruticin's potential to effectively treat these fungal infections without major adverse effects.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Fungal Infections and Studies
Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
Fungal and yeast genetics research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Volume
- 70
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e0122525–e0122525
- Publication date
- 4 February 2026
- Language
- EN