The iron-responsive transcription factor HapX drives iron starvation adaptation and virulence in Talaromyces marneffei

Talaromycosis is caused by Talaromyces marneffei, which needs to survive under low-iron conditions and other stresses inside host cells. In this study, we examined the role of the iron-related transcription factor HapX by creating a ΔhapX mutant and testing its growth, stress response, intracellular survival, and virulence. Deleting HapX reduced growth in iron-limited conditions, lowered siderophore production, weakened stress tolerance, decreased survival in phagocytic cells, and attenuated virulence in the Galleria mellonella model, showing HapX is important for fungal pathogenicity.