Detalle de: Structure and role in pathogenesis of pneumococcal cell-wall associated proteins

The fungal cell wall is a dynamic and multi-layered structure, containing a core of crosslinked chitin and glucan.Despite decades of work, there are huge gaps in our knowledge of the enzymes responsible for cell wall synthesis, modification and crosslinking.This is particularly pressing given the significant rise in fatal fungal infections of immunocompromised patients, and thus the need for novel, properly genetically/chemically validated, drug targets.I will present data from a multidisciplinary approach (covering genetics, biochemistry, structural biology, high throughout screening, synthetic chemistry and cell biology) that furthers our understanding of the function, biochemistry, inhibition and genetic/chemical validation of A. fumigatus/C.albicans enzymes involved in fungal cell wall biogenesis.Aspects of cell wall synthesis, sugar nucleotide biosynthesis, cell wall modification/hydrolysis and crosslinking/transglycosylation will be covered.