What is it about?

Valley fever is a disease common in the southwestern US, caused by a fungal pathogen. This is the first report assessing differences among fungal strains in a mouse model of disease. We looked at a proteins present in a sample of lavage fluid. We found deferentially expressed proteins from both the host and the fungus.

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Why is it important?

Rates of valley fever in the Southwest have increased dramatically over the last 20 years. We provide evidence that understanding the fungal component of diversity of disease is important.

Perspectives

I'm interested in understanding if virulence is an emerging trait for this pathogen. If climate change is influencing range expansion, it is possible that natural selection novel habitats could diversify fungal strategies for survival and could have consequences for fungal virulence.

Dr Bridget Marie Barker
Translational Genomics Research Institute

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This page is a summary of: Differences in Host Innate Responses among Coccidioides Isolates in a Murine Model of Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis, Eukaryotic Cell, August 2015, ASM Journals,
DOI: 10.1128/ec.00122-15.
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