Identification of a fungal antibacterial endopeptidase that cleaves peptidoglycan.

Machata S, Bertsche U, Hoffmann F, Fattal ZM, Kage F, Flak M, Iliou ANJ, Hillmann F, von Eggeling F, Slevogt H, Brakhage AA, Jacobsen ID (2025) Identification of a fungal antibacterial endopeptidase that cleaves peptidoglycan. EMBO Rep 26(1), 3889-3916.

Abstract

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus dwelling in soil and on decaying plant material, but also an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients. In its environmental niche, A. fumigatus faces competition from other microorganisms including bacteria. Here, we describe the discovery of the first secreted antibacterial protein in A. fumigatus. We identify a secreted fungal endopeptidase, designated CwhA, that cleaves peptidoglycan of Gram-positive bacteria at specific residues within the peptidoglycan stem peptide. Cleavage leads to bacterial lysis and the release of peptidoglycan cleavage products. Expression of cwhA is induced by the presence of bacteria. Furthermore, CwhA is highly abundant in murine lungs during invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and peptidoglycan cleavage products generated by CwhA stimulate cytokine production of human immune cells in vitro. Although CwhA does not affect human cells directly, this novel player in fungal-bacterial interactions could affect A. fumigatus infections by inhibiting Gram-positive bacteria in its vicinity, and possibly modulate the immune system.

Leibniz-HKI-Authors

Axel A. Brakhage
Zaher Fattal
Michal Flak
Falk Hillmann
Alexander Iliou
Ilse Denise Jacobsen
Franziska Kage
Silke Machata
Hortense Slevogt

Identifier

doi: 10.1038/s44319-025-00508-3

PMID: 40615579