Among them, A. fumigatus is the most important airborne fungal pathogen involved in various forms of aspergillosis in humans and animals [1–3]. Infections caused by this opportunistic and ubiquitous fungus can lead to fatal invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised hosts with neutrophil deficiencies [4]. Its potential

virulence is still poorly understood but it is probably SN-38 order associated with multiple and specific fungal factors, (among which its thermotolerance), in combination with host factors [5]. Recently, A. lentulus a species closely related to A. fumigatus within the Fumigati section, has been described by Balajee et al. [6]. This species has been associated with the same pathologies [7]. Moreover, it is naturally resistant to several antifungal drugs [8, 9]. The availability of a sequenced and annoted eFT-508 mouse genome of A. fumigatus provided a new starting point to understand the biology of this medically important fungus [10]. So far, few studies have been published about the proteomics and modification of protein expression under different environmental conditions. The techniques used are essentially based on two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) which allows the detection and then the

purification of fungal compounds for further identification. However, even after A-769662 purchase optimization, this method is time-and sample-consuming [11, 12]. More recently matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) which associates sensitivity and efficacy, has been applied to analyze the protein composition of fungal proteome [13–18]. This methodology proved useful for unambiguous identification of Aspergillus and Penicillium species [15, 16]. Another mass spectrometry approach, the surface-enhanced laser AZD9291 concentration desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS)

has not yet been applied to detect fungal markers. This method provides specific advantages over conventional MALDI-TOF approaches as it combines chromatography on plane surfaces and mass spectrometry. SELDI-TOF-MS is specifically useful for comparative studies of selected components. The selective protein retention on the different target surfaces of the ProteinChips® arrays allows the rapid analysis of complex mixtures. Since its first description [19], the SELDI-TOF-MS method has been widely used to find specific markers in cancerous, cardiovascular, neurological and infectious diseases [20–27]. The SELDI-TOF technology also proved successful to allow the identification of a post translational modified form of vimentin that discriminates infiltrative and non infiltrative meningiomas [28]. In microbiology, SELDI-TOF-MS was applied on Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans [29] in order to better understand the physiological responses and biological adaptation of this pathogen to environmental conditions.