André Corrêa Amaral, Larissa Fernandes, Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino, Maria Sueli Soares Felipe, Célia Maria de Almeida Soares, Maristela Pereira.
Published June 30, 2005
Genet. Mol. Res. 4 (2): 430-449 (2005)

About the Authors
André Corrêa Amaral, Larissa Fernandes, Alexsandro Sobreira Galdino, Maria Sueli Soares Felipe, Célia Maria de Almeida Soares, Maristela Pereira.

Corresponding author
M. Pereira
Email: mani@icb.ufg.br

ABSTRACT

The rise in antifungal resistance, observed as a result of the increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients, has made the discovery of new targets for drug therapy imperative. The description of the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis transcriptome has allowed us to find alternatives to refine current therapy against paracoccidioidomycosis. We used comparative analysis of expressed sequence tags to find promising drug targets that have been addressed in other pathogens. We divided the analysis into six different categories, based on the involvement of the targeted mechanisms in the cell: i) cell wall construction, ii) plasma membrane composition, iii) cellular machinery, iv) cellular metabolism, v) signaling pathways, and vi) other essential processes. Through this approach, it has been possible to infer strategies to develop alternative drugs against this pathogen.

Key words: Drug targets, Fungi, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.