Fungal histone deacetylase Hos2 (Hos2)

Fungal histone deacetylase Hos2 is an enzyme belonging to the class I histone deacetylase family. It catalyzes the removal of acetyl groups from lysine residues of histone proteins, resulting in chromatin condensation and repression of gene transcription. Hos2 plays a central role in controlling morphological transitions and activating virulence programs in pathogenic fungi, such as the yeast-to-hypha switch in Ustilago maydis. It acts downstream of key nutrient-sensing and virulence-regulating pathways (notably the cAMP-PKA pathway) and directly binds gene bodies of pathogenicity-related genes to modulate their expression. Hos2 also influences secondary metabolism, including the production of toxins and pigments. These properties make Hos2 a promising antifungal therapeutic target, particularly for developing drugs that inhibit fungal-specific HDACs and disrupt virulence without affecting mammalian cells.

Other names

Hos2HOS2fungal HDAC Hos2class I histone deacetylase Hos2

Drugs targeting Hos2 inhibit deacetylation of lysine residues on histone proteins, leading to altered chromatin condensation and transcriptional deregulation. This can suppress fungal growth, inhibit the yeast-to-hypha transformation, and block virulence gene expression, disrupting infection processes.