Scholars@Duke
Richard Gerald Brennan

Richard Gerald Brennan

James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry
Biochemistry

Scholarly Works - Preprints

Mitochondrial cardiolipin sequestration of caspofungin underlies Cryptococcus neoformans inherent resistance and may contribute to cardiotoxicity.

Preprint · January 20, 2026 Cryptococcus exhibits inherent resistance to the echinocandin, caspofungin, which inhibits the synthesis of (1,3)-β-D-glucan, a key component of the polysaccharide cell wall. The essential FKS1 gene encodes the catalytic subunit of (1,3)-β-D-glucan synthas ... Full text Link to item Cite

Inhibitors of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase activity in fungal pathogens compromise thermal tolerance pathways.

Preprint · June 18, 2025 UNLABELLED: Infections caused by fungal pathogens such as Candida and Cryptococcus are associated with high mortality rates, partly due to limitations in the current antifungal arsenal. This highlights the need for antifungal drug targets with novel mechan ... Full text Link to item Cite

Structures of trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, Tps1, from the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans : a target for novel antifungals.

Preprint · June 5, 2024 UNLABELLED: Invasive fungal diseases are a major threat to human health, resulting in more than 1.5 million annual deaths worldwide. The arsenal of antifungal therapeutics remains limited and is in dire need of novel drugs that target additional biosynthet ... Full text Link to item Cite

A single amino acid in the Salmonella effector SarA/SteE triggers supraphysiological activation of STAT3 for anti-inflammatory target gene expression.

Preprint · February 14, 2024 Non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica cause an estimated 1 million cases of gastroenteritis annually in the United States. These serovars use secreted protein effectors to mimic and reprogram host cellular functions. We previously discovered that the secreted ... Full text Link to item Cite