CTSD and infection: Importantly, chemical removal of melanin from conidia of Rhizopus resulted in reversal of phagosome maturation arrest as evidenced by the significant increase in recruitment of LC3 II (Fig. 5e, f) and Cathepsin D (Fig. 5g, h) to the phagosomes containing melanin-deficient (albino) Rhizopus. Finally, infection of immunocompetent mice with melanin-deficient (albino) Rhizopus conidia recovered from culture in copper-free media (Fig. 5i) resulted in rapid fungal clearance from the lungs, when compared to infection with wild-type (WT) (control) melanized Rhizopus conidia (Fig. 5j).