Mutation of the Regulator of G Protein Signaling Crg1 Increases Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans
AUTOR(ES)
Wang, Ping
FONTE
American Society for Microbiology
RESUMO
The regulator of G protein signaling homolog Crg1 was found to be a key regulator of pheromone-responsive mating in the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. A mutation in the CRG1 gene has greatly increased virulence in the prevalently distributed MATα strains of the fungus. Mouse survival time was shortened by 40%, and the lethal dosage was 100-fold less than that of wild-type strains. In addition, the increased virulence of crg1 mutant strains was dependent on the transcription factor homolog Ste12α but not on the mitogen-activated protein kinase homolog Cpk1. The enhanced mating due to CRG1 mutation, however, was still dependent on Cpk1. Interestingly, crg1 mutants of MATα cells produced dark melanin pigment under normally inhibitory conditions, which may relate to the mechanism for increased virulence.
ACESSO AO ARTIGO
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=500888Documentos Relacionados
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