A Coccidioides posadasii CPS1 deletion mutant is avirulent and protects mice from lethal infection

ABSTRACT: The CPS1 gene was identified as a virulence factor in the maize pathogen, Cochliobolus heterostrophus. Hypothesizing that the homologous gene in Coccidioides posadasii (Cp) could be important for virulence, we created a deletion mutant, Δcps1, which was unable to cause disease in three strains of mice (C57BL/6, BALB/c, or the severely immunodeficient NOD-scid,γcnull [NSG]). Only a single colony was recovered from one of 60 C57BL/6 mice following intranasal infections of up to 4400 spores. Following administration of very high doses (10,000 to 2.5 x 10^7 spores) to NSG and BALB/c mice, spherules were observed in lung sections at time points from day 3 to day 10 post-infection, but nearly all appeared degraded with infrequent endosporulation. Although the role of CPS1 in virulence

ORGANISM(S): Coccidioides posadasii

SUBMITTER: Adam Buntzman 

PROVIDER: E-GEOD-85364 | biostudies-arrayexpress |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-arrayexpress