A food color-based colorimetric assay for Cryptococcus neoformans laccase activity.

ABSTRACT: Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen that causes cryptococcosis primarily in immunocompromised patients, such as those with HIV/AIDS. One survival mechanism of C. neoformans during infection is melanin production, which catalyzed by laccase and protects fungal cells against immune attack. Hence, the comparative assessment of laccase activity is useful for characterizing cryptococcal strains. We serendipitously observed that culturing C. neoformans with food coloring resulted in degradation of some dyes with phenolic structures. Consequently, we investigated the color changes for the food dyes metabolized by C. neoformans laccase and by using this effect explored the development of a colorimetric assay to measure laccase activity. We developed several ver

SUBMITTER: Sanchez Ramirez L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11302723 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature