The Zinc Finger Protein Zfp2 Regulates Cell-Cell Fusion and Virulence in <i>Cryptococcus neoformans</i>.

ABSTRACT: Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungal pathogen commonly found in the environment. It mainly infects immunocompromised individuals, causing cryptococcal pneumonia and meningitis, which result in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Zinc finger proteins, with zinc finger domains, are common across organisms and serve many biological functions. In this study, we identified and characterized Zfp2, a C₃HC₄-type zinc finger protein, which regulates cell fusion and virulence in C. neoformans. Stress tests showed that the zfp2Δ mutant is hypersensitive to SDS, Congo red, NaCl, KCl, caspofungin, and fluconazole, suggesting that Zfp2 helps maintain cell membrane or wall integrity in C. neoformans. Notably, deleting ZFP2 reduced capsule siz

SUBMITTER: Fan CL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12734157 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature