Temperature and genetic background drive mobilization of diverse transposable elements in a global human fungal pathogen.

ABSTRACT: Transposable elements (TEs) are key agents of genome evolution across all domains of life. These mobile genetic elements can cause mutations through transposition or by promoting structural rearrangements. Stress conditions can amplify TE mobility, either by impairing TE suppression mechanisms or through stress-induced interactions between transcription factors and TE sequences, offering a route for rapid genetic change. As such, TEs represent an important source of adaptability within populations. To investigate the interplay between environmental stress and eukaryotic TE dynamics relevant to infectious disease, we examined how heat stress and host-mimicking medium (RPMI) affect TE mobility in the global human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, using a collection of clinical and env

SUBMITTER: Mackey AI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12810828 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature