UGE1 and UGE2 regulate the UDP-glucose/UDP-galactose equilibrium in Cryptococcus neoformans.

ABSTRACT: The genome of the basidiomycete pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans carries two UDP-glucose epimerase genes (UGE1 and UGE2). UGE2 maps within a galactose cluster composed of a galactokinase homologue gene and a galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase. This clustered organization of the GAL genes is similar to that in most of the hemiascomycete yeast genomes and in Schizosaccharomyces pombe but is otherwise not generally conserved in the fungal kingdom. UGE1 has been identified as necessary for galactoxylomannan biosynthesis and virulence. Here, we show that UGE2 is necessary for C. neoformans cells to utilize galactose as a carbon source at 30 degrees C but is not required for virulence. In contrast, deletion of UGE1 does not affect cell growth on galactose at this temperature. At 3

SUBMITTER: Moyrand F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2593187 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature