The glucose sensor-like protein Hxs1 is a high-affinity glucose transporter and required for virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

ABSTRACT: Cryptococcus is a major fungal pathogen that frequently causes systemic infection in patients with compromised immunity. Glucose, an important signal molecule and the preferred carbon source for Cryptococcus, plays a critical role in fungal development and virulence. Cryptococcus contains more than 50 genes sharing high sequence homology with hexose transporters in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, there is no report on their function in glucose sensing or transport. In this study, we investigated two hexose transporter-like proteins (Hxs1 and Hxs2) in Cryptococcus that share the highest sequence identity with the glucose sensors Snf3 and Rgt2 in S. cerevisiae. The expression of HXS1 is repressed by high glucose, while the HXS2 expression is not regulated by glucose. Functional studies sh

SUBMITTER: Liu TB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3653957 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature