Histoplasma capsulatum depends on de novo vitamin biosynthesis for intraphagosomal proliferation.

ABSTRACT: During infection of the mammalian host, Histoplasma capsulatum yeasts survive and reside within macrophages of the immune system. Whereas some intracellular pathogens escape into the host cytosol, Histoplasma yeasts remain within the macrophage phagosome. This intracellular Histoplasma-containing compartment imposes nutritional challenges for yeast growth and replication. We identified and annotated vitamin synthesis pathways encoded in the Histoplasma genome and confirmed by growth in minimal medium that Histoplasma yeasts can synthesize all essential vitamins with the exception of thiamine. Riboflavin, pantothenate, and biotin auxotrophs of Histoplasma were generated to probe whether these vitamins are available to intracellular yeasts. Disruption of the RIB2 gene (riboflavin biosynthesi

SUBMITTER: Garfoot AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3911860 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature