Microevolution during serial mouse passage demonstrates FRE3 as a virulence adaptation gene in Cryptococcus neoformans.

ABSTRACT: Passage in mice of opportunistic pathogens such as Cryptococcus neoformans is known to increase virulence, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms involved in virulence adaptation. Serial mouse passage of nine environmental strains of serotype A C. neoformans identified two highly adapted virulent strains that showed a 4-fold reduction in time to death after four passages. Transcriptome sequencing expression studies demonstrated increased expression of a FRE3-encoded iron reductase in the two strains but not in a control strain that did not demonstrate increased virulence during mouse passage. FRE3 was shown to express an iron reductase activity and to play a role in iron-dependent growth of C. neoformans. Overexpression of FRE3 in the two original environmental strains increase

SUBMITTER: Hu G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3977352 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature