Invasion of the central nervous system by Cryptococcus neoformans requires a secreted fungal metalloprotease.

ABSTRACT:

Unlabelled

Cryptococcus spp. cause life-threatening fungal infection of the central nervous system (CNS), predominantly in patients with a compromised immune system. Why Cryptococcus neoformans has this remarkable tropism for the CNS is not clear. Recent research on cerebral pathogenesis of C. neoformans revealed a predominantly transcellular migration of cryptococci across the brain endothelium; however, the identities of key fungal virulence factors that function specifically to invade the CNS remain unresolved. Here we found that a novel, secreted metalloprotease (Mpr1) that we identified in the extracellular proteome of C. neoformans (CnMpr1) is required for establishing fungal disease in the CNS. Mpr1 belongs to a poorly characterized M36 class of fungalysins that are expresse

SUBMITTER: Vu K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4049100 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature