Phosphatidylserine synthesis is essential for viability of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

ABSTRACT: Phospholipids are an integral part of the cellular membrane structure and can be produced by a de novo biosynthetic pathway and, alternatively, by the Kennedy pathway. Studies in several yeast species have shown that the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) is synthesized from CDP-diacylglycerol and serine, a route that is different from its synthesis in mammalian cells, involving a base-exchange reaction from preexisting phospholipids. Fungal-specific PS synthesis has been shown to play an important role in fungal virulence and has been proposed as an attractive drug target. However, PS synthase, which catalyzes this reaction, has not been studied in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans Here, we identified and characterized the PS synthase homolog (Cn Cho

SUBMITTER: Konarzewska P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6378964 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature