Cryptococcus neoformans Cda1 and Cda2 coordinate deacetylation of chitin during infection to control fungal virulence.

ABSTRACT: Chitosan, a deacetylated form of chitin, is required for the virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans. There are three chitin deacetylase genes (CDA) that are essential for chitosan production, and deletion of all three genes results in the absence of chitosan, loss of virulence, and induction of a protective host response when used as a vaccine. Cda1 plays a major role in deacetylating chitin during pulmonary infection of CBA/J mice. Inoculation with the cda1Δ strain did not lead to a lethal infection. However, the infection was not cleared. The persistence of the fungus in the host suggests that chitin is still being deacetylated by Cda2 and/or Cda3. To test this hypothesis, we subjected strains deleted of two CDA genes to fungal virulence in CBA/J, C57BL/6 and BALB/c and found

SUBMITTER: Upadhya R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8529172 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature