Name: Mrj1HA AP-MS in Cryptococcus neoformans
Keywords: Cryptococcus neoformans

Dataset Information

Mrj1HA AP-MS in Cryptococcus neoformans

ABSTRACT: The opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans must adapt to the mammalian environment to establish an infection. Proteins facilitating adaptation to novel environments, such as chaperones, may be required for virulence. In this study, we identified a novel mitochondrial co-chaperone, Mrj1, necessary for virulence in C. neoformans. The mrj1∆ and J-domain inactivated mutants had general growth defects, and were deficient in two major virulence factors, thermotolerance and capsule elaboration. The latter phenotype was associated with cell wall changes and increased capsular polysaccharide shedding. Accordingly, the mrj1∆ mutant was avirulent in a murine model of cryptococcosis. Mrj1 has a mitochondrial localization and co-immunoprecipitated with Qcr2, a core component of complex III of the ETC (Electron Transport Chain). The mrj1 mutants were deficient in mitochondrial functions including growth on alternative carbon sources, growth without iron, and mitochondrial polarization. They were also insensitive to complex III inhibitors and hypersensitive to an alternative oxidase (AOX) inhibitor suggesting that Mrj1 functions in respiration. In support of this conclusion, mrj1 mutants also had elevated basal oxygen consumption rates which were completely abolished by the addition of the AOX inhibitor, confirming that Mrj1 is required for mitochondrial respiration through complexes III and IV. Furthermore, inhibition of complex III phenocopied the capsule and cell wall defects of the mrj1 mutants. Taken together, these results indicate that Mrj1 is required for normal mitochondrial respiration, a key aspect of adaptation to the host environment and virulence.

INSTRUMENT(S): Q Exactive

ORGANISM(S): Cryptococcus Neoformans Var. Grubii H99s

TISSUE(S): Cell Suspension Culture

SUBMITTER: Linda Horianopoulos

LAB HEAD: James W. Kronstad

PROVIDER: PXD013659 | Pride | 2020-06-12

REPOSITORIES: Pride

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Publications

The Novel J-Domain Protein Mrj1 Is Required for Mitochondrial Respiration and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Horianopoulos Linda C LC Hu Guanggan G Caza Mélissa M Schmitt Kerstin K Overby Peter P Johnson James D JD Valerius Oliver O Braus Gerhard H GH Kronstad James W JW

mBio 20200609 3

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans must adapt to the mammalian environment to establish an infection. Proteins facilitating adaptation to novel environments, such as chaperones, may be required for virulence. In this study, we identified a novel mitochondrial co-chaperone, Mrj1 (mitochondrial respiration J-domain protein 1), necessary for virulence in C. neoformans The mrj1Δ and J-domain-inactivated mutants had general growt ...[more]

PMID: 32518190

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Project description:Ubiquitination is a reversible protein modification involved in various cellular processes in eukaryotic cells. Deubiquitinating enzymes, the proteins responsible for the removal of ubiquitin, act as essential regulators to maintain ubiquitin homeostasis and to exquisitely regulate protein degradation via the ubiquitination pathway. Cryptococcus neoformans is an important basidiomycete pathogen that causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis primarily within the immunocompromised population. In order to understand the possible influence deubiquitinating enzymes have on growth and virulence of the model pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, we generated deletion mutants of 7 putative deubiquitinase genes. Compared to other deubiquitinating enzyme mutants, a ubp5M-bM-^HM-^F mutant exhibited severely attenuated virulence and many distinct phenotypes, including decreased capsule formation, hypomelanization, defective sporulation, and elevated sensitivity to several external stressors (such as high temperature, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, high salts, and antifungal agents). Ubp5 appears to be the major deubiquitinating enzyme in C. neoformans for maintaining a pool of free ubiquitin for stress responses, supports the evolutionary divergence of Cryptococcus sp. from the model yeast S. cerevisiae, and provides an important paradigm for understanding the potential role of deubiquitination in virulence by other pathogenic fungi. In addition, other putative deubiquitinase mutants (doa4M-bM-^HM-^F and ubp13M-bM-^HM-^F) exhibit similar phenotypes to the ubp5M-bM-^HM-^F mutant, illustrating possible functional overlap among deubiquitinating enzymes in C. neoformans. Certain functioning deubiquitinating enzymes are essential for the virulence composite of C. neoformans and provide an additional yeast survival and propagation advantage in the host. In this study, transcription profiles of ubp5 mutant and WT Cryptococcus neoformans strains were compared in a dye-swap experiment following 1hr exposure to either 30C or 37C.

Project description:Ubiquitination is a reversible protein modification involved in various cellular processes in eukaryotic cells. Deubiquitinating enzymes, the proteins responsible for the removal of ubiquitin, act as essential regulators to maintain ubiquitin homeostasis and to exquisitely regulate protein degradation via the ubiquitination pathway. Cryptococcus neoformans is an important basidiomycete pathogen that causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis primarily within the immunocompromised population. In order to understand the possible influence deubiquitinating enzymes have on growth and virulence of the model pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, we generated deletion mutants of 7 putative deubiquitinase genes. Compared to other deubiquitinating enzyme mutants, a ubp5M-bM-^HM-^F mutant exhibited severely attenuated virulence and many distinct phenotypes, including decreased capsule formation, hypomelanization, defective sporulation, and elevated sensitivity to several external stressors (such as high temperature, oxidative and nitrosative stresses, high salts, and antifungal agents). Ubp5 appears to be the major deubiquitinating enzyme in C. neoformans for maintaining a pool of free ubiquitin for stress responses, supports the evolutionary divergence of Cryptococcus sp. from the model yeast S. cerevisiae, and provides an important paradigm for understanding the potential role of deubiquitination in virulence by other pathogenic fungi. In addition, other putative deubiquitinase mutants (doa4M-bM-^HM-^F and ubp13M-bM-^HM-^F) exhibit similar phenotypes to the ubp5M-bM-^HM-^F mutant, illustrating possible functional overlap among deubiquitinating enzymes in C. neoformans. Certain functioning deubiquitinating enzymes are essential for the virulence composite of C. neoformans and provide an additional yeast survival and propagation advantage in the host. WT Cryptococcus neoformans strain H99 was incubated in pooled ex vivo human CSF obtained from de-identified patients and harvested after 24hr for RNA extraction. New Zealand White rabbits were inoculated with WT strain H99 and harvested by intracisternal spinal tap on days 1 and 7 for RNA extraction.

Dataset Information

Mrj1HA AP-MS in Cryptococcus neoformans

Publications

The Novel J-Domain Protein Mrj1 Is Required for Mitochondrial Respiration and Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans.

Similar Datasets

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