Project description:Comparison of transcriptional profiles of WT Cryptococcus neoformans (H99) and strain CM126 (pRPL2b-GAT201) which overexpresses the transcription factor GAT201 using a ribosomal protein promoter Keywords: Genetic modification
Project description:The human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans undergoes many phenotypic changes to promote its survival in specific ecological niches and inside the host. To explore the role of chromatin remodeling on the expression of virulence-related traits, we identified and deleted seven genes encoding predicted class I/II histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the C. neoformans genome. Our results identified the HDA1 HDAC gene as a central mediator controlling several cellular processes, including mating and virulence. A global gene expression profile comparing the hda1Δ mutant versus wild-type revealed altered transcription of specific genes associated with the most prominent virulence attributes in this fungal pathogen. This study directly correlates the effects of Class I/II HDAC-mediated chromatin remodeling on the marked phenotypic plasticity and virulence potential of this microorganism. Furthermore, our results provide insights into regulatory mechanisms involved in virulence gene expression that are likely shared with other microbial pathogens.
Project description:Cryptococcus neoformans is a human fungal pathogen found ubiquitously within the environment and associated with infection of primarily immunocompromised individuals. Without the activation of an effective immune response, the pathogen can survive, proliferate, and disseminate throughout the host through the action of diverse virulence factors. These virulence factors include a polysaccharide capsule to protect the fungus from phagocytosis by macrophages, melanin production to neutralize reactive oxygen species, thermotolerance to survive at human physiological temperatures, and extracellular enzymes for host tissue degradation and invasion. We previously used mass spectrometry-based proteomics to explore the production of fungal virulence factors during infection using in vitro (macrophages) and in vivo (murine) models of disease. Based on our studies, we investigated the proteome response of C. neoformans upon disruption of CipC, a virulence-associated fungal protein.
