AI Article Synopsis
- The study focused on the VPH1 gene in Cryptococcus neoformans serotype D, investigating the effects of its deficiency on the organism's growth under various stressful conditions such as pH levels, temperature, and osmotic pressure.
- Δvph1 cells demonstrated strong growth in minimal medium but were hypersensitive to copper, indicating issues with copper detoxification due to impaired metallothionein gene expression.
- The absence of VPH1 also affected urease activity and suggested disruptions in copper homeostasis, impacting the organism's ability to take up and utilize copper effectively.
Article Abstract
We clarified the roles of VPH1 in Cryptococcus neoformans serotype D by examining the detailed phenotypes of VPH1-deficient cells (Δvph1) in terms of their capability to grow in acidic and alkaline pH, at a high temperature, and under high osmotic conditions, in addition to the involvement of VPH1 in copper (Cu) homeostasis and the expression of some C. neoformans virulence factors. Δvph1 could grow well on minimal medium (YNB) but exhibited hypersensitivity to 20 μM Cu due to the failure to induce Cu-detoxifying metallothionein genes (CMT1 and CMT2). In contrast, Δvph1 exhibited defective growth on rich medium (YPD), and the induction of Cu transporter genes (CTR1 and CTR4) did not occur in this medium, implying that this strain was incapable of the uptake of Cu ions for growth. However, the addition of excess Cu promoted CTR gene expression and supported Δvph1 growth. These results suggested that the lack of the VPH1 gene disturbed Cu homeostasis in C. neoformans. Moreover, the loss of Vph1 function influenced the urease activity of C. neoformans.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.2323/jgam.2021.02.001 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!