Identification and characterization of an aspartyl protease from Cryptococcus neoformans.
Cryptococcosis, caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, is an invasive infection often occurring in AIDS patients. Potent therapy against HIV, which includes protease inhibitors (PIs), has beneficial effects also on opportunistic infections by pathogens such as C. neoformans and C. albicans. PIs inhibit growth of C. albicans by affecting the activity of its aspartyl proteases. We identified, cloned and sequenced a cDNA from C. neoformans encoding for a putative aspartyl protease (CnAP1), and the corresponding genomic region. The gene cnap1 codifies for a protein of 505 aa, with a canonical aspartyl protease structure. We purified the recombinant protein and analyzed its activity in the presence of PIs (Indinavir, Lopinavir, Ritonavir), but did not evidence any inhibition of protease activity. The transcriptional level of cnap1 in C. neoformans is constant in different media. The absence of any inhibition activity by PIs suggests that other targets for PIs might exist in C. neoformans.
Pinti
Marcello
M
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chair of Immunology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 287, 41100 Modena, Italy.
Orsi
Carlotta Francesca
CF
Gibellini
Lara
L
Esposito
Roberto
R
Cossarizza
Andrea
A
Blasi
Elisabetta
E
Peppoloni
Samuele
S
Mussini
Cristina
C
D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods; D019295:Computational Biology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D007438:Introns; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases