Identification of novel temperature-regulated genes in the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans using representational difference analysis.
Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycetous fungus and an opportunistic human pathogen that causes infections in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. The ability to survive and proliferate at the human body temperature is an essential virulence attribute of this microorganism. Representational difference analysis (RDA) was used to profile gene expression in C. neoformans grown at 37 degrees C or 25 degrees C. Contig assembly of 300 high-quality sequenced cDNAs and comparison analysis to the GenBank database led to the identification of transcripts that may be critical for both pathogen-host interactions and responses to either low or high temperature growth. Gene products involved in cell wall integrity, stress response, filamentation, oxidative metabolism, protein targeting and fatty acids metabolism were induced at 37 degrees C. In addition, genes related to chromatin silencing and phospholipid transport were upregulated at 25 degrees C. Therefore, our RDA analysis, comparing saprophytic and host temperature conditions, revealed new genes with potential involvement in C. neoformans virulence.
Rosa e Silva
Lívia Kmetzsch
LK
Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, 43421, Caixa Postal 15005, Porto Alegre, RS 91501-970, Brazil.
Staats
Charley Christian
CC
Goulart
Letícia Silveira
LS
Morello
Luis Gustavo
LG
Pelegrinelli Fungaro
Maria Helena
MH
Schrank
Augusto
A
Vainstein
Marilene H
MH
D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013696:Temperature; D014774:Virulence
D005656:Fungal Proteins