title: Diversity of laccase among Cryptococcus neoformans serotypes.
abstract: The pathogenic yeast C. neoformans is classified into three varieties with five serotypes; var. grubii (serotype A), var. neoformans (serotype D), var. gattii (serotypes B and C), and serotype AD. Melanin is a virulence factor in the species, and its biosynthesis is catalyzed by laccase, encoded by the LAC1 gene. In order to estimate the natural variability of the LAC1 gene among Cryptococcus serotypes, the laccase protein sequence from 55 strains was determined and the phylogenetic relationships between cryptococcal and related fungal laccases revealed. The deduced laccase proteins consisted of 624 amino acid residues in serotypes A, D and AD, and 613 to 615 residues in serotypes B and C. Intra-serotype amino acid variation was marginal within serotypes A and D, and none was found within serotypes AD and C. Maximum amino acid replacement occurred in two serotype B strains. The similarity in the deduced sequence ranged from 80 to 96% between serotypes. The sequence in the copper-binding regions was strongly conserved in the five serotypes. The laccases of the five serotypes were grouped together in the same clade of the phylogenetic tree reconstructed from different fungal laccases, suggesting a monophyletic clade.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Research Center, Nippon Dental University at Niigata, Niigata 951-8580, Japan. kuwas@ngt.ndu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ito-Kuwa
authors.forename: Kenjirou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Valderrama
authors.forename: Shigeji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidotto
authors.forename: Tetsuaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osafune
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D042845:Laccase / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D042845:Laccase