title: Intracellular pathogenic bacteria and fungi--a case of convergent evolution?
abstract: The bacterium Yersinia pestis and the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans are the causative agents of human plague and cryptococcosis, respectively. Both microorganisms are facultatively intracellular pathogens. A comparison of their pathogenic strategies reveals similar tactics for intracellular survival in Y. pestis and C. neoformans despite their genetic unrelatedness. Both organisms can survive in environments where they are vulnerable to predation by amoeboid protozoal hosts. Here, we propose that the overall similarities in their pathogenic strategies are an example of convergent evolution that has solved the problem of intracellular survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, New York 11794, USA.
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bliska
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casadevall
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology; D010930:Plague / Q000382:microbiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D015010:Yersinia pestis / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*