title: Protein profiling of the dimorphic pathogenic fungus, Sporothrix schenckii.
abstract: Sporotrichosis is a common cutaneous mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii, which exhibits a temperature-dependent dimorphic switch. At 25°C, it grows in a mycelial phase, while at 37°C, it forms unicellular yeast cells. The formation of yeast cells was thought to be a requisite for the pathogenicity of S. schenckii. To identify fragments that might be related to morphogenesis, whole-cell proteins from the mold and early yeast stages of S. schenckii were analyzed using 2DE. Among thousands of protein molecules displayed, more than 300 showed a differential expression between the two phases. In particular, 24 yeast-specific proteins were identified using MALDI-TOF/MS. One of the most interesting proteins was a hybrid histidine kinase, DRK1, a global regulator of dimorphism and virulence in Blastomyces dermatitidis and Histoplasma capsulatum that was abundant in the yeast phase. Our study introduced a new approach to study dimorphism in S. schenckii, and the data may help us better understand the molecular mechanisms of phase transition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venerology, 1st Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Zhongshan Road 222, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Zhenying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Binbin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D000071677:Histidine Kinase; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis*; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013175:Sporothrix / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020543:Proteome; D011494:Protein Kinases; D000071677:Histidine Kinase