title: Fungal zinc metabolism and its connections to virulence.
abstract: Zinc is a ubiquitous metal in all life forms, as it is a structural component of the almost 10% of eukaryotic proteins, which are called zinc-binding proteins. In zinc-limiting conditions such as those found during infection, pathogenic fungi activate the expression of several systems to enhance the uptake of zinc. These systems include ZIP transporters (solute carrier 39 family) and secreted zincophores, which are proteins that are able to chelate zinc. The expression of some fungal zinc uptake systems are regulated by a master regulator (Zap1), first characterized in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this review, we highlight features of zinc uptake and metabolism in human fungal pathogens and aspects of the relationship between proper zinc metabolism and the expression of virulence factors and adaptation to the host habitat.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre, Brazil ; Departamento de Biologia Molecular e Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Charley C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Staats
authors.forename: Lívia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kmetzsch
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schrank
authors.forename: Marilene H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vainstein
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors; D015032:Zinc
keywords: ZAP transcription factor; fungal virulence; zinc ZIP transporters; zinc deprivation; zinc metabolism