title: Rapid mechanisms for generating genome diversity: whole ploidy shifts, aneuploidy, and loss of heterozygosity.
abstract: Human fungal pathogens can exist in a variety of ploidy states, including euploid and aneuploid forms. Ploidy change has a major impact on phenotypic properties, including the regulation of interactions with the human host. In addition, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant isolates is often associated with the formation of specific supernumerary chromosomes. Pathogens such as Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans appear particularly well adapted for propagation in multiple ploidy states with novel pathways driving ploidy variation. In both species, heterozygous cells also readily undergo loss of heterozygosity (LOH), leading to additional phenotypic changes such as altered drug resistance. Here, we examine the sexual and parasexual cycles that drive ploidy variation in human fungal pathogens and discuss ploidy and LOH events with respect to their far-reaching roles in fungal adaptation and pathogenesis.
authors: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912.
authors: Richard J
authors: RJ
authors: Bennett
authors: Department of Biology, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011.
authors: Anja
authors: A
authors: Forche
authors: Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455 Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, George Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Berman
mesh_terms: D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D062951:Endoreduplication; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D008540:Meiosis; D011003:Ploidies; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology