title: GWT1 encoding an inositol acyltransferase homolog is required for laccase repression and stress resistance in the basidiomycete Cryptococcus neoformans.
abstract: The transcriptional expression of laccase, which has been confirmed to contribute to the virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans, is often repressed by a high concentration of glucose in many fungi, including C. neoformans. The underlying mechanism of the repression remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that a GWT1 gene that encodes a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor biosynthesis-related protein is required for laccase repression by glucose in the basidiomycete C. neoformans. Disruption of GWT1 with the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated T-DNA random insertional mutagenesis (ATMT) method resulted in constitutive expression of the laccase gene LAC1 and constant melanin formation. The loss of GWT1 also dramatically affected the cell membrane integrity and stress resistance. Our results revealed a GPI-dependent glucose repression mechanism in C. neoformans, and it may be helpful for understanding the virulence of C. neoformans.
authors.affiliation: State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Zhongming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Program of Microbiology and Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China xudong82@nankai.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xudong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000217:Acyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D042845:Laccase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D012097:Repressor Proteins; D042845:Laccase; D000217:Acyltransferases
keywords: Cryptococcus neoformans; GWT1; PKA; laccase repression; stress resistance