title: Decreased expression of 14-3-3 in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis confirms its involvement in fungal pathogenesis.
abstract: The interaction between the fungal pathogen Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and host cells is usually mediated by specific binding events between adhesins on the fungal surface and receptors on the host extracellular matrix or cell surface. One molecule implicated in the P. brasiliensis-host interaction is the 14-3-3 protein. The 14-3-3 protein belongs to a family of conserved regulatory molecules that are expressed in all eukaryotic cells and are involved in diverse cellular functions. Here, we investigated the relevance of the 14-3-3 protein to the virulence of P. brasiliensis. Using antisense RNA technology and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, we generated a 14-3-3-silenced strain (expression reduced by ˜55%). This strain allowed us to investigate the interaction between 14-3-3 and the host and to correlate the functions of P. brasiliensis 14-3-3 with cellular features, such as morphological characteristics and virulence, that are important for pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Caroline Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Julhiany de Fátima ds
authors.initials: Jde F
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Haroldo Cesar de
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Akemi
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Assato
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Junya de Lacorte
authors.initials: Jde L
authors.lastname: Singulani
authors.affiliation: b Unidad de Biología Celular y Molecular; Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) - Medellín , Colombia.
authors.forename: Angela Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: b Unidad de Biología Celular y Molecular; Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) - Medellín , Colombia.
authors.forename: Diana Patricia
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Tamayo
authors.affiliation: b Unidad de Biología Celular y Molecular; Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) - Medellín , Colombia.|c Escuela de Microbiología; Universidad de Antioquia ; Medellín , Colombia.
authors.forename: Orville
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: b Unidad de Biología Celular y Molecular; Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas (CIB) - Medellín , Colombia.|d Facultad de Medicina; Universidad de Antioquia ; Medellín , Colombia.
authors.forename: Juan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McEwen
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria José Soares
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mendes-Giannini
authors.affiliation: a Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Araraquara; UNESP - Univ Estadual Paulista ; Departamento de Análises Clínicas; Laboratório de Micologia Clínica ; Araraquara , São Paulo , Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Marisa
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fusco-Almeida
mesh_terms: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D007814:Larva / Q000382:microbiology; D009036:Moths / Q000382:microbiology; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D048948:14-3-3 Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D016372:RNA, Antisense
keywords: 14-3-3 protein; Paracoccidioides brasiliensis; gene knockdown; morphological alterations; virulence