title: Morphotype-specific effector functions of Cryptococcus neoformans PUM1.
abstract: The basidiomycete fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans requires the PUF protein, Pum1, for hyphal morphogenesis during sexual development. In this study we found that Pum1 was auto-repressive under growth as yeast, but that auto-repression was relieved during filamentous growth through utilization of an alternative transcription start site driven by the master filamentation regulator Znf2. In addition, Pum1 was required to stabilize the ZNF2 mRNA through an indirect mechanism suggesting that Znf2 and Pum1 each positively regulate the expression of the other to achieve the filamentous morphotype required for sexual development in Cryptococcus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York., USA.
authors.forename: Jan Naseer
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Witebsky Center for Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York., USA.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Panepinto
mesh_terms: D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D025301:Hyphae / Q000254:growth & development*; D022821:RNA Splice Sites; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D022821:RNA Splice Sites; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins