title: Transcriptomic and virulence factors analyses of Cryptococcus neoformans hypoxia response.
abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans is an environmental pathogen requiring atmospheric levels of oxygen for optimal growth. Upon inhalation, C. neoformans disseminates to the brain and causes meningoencephalitis. However, the mechanisms by which the pathogen adapts to the low-oxygen environment in the brain have not been investigated. We isolated a C. neoformans strain with a small capsule from a host tissue, although this strain produces large capsules in normoxic conditions. We hypothesize that this difference in capsule size is attributed to hypoxia caused by chronic inflammatory response. This study investigated the effect of hypoxia on virulence factors (including capsule, melanin, urease, and phospholipase) of C. neoformans and conducted transcriptomic analyses of the virulence-associated genes. We found that C. neoformans grew under hypoxic condition, albeit slowly, and that hypoxia may have inhibited the capsule size, melanin production, and phospholipase and urease activities in C. neoformans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Qingtao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urinary Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Wenquan
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Suyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Weida
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University, School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sang
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000502:physiology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Cryptococcus neoformans; hypoxia response; transcriptomic