Blue light negatively regulates the sexual filamentation via the Cwc1 protein in Cryptococcus neoformans
Date Issued
2004
Date
2004
Author(s)
Lu, Ying-Ku
DOI
zh-TW
Abstract
Abstract
Living organisms are regulated by light in the course of their development and physiology including phototropism, apheliotropism, organs induction, circadian clock, pigment biosynthesis and the growth of some developmental structures. Organisms usually are not capable of perceiving light spanning the whole range of radiant energy spectrum, and they sense red, far-red, UV-A, UV-B, and blue light instead. Most fungi perceive light in the blue/UV range, and blue light involves in regulating the pigmentation, circadian rhythm, the formation of asexual and sexual fruiting structure, and the phototropism. Cryptococcus neoformans, an opportunistic human fungal pathogen, causes the life-threatening meningoencephalitis mainly in individuals with compromised immune functions. C. neoformans is a heterothallic basidiomycete and grows vegetatively as yeast. Under appropriate environmental conditions, cells of opposite mating type fuse and form dikaryotic filaments with typical clamp connections, and subsequently four chains of the basidiospores eventually are produced on the top of basidia. Studying the mating response in C. neoformans, we found that the formation of dikaryotic filaments was influenced by light. In this study we demonstrated the filamentation process associated with sexual life cycle is inhibited by blue light. To dissect the molecular mechanisms regulating the blue light photoresponses in C. neoformans, we have identified a gene homologous to the N. crassa blue light photoreceptor WC-1 and named CWC1 (Cryptococcus WC-1). Analysis of Cwc1 amino acid sequence revealed that the putative LOV domain involving the binding of chromophore is also present. To elucidate its role in the light response, the C. neoformans cwc1 mutant strains were created and characterized. The phenotypic observation that mating filamentation in the bilateral cross of cwc1 MATa and MAT
Subjects
隱球菌
光
filamentation
Cryptococcus neoformans
light
Type
other
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