| Title: | A MAP kinase cascade composed of cell type specific and non-specific elements controls mating and differentiation of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans |
| Author(s): | Davidson RC; Nichols CB; Cox GM; Perfect JR; Heitman J; |
| Address: | "Department of Molecular Genetics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03563.x |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 0950-382X (Print) 0950-382X (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen with a defined sexual cycle in which the alpha allele of the mating type locus is linked to virulence and haploid differentiation. Here we analysed a conserved MAP kinase cascade composed of mating-type specific (Ste11alpha, Ste12alpha) and non-specific (Ste7, Cpk1) elements. Gene disruption experiments demonstrate that this specialized MAP kinase pathway is required for both mating and cell type-specific differentiation but not for virulence. The Ste11alpha, Ste7 and Cpk1 kinases were found to act as a co-ordinate signalling module, whereas the Ste12alpha transcription factor functions with a redundant partner or in a branched or parallel signalling pathway. Our studies illustrate how MAP kinase cascades can be constructed from cell type-specific and non-specific components, yielding pathways that contribute to cell type-specific patterns of signalling and differentiation" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Cell Differentiation/*physiology Cryptococcus neoformans/genetics/pathogenicity/*physiology Female Fungal Proteins/genetics/metabolism Genes, Fungal Genes, Mating Type, Fungal Haploidy Humans MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/metabolism MAP Kinase Signali;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineDavidson, Robert C Nichols, Connie B Cox, Gary M Perfect, John R Heitman, Joseph eng P01 AI44975/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI39115/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI50113/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. England 2003/06/28 Mol Microbiol. 2003 Jul; 49(2):469-85. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2003.03563.x" |
