| Title: | "Molecular analysis of CPRalpha, a MATalpha-specific pheromone receptor gene of Cryptococcus neoformans" |
| Author(s): | Chung S; Karos M; Chang YC; Lukszo J; Wickes BL; Kwon-Chung KJ; |
| Address: | "Molecular Microbiology Section, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 208921, USA" |
| DOI: | 10.1128/EC.1.3.432-439.2002 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1535-9778 (Print) 1535-9786 (Electronic) 1535-9786 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The putative Cryptococcus neoformans pheromone receptor gene CPRalpha was isolated and studied for its role in mating and filamentation. CPRalpha is MATalpha specific and located adjacent to STE12alpha at the MATalpha locus. It encodes a protein which possesses high sequence similarity to the seven-transmembrane class of G-protein-coupled pheromone receptors reported for other basidiomycetous fungi. Strains containing a deletion of the CPRalpha gene exhibited drastic reductions in mating efficiency but were not completely sterile. Delta cpr alpha cells displayed wild-type mating efficiency when reconstituted with the wild-type CPRalpha gene. Hyphal production on filament agar was not affected in the delta cpr alpha strain, indicating no significant role for CPRalpha in sensing environmental cues during haploid fruiting. The wild-type MATalpha CPRalpha strain produced abundant hyphae in response to synthetic MATa pheromone; however, the hyphal response to pheromone by delta cpr alpha cells was significantly reduced. Exposure of wild-type cells to synthetic MATa pheromone for 2 h induced MFalpha pheromone expression, whereas unexposed cells showed only basal levels of the MFalpha transcript. The delta cpr alpha cells, however, exhibited only basal levels of MFalpha message with or without pheromone exposure, suggesting that CPRalpha and MFalpha are components of the same signaling pathway" |
| Keywords: | "Amino Acid Sequence Base Sequence Cryptococcus neoformans/*genetics/growth & development/*metabolism DNA, Fungal/genetics Gene Deletion *Genes, Fungal Haploidy Molecular Sequence Data Phenotype Pheromones/*metabolism Receptors, Cell Surface/*genetics Sequ;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineChung, Seyung Karos, Marvin Chang, Yun C Lukszo, Jan Wickes, Brian L Kwon-Chung, Kyung J eng R29 AI043522/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R29AI43522/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2002/11/29 Eukaryot Cell. 2002 Jun; 1(3):432-9. doi: 10.1128/EC.1.3.432-439.2002" |
