« Previous AbstractMated: a putative peptide transporter of Schizophyllum commune expressed in dikaryons    Next AbstractMating-type locus of Cryptococcus neoformans: a step in the evolution of sex chromosomes »

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Title:		Identification of the MATa mating-type locus of Cryptococcus neoformans reveals a serotype A MATa strain thought to have been extinct
Author(s):		Lengeler KB; Wang P; Cox GM; Perfect JR; Heitman J;
Address:		"Departments of Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA"
Journal Title:		Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Year:		2000
Volume:		97
Issue:		26
Page Number:		14455 - 14460
DOI:		10.1073/pnas.97.26.14455
ISSN/ISBN:		0027-8424 (Print) 1091-6490 (Electronic) 0027-8424 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen with a defined sexual cycle involving mating between haploid MATa and MATalpha cells. Here we describe the isolation of part of the MATa mating-type locus encoding a Ste20 kinase homolog, Ste20a. We show that the STE20a gene cosegregates with the MATa mating type in genetic crosses, maps within the mating-type locus on a 1.8-Mb chromosome, and is allelic with the MATalpha locus. We identify the first MATa isolate of the most common pathogenic variety of C. neoformans (serotype A, variety grubii) which had been thought to be extinct. This serotype A MATa strain is sterile, fails to produce mating pheromone, and is less virulent than a serotype A MATalpha strain in an animal model. Our studies illustrate an association of mating type with virulence and suggest that, like Candida albicans, pathogenic isolates of C. neoformans may be largely asexual"
Keywords:		"Amino Acid Sequence Animals Base Sequence Cryptococcosis/microbiology Cryptococcus neoformans/classification/*genetics/pathogenicity DNA, Fungal Disease Models, Animal *Genes, Fungal *Genes, Mating Type, Fungal Genetic Linkage Humans Intracellular Signali;"
Notes:		"MedlineLengeler, K B Wang, P Cox, G M Perfect, J R Heitman, J eng R37 AI039115/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI042159/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI42159/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI039115/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ R01 AI39115/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ P01 AI44975/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ P01 AI044975/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2000/12/20 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Dec 19; 97(26):14455-60. doi: 10.1073/pnas.97.26.14455"