Open AccessIdentification of a Zds‐like gene ZDS3 as a new mediator of stress resistance, capsule formation and virulence of the human pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans
Author(s) -
Li Zhongming,
Sun Zhixiong,
Li Dong,
Pan Jiao,
Zhu Xudong
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
fems yeast research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1567-1364
pISSN - 1567-1356
DOI - 10.1111/j.1567-1364.2011.00744.x
Subject(s) - biology , cryptococcus neoformans , virulence , microbiology and biotechnology , cryptococcus , yeast , identification (biology) , gene , capsule , mediator , genetics , botany
The fungal Zds proteins are regulators of the serine/threonine phosphatase 2A (PP2A) and the protein kinase A. Here, we characterize a Zds‐like gene ZDS3 that plays a broad range of roles in the basidiomycetous pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans . ZDS3 harbors the conserved activation domain ZDS_C of Zds proteins. By gene disruption, ZDS3 is shown to play roles in capsule production, cell wall integrity, growth at a high temperature, resistance to H 2 O 2 stress, osmotic pressures and glucose‐dependent invasive growth on the agar. As a consequence, the disruption of ZDS3 resulted in complete loss of virulence in a mouse cryptococcosis model. The data suggest that ZDS3 is a novel mediator of the virulence of C . neoformans . Zds3 may serve as an antifungal drug target as no homologs are found in mammals.