Cryptococcus neoformans
- Research ArticleCryptococcus neoformans Iron-Sulfur Protein Biogenesis Machinery Is a Novel Layer of Protection against Cu Stress
C. neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes lethal meningitis in over 650,000 people annually. The severity of C. neoformans infections is further compounded by the use of toxic or poorly effective systemic antifungal agents as well as by the difficulty of diagnosis. Cu is a natural potent antimicrobial agent that is compartmentalized within the macrophage phagosome and used by innate immune cells to...
- Research ArticleDisarming Fungal Pathogens: Bacillus safensis Inhibits Virulence Factor Production and Biofilm Formation by Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans
Pathogenic fungi are estimated to contribute to as many human deaths as tuberculosis or malaria. Two of the most common fungal pathogens, Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans, account for up to 1.4 million infections per year with very high mortality rates. Few antifungal drugs are available for treatment, and development of novel therapies is complicated by the need for pathogen-specific targets. Therefore,...
- Research ArticleMicroevolution of Serial Clinical Isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and C. gattii
Opportunistic infections caused by species of the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus lead to chronic meningoencephalitis and continue to ravage thousands of patients with HIV/AIDS. Despite receiving antifungal treatment, over 10% of patients develop recurrent disease. In this study, we collected isolates of Cryptococcus from cerebrospinal fluid specimens of 18 patients at the time of their diagnosis and when they relapsed...
- Research ArticleRim Pathway-Mediated Alterations in the Fungal Cell Wall Influence Immune Recognition and Inflammation
Infectious microorganisms have developed many ways to avoid recognition by the host immune system. For example, pathogenic fungi alter their cell surfaces to mask immunogenic epitopes. We have created a fungal strain with a targeted mutation in a pH response pathway that is unable to properly organize its cell wall, resulting in a dramatic immune reaction during infection. This mutant cell wall is defective in hiding important cell wall...