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Morphotype-specific effector functions of Cryptococcus neoformans PUM1.

ABSTRACT: The basidiomycete fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans requires the PUF protein, Pum1, for hyphal morphogenesis during sexual development. In this study we found that Pum1 was auto-repressive under growth as yeast, but that auto-repression was relieved during filamentous growth through utilization of an alternative transcription start site driven by the master filamentation regulator Znf2. In addition, Pum1 was required to stabilize the ZNF2 mRNA through an indirect mechanism suggesting that Znf2 and Pum1 each positively regulate the expression of the other to achieve the filamentous morphotype required for sexual development in Cryptococcus.

SUBMITTER: Kaur JN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4806291 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Morphotype-specific effector functions of Cryptococcus neoformans PUM1.

Kaur Jan Naseer JN Panepinto John C JC

Scientific reports 20160324

The basidiomycete fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans requires the PUF protein, Pum1, for hyphal morphogenesis during sexual development. In this study we found that Pum1 was auto-repressive under growth as yeast, but that auto-repression was relieved during filamentous growth through utilization of an alternative transcription start site driven by the master filamentation regulator Znf2. In addition, Pum1 was required to stabilize the ZNF2 mRNA through an indirect mechanism suggesting that ...[more]

PMID: 27008977

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