Molecular and Functional Characterization of the role of RNA silencing components in Cryptococcus neoformans
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ABSTRACT: The RNA interference (RNAi) mediated by homology-dependent degradation of the target mRNA with small RNA molecules plays a key role in controlling transcription and translation processes in a number of eukaryotic organisms. The RNAi machinery is also evolutionarily conserved in a wide variety of fungal species, including pathogenic fungi. To elucidate the physiological functions of the RNAi pathway in Cryptococcus neoformans that causes fungal meningitis, here we performed genetic analyses for genes encoding Argonaute (AGO1 and AGO2), RdRP (RDP1), and Dicers (DCR1 and DCR2) in both serotype A and D C. neoformans. The present study shows that Ago1, Rdp1, and Dcr2 are the major components of the RNAi process occurring in C. neoformans. However, the RNAi machinery is not involved in regulation of production of two virulence factors (capsule and melanin), sexual differentiation, and diverse stress response. To further gain insights into the global regulatory circuit governed by the RNAi pathway, comparative transcriptome analysis using the serotype A and D RNAi mutants was performed. Notably, an increase in transcript abundance of active transposons, such as T2 and T3, was observed in the rdp1Δ mutant. Therefore, this study can improve our understanding of the role of the RNAi genes in human fungal pathogens including C. neoformans. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
ORGANISM(S): Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii H99 Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans JEC21
PROVIDER: GSE21178 | GEO | 2010/05/01
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA125793
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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