Melanin Remodeling in Budding of Cryptococcus neoformans

新型隐球菌出芽过程中的黑色素重塑

• 批准号: 6999633
• 负责人: HELENE C EISENMAN
• 金额: $ 4.4万
• 依托单位: ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-07-01 至 2007-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6999633
• 关键词: Cryptococcus neoformans; fungal genetics; host organism interaction; melanins; mutant; postdoctoral investigator; virulence

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic fungus that is a relatively frequent cause of life-threatening meningitis in patients with impaired immune systems. In addition, C. neoformans is a model organism for the study of pathogenesis and host-pathogen interactions. C. neoformans produces melanin in the presence of appropriate substrate and expression of this pigment is associated with virulence. Several basic aspects of melanin biology in C. neoformans are unknown due to the difficulty is studying it by classical biochemical techniques. Melanin is insoluble and the exact chemical structure of melanin has not been determined. A fundamental question is how do cells break down, or remodel, melanin to allow growth and budding to occur? Melanin degrading enzymes have yet to be identified in any organism but must exist given that the pigment is found in all biological kingdoms. A genetic approach to study melanin remodeling in C. neoformans is proposed. In addition, the importance of melanin remodeling to C. neoformans virulence will be studied.

描述（由申请人提供）：新型隐球菌是一种致病性真菌，是免疫系统受损患者中危及生命的脑膜炎的相对常见原因。此外，新生隐杆线虫是研究其发病机制和宿主-病原体相互作用的模式生物。新生C.在适当的底物存在下产生黑色素，这种色素的表达与毒力有关。由于传统的生物化学技术难以对其进行研究，因此尚不清楚新生巨噬细胞中黑色素生物学的几个基本方面。黑色素是不溶的，黑色素的确切化学结构尚未确定。一个基本的问题是，细胞是如何分解或重塑黑色素，使其生长和萌芽的？黑色素降解酶尚未在任何生物体中被发现，但鉴于色素在所有生物王国中都存在，因此必须存在。提出了一种研究新生C.黑色素重塑的遗传学方法。此外，还将研究黑色素重塑对新生C.的毒力的重要性。