我们在正在进行的课题中发现新生隐球菌减数分裂突变株的扁桃酸代谢途径相关基因表达发生明显变化。本课题通过对扁桃酸代谢途径相关基因对新生隐球菌减数分裂、毒力表型和菌体在宿主体内命运影响的观察，了解该类基因在新生隐球菌及其与宿主相互作用中发挥的作用。同时，观察外源性添加扁桃酸对新生隐球菌上述表型的影响。通过分析在该类基因对新生隐球菌全局基因表达的影响，进一步阐明扁桃酸及其代谢途径在隐球菌减数分裂和其他功能过程中相互作用的网络。本研究将为筛选新的药物靶点蛋白提供全面、无偏好的信息。

This study aims to elucidate the role and mechanism of action of mandelate in the meiosis of Cryptococcus neoformans.The relation between mandelate and meiosi was unexpectedly discovered during our ongoing NSFC project,which demonstrated significant upregulation of the genes involved in mandelate pathway.This link has no prior documentation. We plan to study the following aspects: construction of the mutants of mandelate pathway, of particular importance is the EC2.1.1.6 mutant, followed by comparison of the virulence and fate of the mutants with wild type, to profile the role of the mandelate pathway genes during meiosis. Genome-wide effet of the mutant shall be characterized too, to find potential alternate mechanisms of action, and depict a more global topology of mandelate pathway in meiosis. This study shall shed new lights on the role of mandelate in meiosis and discover novel targets for better antibiotics against Cryptococcus neoformance.