Conservation of programmed cell death across species

项目摘要 基因调控的细胞死亡过程对于维持人类健康、防御疾病和癌症至关重要。 感染和成功的癌症治疗。相反，生物学中长期存在的假设和流行的假设 进化论反对单细胞物种编码内在细胞死亡的可能性 途径。然而，近年来随着进化理论的进步， 优雅的分子遗传学研究支持存在遗传编程/调节细胞死亡， 单细胞物种，在原核生物中表现得最好。然而，对细胞死亡机制知之甚少， 单细胞真核生物，包括研究充分的模型酵母酿酒酵母。尽管许多 酵母基因与促进或抑制酵母细胞死亡有关，细胞死亡的详细机制 单细胞真核生物中的死亡相对于研究充分的哺乳动物细胞死亡途径来说是未解决的，尽管 致病酵母如新型隐球菌与人类健康的相关性， 扩大抗药性隐球菌病是一个全球性的问题，美国也不能幸免。大肠杆菌病， 毛霉菌病和念珠菌病也是有问题的感染。抗真菌剂的武库是有限的， 需要采取新的办法。该项目的好处可以扩展到农业病原体和全球 环境变化。酵母似乎有多种非常规的细胞死亡机制。是否这些 机制是在进化过程中选择的，或者它们是否可以被利用来获得类似于 新的抗癌疗法尚不为人所知。在这里，我们使用酵母来追踪这些新的细胞死亡途径。 模型系统和致病酵母，以确定细胞死亡抗性在发病机制中的作用。

PROJECT SUMMARY Genetically regulated cell death processes are critical for maintenance of human health, defense against infection and for successful cancer therapy. In contrast, long-standing assumptions in biology and prevailing evolution theories have argued against the possibility that unicellular species encode intrinsic cell death pathways. However, a turning point has occurred in recent years with advancements in evolution theory and elegant molecular-genetic studies supporting the existence of genetically programmed/regulated cell death in unicellular species, best demonstrated in prokaryotes. However, less is known about cell death mechanisms in unicellular eukaryotes, including the well-studied model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Although many yeast genes have been implicated in promoting or inhibiting yeast cell death, the detailed mechanisms of cell death in unicellular eukaryotes are unresolved relative to well-studied mammalian cell death pathways, despite the relevance of pathogenic yeast such as Cryptococcus neoformans to human health, worsened by expanding drug resistance. Cryptococcosis is a worldwide concern and the US is not spared. Aspergillosis, mucormycosis and candidiasis are also problematic infections. The arsenal of anti-fungal agents is limited and new approaches are needed. Benefits of this project could extend to agricultural pathogens and global environmental changes. Yeast appear to have multiple unconventional cell death mechanisms. Whether these mechanisms were selected during evolution, or if they can be harnessed for therapeutic benefit analogous to new anti-cancer therapies is not yet known. Here we pursue these novel cell death pathways using a yeast model system and a pathogenic yeast to determine the role of cell death-resistance in pathogenesis.