Genetic Control of Entry into Meiosis in Yeast

描述（由申请人提供）：环境反应途径作为保守信号转导途径的模型和微生物病原体毒力的决定因素很有兴趣。我们的研究主要集中在酵母细胞感知和响应外部pH变化的机制上。在碱性pH下出芽酵母酿酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）生长所需要的两个途径，以及真菌病原体白色念珠菌（Candida白色念珠菌）完全毒力所需要的两个同源物：Rim101p途径和MdsSp途径。我们的主要目标是了解每种途径所识别的特定信号、信号转导的机制以及导致致病性的靶基因和功能。我们的实验方法主要采用遗传和细胞生物学方法。我们的具体目标是确定控制Rim101p途径活性的信号，确定Mds3p/Pmd1p与转录靶点的关系，并确定白色念珠菌Rim101p和MdsSp靶基因在毒力中的作用。我们的工作与公共卫生有关，因为我们可以深入了解传染病病原体如何能够在如此多的不同身体部位生长，以及它如何破坏我们的细胞从而导致疾病和死亡。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Environmental response pathways are of interest as models for conserved signal transduction pathways and as determinants of virulence among microbial pathogens. Our studies have focused on the mechanisms through which yeast cells sense and respond to changes in external pH. Two pathways that are required for growth of budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at alkaline pH and whose homologs are required for full virulence of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans: the Rim101p pathway and the MdsSp pathway. Our broad objective is to understand, for each pathway, the specific signal that is recognized, the mechanism of signal transduction, and the target genes and functions that contribute to pathogenicity. Our experimental methods employ mainly genetic and cell biological methods. Our specific aims are to identify the signal that governs Rim101p pathway activity, to determine the relationship of Mds3p/Pmd1p to transcriptional targets, and to determine the roles of C. albicans Rim101p and MdsSp target genes in virulence. Our work is relevant to public health in providing insight into how an infectious disease agent is able to grow in so many different body sites, and how it damages our cells to cause disease and death.