Regulation of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) expression in Cryptococcus neoformans by temperature and host environment
Toffaletti, Dena L. and Del Poeta, Maurizio and Rude, Thomas H. and Dietrich, Fred and Perfect, John R.,, 149, 1041-1049 (2003),
doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.26021-0,
publicationName = Microbiology Society,
issn = 1350-0872,
abstract= In the study of differential gene expression of Cryptococcus neoformans, a transcript of COX1 (cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1) was identified in a serotype A strain. The transcript was upregulated at 37 °C compared to 30 °C and expressed by yeasts infecting the central nervous system. Northern analysis of COX1 from the serotype A strain revealed two polycistronic transcripts, a temperature-upregulated 2·3 kb transcript and a 1·9 kb transcript that was not affected by temperature. In contrast, COX1 in a serotype D strain showed only a 1·9 kb polycistronic transcript plus a 1·6 kb monocistronic message, and temperature had no effect on the transcripts. The sequence of COX1 revealed similar coding regions between the two strains, but the serotype D strain had five introns whereas no introns were found in the serotype A strain. The serotype D strain had reduced growth rates compared to the serotype A strain at 37 °C, but in an AD hybrid strain the serotype D COX1 gene could support efficient high temperature growth. These studies have revealed mitochondrial molecular differences between serotype A and D strains which show evolutionary divergence. It will be important to determine whether differences in mitochondrial structure and function can influence cryptococcosis.,
language=,
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