Chloride channel-dependent copper acquisition of laccase in the basidiomycetous fungus Cryptococcus neoformans.

The CLC chloride channel gene CLC-A of the pathogen yeast Cryptococcus neoformans was previously reported to be critical for multicopper laccase activity and growth at an elevated pH. This study reports that copper homeostasis was impaired in the clc-a mutant. This was demonstrated by the substantial decrease of the intracellular quantity of copper under copper-limited growth as determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. CLC-A is a critical factor in copper homeostasis which is required for copper acquisition of laccase in C. neoformans.