Matsumoto Yasuhiko, Azami Saki, Shiga Haruka, Nagamachi Tae, Moriyama Hikari, Yamashita Yuki, Yoshikawa Asami, Sugita Takashi
Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University.
Drug Discov Ther. 2019;13(4):177-182. doi: 10.5582/ddt.2019.01047.
Cryptococcus neoformans, a human pathogenic fungus, infects immunocompromised humans and causes serious diseases such as cerebral meningitis. C. neoformans controls the expression of virulence factors in response to the host environment via various signal transduction pathways. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in C. neoformans infection will contribute to the development of methods to prevent and treat C. neoformans-related diseases. C. neoformans produces virulence factors, such as a polysaccharide capsule and melanin, to escape host immunity. Several proteins of C. neoformans are reported to regulate production of the virulence factors. In this review, on the basis of studies using gene-deficient mutants of C. neoformans and animal infection models, we outline the signal transduction pathways involved in the regulation of virulence factors.
新型隐球菌是一种人类致病真菌，可感染免疫功能低下的人群并引发严重疾病，如脑膜炎。新型隐球菌通过各种信号转导途径响应宿主环境来控制毒力因子的表达。了解新型隐球菌感染所涉及的分子机制将有助于开发预防和治疗新型隐球菌相关疾病的方法。新型隐球菌产生毒力因子，如多糖荚膜和黑色素，以逃避宿主免疫。据报道，新型隐球菌的几种蛋白质可调节毒力因子的产生。在本综述中，基于对新型隐球菌基因缺陷突变体和动物感染模型的研究，我们概述了参与毒力因子调控的信号转导途径。
