Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-4-10
pubmed:abstractText
Spores are essential particles for the survival of many organisms, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Among the eukaryotes, fungi have developed spores with superior resistance and dispersal properties. For the human fungal pathogens, however, relatively little is known about the role that spores play in dispersal and infection. Here we present the purification and characterization of spores from the environmental fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. For the first time, we purified spores to homogeneity and assessed their morphological, stress resistance, and surface properties. We found that spores are morphologically distinct from yeast cells and are covered with a thick spore coat. Spores are also more resistant to environmental stresses than yeast cells and display a spore-specific configuration of polysaccharides on their surfaces. Surprisingly, we found that the surface of the spore reacts with antibodies to the polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan, the most abundant component of the polysaccharide capsule required for C. neoformans virulence. We explored the role of capsule polysaccharide in spore development by assessing spore formation in a series of acapsular strains and determined that capsule biosynthesis genes are required for proper sexual development and normal spore formation. Our findings suggest that C. neoformans spores may have an adapted cell surface that facilitates persistence in harsh environments and ultimately allows them to infect mammalian hosts.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:commentsCorrections
http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-10206753, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-10482503, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-10816523, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-10857363, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-11742090, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-12142520, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-12429703, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-12965925, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-14622425, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-14665451, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-15608699, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-15695645, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-15846346, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-16339736, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-16645097, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-16704346, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-1730495, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-17784861, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-17953489, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-18552280, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-1976940, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-2065971, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-2203769, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-2249774, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-3042773, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-4118328, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-4745780, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-6752126, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-7012011, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-7020595, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-765816, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-7749794, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-789347, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-790172, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-7986054, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-8285661, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-8441425, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-8675296, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-8692992, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-9276395, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-9426132, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-9452400, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-9573112, http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/commentcorrection/19181873-9806801
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
1535-9786
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:volume
8
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
595-605
pubmed:dateRevised
2010-12-3
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
Isolation and characterization of Cryptococcus neoformans spores reveal a critical role for capsule biosynthesis genes in spore biogenesis.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural