Phase-specific gene expression underlying morphological adaptations of the dimorphic human pathogenic fungus, Coccidioides posadasii

Agrobacterium -Mediated Disruption of a Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase Gene in the Invertebrate Pathogen Metarhizium anisopliae Reveals a Peptide Spore Factor

“…Using Blastn against the GenBank EST database, a 59-nt region of clone Ma#267 showed 76% identity to three ESTs (GenBank accession numbers CO035825, CO032944, and CO021837) from both saprobic and pathogenic spherule cDNA libraries of Coccidioides posadasii (17,41). These ESTs form a contig of 1,558 nt that is 98% identical over the same length to the mRNA of GenBank accession no.…”

“…The gene encoding the hypothetical protein CIMG_09750 of C. immitis (with five AMP-binding domains), and its close relative C. posadasii, is expressed in both saprobic and spherule (infective) stages of development (41). Coccidioides pathogens grow asexually as filamentous saprobes in the soil and as multicellular, parasitic, endosporulating spherules in the human host (36).…”

Innovation of the Parasitic Cycle of Coccidioides spp.

“…Histidine kinase functions as a global regulator of dimorphism and virulence in pathogenic fungi. Protein phosphorylation is generally accepted as playing a key role in transducing the signals involved in several processes such as cell adhesion, internalization, and killing of pathogens (Johannesson et al, 2006;Mendes-Giannini et al, 2005;Nemecek et al, 2006Nemecek et al, , 2007. We suggest that histidine kinases sense environmental signals such as temperature, CO 2 concentration, and pH and that they play key roles regulating Coccidioides spp.…”

“…parasitic phase, genes involved in trehalose synthesis are increased. Trehalose can protect fungi against thermal stress (heat, cold), desiccation, and oxidation (Johannesson et al, 2006;Moran et al, 2011).…”

Thermally Dimorphic Human Fungal Pathogens—Polyphyletic Pathogens with a Convergent Pathogenicity Trait

“…gene disruption, Agrobacteriummediated transformation, and transcriptional profiling have defined a number of factors critical for pathogenesis, such as the immunomodulatory spherule outer wall glycoprotein (SOWgp) and a urease (URE) that is thought to contribute to host tissue damage (Abuodeh et al 2000;Hung et al 2007Hung et al , 2012. Gene expression studies of Coccidioides hyphae and spherules are defining the transcriptional program of the distinct morphological states of this organism (Johannesson et al 2006;Whiston et al 2012;Viriyakosol et al 2013), which will provide critical clues as to the molecular program that is initiated in response to host signals such as temperature. Additionally, population genomics studies are being used to great effect to define genes that may underlie the virulence of individual Coccidioides isolates (Sharpton et al 2009;Neafsey et al 2010).…”