Cryptococcus neoformans adapts to the host environment through TOR-mediated remodeling of phospholipid asymmetry

Laura C. Ristow, Andrew J. Jezewski, Benjamin J. Chadwick, Mark A. Stamnes, Xiaorong Lin and Damian J. Krysan ()
Additional contact information
Laura C. Ristow: University of Iowa
Andrew J. Jezewski: University of Iowa
Benjamin J. Chadwick: University of Georgia
Mark A. Stamnes: University of Iowa
Xiaorong Lin: University of Georgia
Damian J. Krysan: University of Iowa

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract Cryptococcus spp. are environmental fungi that first must adapt to the host environment before they can cause life-threatening meningitis in immunocompromised patients. Host CO2 concentrations are 100-fold higher than the external environment and strains unable to grow at host CO2 concentrations are not pathogenic. Using a genetic screening and transcriptional profiling approach, we report that the TOR pathway is critical for C. neoformans adaptation to host CO2 partly through Ypk1-dependent remodeling of phosphatidylserine asymmetry at the plasma membrane. We also describe a C. neoformans ABC/PDR transporter (PDR9) that is highly expressed in CO2-sensitive environmental strains, suppresses CO2-induced phosphatidylserine/phospholipid remodeling, and increases susceptibility to host concentrations of CO2. Interestingly, regulation of plasma membrane lipid asymmetry by the TOR-Ypk1 axis is distinct in C. neoformans compared to S. cerevisiae. Finally, host CO2 concentrations suppress the C. neoformans pathways that respond to host temperature (Mpk1) and pH (Rim101), indicating that host adaptation requires a stringent balance among distinct stress responses.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42318-y Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-42318-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42318-y

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().