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Extracellular phospholipase activity is a virulence factor for Cryptococcus neoformans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Cox, GM; McDade, HC; Chen, SC; Tucker, SC; Gottfredsson, M; Wright, LC; Sorrell, TC; Leidich, SD; Casadevall, A; Ghannoum, MA; Perfect, JR
Published in: Mol Microbiol
January 2001

The human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans secretes a phospholipase enzyme that demonstrates phospholipase B (PLB), lysophospholipase hydrolase and lysophospholipase transacylase activities. This enzyme has been postulated to be a cryptococcal virulence factor. We cloned a phospholipase-encoding gene (PLB1) from C. neoformans and constructed plb1 mutants using targeted gene disruption. All three enzyme activities were markedly reduced in the mutants compared with the wild-type parent. The plb1 strains did not have any defects in the known cryptococcal virulence phenotypes of growth at 37 degrees C, capsule formation, laccase activity and urease activity. The plb1 strains were reconstituted using the wild-type locus and this resulted in restoration of all extracellular PLB activities. In vivo testing demonstrated that the plb1 strain was significantly less virulent than the control strains in both the mouse inhalational model and the rabbit meningitis model. We also found that the plb1 strain exhibited a growth defect in a macrophage-like cell line. These data demonstrate that secretory phospholipase is a virulence factor for C. neoformans.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Mol Microbiol

DOI

ISSN

0950-382X

Publication Date

January 2001

Volume

39

Issue

1

Start / End Page

166 / 175

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Rabbits
  • Phospholipases
  • Mutation
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Microbiology
  • Mice
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal
  • Macrophages
  • Lysophospholipase
 

Citation

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MLA
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Cox, G. M., McDade, H. C., Chen, S. C., Tucker, S. C., Gottfredsson, M., Wright, L. C., … Perfect, J. R. (2001). Extracellular phospholipase activity is a virulence factor for Cryptococcus neoformans. Mol Microbiol, 39(1), 166–175. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.2001.02236.x
Cox, G. M., H. C. McDade, S. C. Chen, S. C. Tucker, M. Gottfredsson, L. C. Wright, T. C. Sorrell, et al. “Extracellular phospholipase activity is a virulence factor for Cryptococcus neoformans.Mol Microbiol 39, no. 1 (January 2001): 166–75. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.2001.02236.x.
Cox GM, McDade HC, Chen SC, Tucker SC, Gottfredsson M, Wright LC, et al. Extracellular phospholipase activity is a virulence factor for Cryptococcus neoformans. Mol Microbiol. 2001 Jan;39(1):166–75.
Cox, G. M., et al. “Extracellular phospholipase activity is a virulence factor for Cryptococcus neoformans.Mol Microbiol, vol. 39, no. 1, Jan. 2001, pp. 166–75. Pubmed, doi:10.1046/j.1365-2958.2001.02236.x.
Cox GM, McDade HC, Chen SC, Tucker SC, Gottfredsson M, Wright LC, Sorrell TC, Leidich SD, Casadevall A, Ghannoum MA, Perfect JR. Extracellular phospholipase activity is a virulence factor for Cryptococcus neoformans. Mol Microbiol. 2001 Jan;39(1):166–175.
Journal cover image

Published In

Mol Microbiol

DOI

ISSN

0950-382X

Publication Date

January 2001

Volume

39

Issue

1

Start / End Page

166 / 175

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Rabbits
  • Phospholipases
  • Mutation
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional
  • Multienzyme Complexes
  • Microbiology
  • Mice
  • Meningitis, Cryptococcal
  • Macrophages
  • Lysophospholipase