The genome of the basidiomycetous yeast and human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycetous yeast ubiquitous in the environment, a model for fungal pathogenesis, and an opportunistic human pathogen of global importance. We have sequenced its approximately 20-megabase genome, which contains approximately 6500 intron-rich gene structures and encodes a transcriptome abundant in alternatively spliced and antisense messages. The genome is rich in transposons, many of which cluster at candidate centromeric regions. The presence of these transposons may drive karyotype instability and phenotypic variation. C. neoformans encodes unique genes that may contribute to its unusual virulence properties, and comparison of two phenotypically distinct strains reveals variation in gene content in addition to sequence polymorphisms between the genomes.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Loftus, BJ; Fung, E; Roncaglia, P; Rowley, D; Amedeo, P; Bruno, D; Vamathevan, J; Miranda, M; Anderson, IJ; Fraser, JA; Allen, JE; Bosdet, IE; Brent, MR; Chiu, R; Doering, TL; Donlin, MJ; D'Souza, CA; Fox, DS; Grinberg, V; Fu, J; Fukushima, M; Haas, BJ; Huang, JC; Janbon, G; Jones, SJM; Koo, HL; Krzywinski, MI; Kwon-Chung, JK; Lengeler, KB; Maiti, R; Marra, MA; Marra, RE; Mathewson, CA; Mitchell, TG; Pertea, M; Riggs, FR; Salzberg, SL; Schein, JE; Shvartsbeyn, A; Shin, H; Shumway, M; Specht, CA; Suh, BB; Tenney, A; Utterback, TR; Wickes, BL; Wortman, JR; Wye, NH; Kronstad, JW; Lodge, JK; Heitman, J; Davis, RW; Fraser, CM; Hyman, RW

Published Date

  • February 25, 2005

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 307 / 5713

Start / End Page

  • 1321 - 1324

PubMed ID

  • 15653466

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC3520129

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1095-9203

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1126/science.1103773

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States