Joseph Heitman

Journal article Infect Immun · September 2003 Featured Publication Cryptococcus neoformans is a human-pathogenic fungus that has evolved into three distinct varieties that infect most prominently the central nervous system. A sexual cycle involving haploid cells of a and alpha mating types has been reported for two variet ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cell identity and sexual development in Cryptococcus neoformans are controlled by the mating-type-specific homeodomain protein Sxi1alpha.

Journal article Genes Dev · December 1, 2002 Featured Publication Virulence in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is associated with the alpha mating type. Studies to identify the properties of alpha cells that enhance pathogenesis have led to the identification of a mating-type locus of unusually large si ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mating-type locus of Cryptococcus neoformans: a step in the evolution of sex chromosomes.

Journal article Eukaryot Cell · October 2002 Featured Publication The sexual development and virulence of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is controlled by a bipolar mating system determined by a single locus that exists in two alleles, alpha and a. The alpha and a mating-type alleles from two divergent variet ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Galpha protein Gpa2 controls yeast differentiation by interacting with kelch repeat proteins that mimic Gbeta subunits.

Journal article Mol Cell · July 2002 Featured Publication G protein coupled receptors (GPCR) sense diverse ligands and signal via heterotrimeric G proteins. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae GPCR Gpr1 senses glucose and controls filamentous growth via an unusual Galpha protein, Gpa2, which lacks any known Gbetagamma s ... Full text Link to item Cite

Calcineurin is essential for survival during membrane stress in Candida albicans.

Journal article EMBO J · February 15, 2002 Featured Publication The immunosuppressants cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 inhibit the protein phosphatase calcineurin and block T-cell activation and transplant rejection. Calcineurin is conserved in microorganisms and plays a general role in stress survival. CsA and FK506 are ... Full text Link to item Cite

Genetics of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Journal article Annu Rev Genet · 2002 Featured Publication Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic fungus that primarily afflicts immunocompromised patients, infecting the central nervous system to cause meningoencephalitis that is uniformly fatal if untreated. C. neoformans is a basidiomycetous fungus with a defi ... Full text Link to item Cite