Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Automated Measurement of Cryptococcal Species Polysaccharide Capsule and Cell Body
Published on: January 11, 2018
Calcium signaling components in the human pathogen: Cryptococcus neoformans
Livia Kmetzsch1, Charley Christian Staats, Marcio L Rodrigues
1Centro de Biotecnologia; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Abstract:
Calcium signaling through calmodulin and the phosphatase calcineurin are required for key events of the biology of the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, including mating, morphogenesis, growth at 37°C and virulence. In a recent work we described the functional characterization of a new component of this calcium signaling network: the vacuolar calcium exchanger Vcx1. This transporter is involved in calcium tolerance and virulence in C. neoformans. Two other uncharacterized calcium transporters which are putative orthologs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae PMC1 (a vacuolar calcium ATPase) and PMR1 (a Golgi calcium ATPase) are also functional in C. neoformans. No ortholog of CRZ1, the target of calcineurin in other fungi, has been identified in C. neoformans, indicating a high complexity in cryptococcal calcium-related pathways. Future studies are necessary for the complete understanding of calcium signaling regulation in C. neoformans.
Related Concept Videos
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Pathway
NF-κB-dependent Signaling Mechanism
The heterodimer of NF-κB...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Intracellular Signaling Cascades
Intracellular Signaling Cascades

