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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Assessing the Putative Anticryptococcal Properties of Crude and Clarified Extracts from Mollusks
Published on: December 2, 2022
Virulence-Associated Enzymes of Cryptococcus neoformans
Fausto Almeida1, Julie M Wolf2, Arturo Casadevall3
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, New York, USA Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Abstract:
Enzymes play key roles in fungal pathogenesis. Manipulation of enzyme expression or activity can significantly alter the infection process, and enzyme expression profiles can be a hallmark of disease. Hence, enzymes are worthy targets for better understanding pathogenesis and identifying new options for combatting fungal infections. Advances in genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, and mass spectrometry have enabled the identification and characterization of new fungal enzymes. This review focuses on recent developments in the virulence-associated enzymes from Cryptococcus neoformans. The enzymatic suite of C. neoformans has evolved for environmental survival, but several of these enzymes play a dual role in colonizing the mammalian host. We also discuss new therapeutic and diagnostic strategies that could be based on the underlying enzymology.
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