Transcription Factor Crz1 from Cryptococcus humicola Conferred Aluminum Resistance and Interacted with Calcineurin

Calcineurin was activated by aluminum stress and increased aluminum resistance. To investigate how the calcineurin pathway regulates aluminum stress in Cryptococcus humicola, the expressions of Crz1 under stresses were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Calcium, cadmium, and aluminum induced the expression of Crz1. Cna1, calcineurin catalytic subunit A (CNA1) encoding gene, was constructed into pGBKT7 and Crz1 gene was constructed into pGADT7. The resultant plasmids, pGADT7-Crz1 and pGBKT7-Cna1, were transformed into Y2HGold and Y187 yeast strain, respectively. Yeast two-hybridization results showed an interaction between CNA1 and Crz1. The role of Crz1 gene in stresses resistance including hydrogen peroxide, calcium, cadmium, and aluminum was assayed by constructing transgenic yeast. The growth of Crz1 transgenic yeasts was much better than that of the control yeast under these stress conditions. These results suggested that Crz1 participated in resistance to stresses and Crz1 showed an interaction with CNA1.