新生隐球菌一个新的产孢相关蛋白Srp1的鉴定与功能分析

Identification and characterization of a novel sporulation-related protein Srp1 in Cryptococcus neoformans

摘要:

[目的]研究产孢相关蛋白Srp1在新生隐球菌有性产孢和致病性中的作用及机理。[方法]采用基因枪转化技术构建新生隐球菌SRP1基因缺失突变体及其互补菌株，并通过小鼠致病性实验和菌株交配实验检测Srp1在新生隐球菌有性产孢和致病性中的作用。[结果]与野生型菌株相比，srp1Δ突变体小鼠致病性无差异；srp1Δ突变体能够交配并形成双核菌丝，但丧失产生担孢子的能力；初步机理分析表明srp1Δ突变体交配后其减数分裂过程被阻断，从而导致srp1Δ突变体不能产生担孢子。[结论]产孢相关蛋白Srp1不影响新生隐球菌的致病性，但可通过调控减数分裂过程影响新生隐球菌的有性生殖。

Abstract:

[Objective] To investigate the role and its mechanism of the sporulation-related protein Srp1 in sexual reproduction and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. [Methods] Biolistic transformation method was conducted to construct the srp1Δ mutants and its complemented strains. Fungal virulence assay and bilateral mating assay were used to test the role of Srp1 in fungal development in C. neoformans. [Results] In comparison with the wild-type strain H99, the srp1Δ mutants had no significant difference in fungal virulence. Although the srp1Δ mutants can mate and form the dikaryotic hyphae in bilateral mating, the srp1Δ mutants have lost their ability to produce basidiospores. Fungal nuclei development assay showed that the nuclei in the bilateral mating of srp1Δ mutants failed to undergo meiosis after fusion, which can lead to failure of basidiospore formation in srp1Δ mutants. [Conclusion] The sporulation related protein Srp1 is not required for fungal virulence, but control sexual reproduction by regulating meiosis during mating in C. neoformans.