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Factors required for Activation of Urease as a Virulence Determinant in Cryptococcus neoformans

Lookup NU author(s): Robert Panting, Dr Kevin WaldronORCiD, Dr Julian Rutherford

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Abstract

Urease in Cryptococcus neoformans plays an important role in fungal dissemination to the brain and causing meningoencephalitis. Although urea is not required for synthesis of apourease encoded by URE1, the available nitrogen source affected the expression of URE1 as well as the level of the enzyme activity. Activation of the apoenzyme requires three accessory proteins, Ure4, Ure6, and Ure7, which are homologs of the bacterial urease accessory proteins UreD, UreF, and UreG, respectively. A yeast two-hybrid assay showed positive interaction of Ure1 with the three accessory proteins encoded by URE4, URE6, and URE7. Metalloproteomic analysis of cryptococcal lysates using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and a biochemical assay of urease activity showed that, as in many other organisms, urease is a metallocentric enzyme that requires nickel transported by Nic1 for its catalytic activity. The Ure7 accessory protein (bacterial UreG homolog) binds nickel likely via its conserved histidine-rich domain and appears to be responsible for the incorporation of Ni2+ into the apourease. Although the cryptococcal genome lacks the bacterial UreE homolog, Ure7 appears to combine the functions of bacterial UreE and UreG, thus making this pathogen more similar to that seen with the plant system. Brain invasion by the ure1, ure7, and nic1 mutant strains that lack urease activity was significantly less effective in a mouse model. This indicated that an activated urease and not the Ure1 protein was responsible for enhancement of brain invasion and that the factors required for urease activation in C. neoformans resemble those of plants more than those of bacteria.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Singh A, Panting RJ, Varma A, Saijo T, Waldron KJ, Jong A, Ngamskurungroj P, Chang YC, Rutherford JC, Kwon-Chung KJ

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: mBio

Year: 2013

Volume: 4

Issue: 3

Print publication date: 07/05/2013

ISSN (print): 2161-2129

ISSN (electronic): 2150-7511

Publisher: American Society for Microbiology

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00220-13

DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00220-13


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
Intramural Research Program of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
Marie Curie International Re-Integration Grant
Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Research Councils United Kingdom Academic Fellowship
RG100365Royal Society

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