| Title | MINIREVIEW] The cAMP/protein kinase A signaling pathway in pathogenic basidiomycete fungi: Connections with iron homeostasis |
|---|---|
| Author | Jaehyuk Choi1, Won Hee Jung2, and James W. Kronstad3* |
| Address | 11Division of Life Sciences, and Culture Collection and DNA Bank of Mushrooms, Incheon National University, Incheon 406-772, Republic of Korea, 2Department of Systems Biotechnology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 456-756, Republic of Korea, 3The Michael Smith Laboratories, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 53(9),579-587, 2015, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-015-5247-5 |
| Key Words | cAMP/PKA pathway, pathogenesis, iron homeostasis, pH signaling |
| Abstract | A number of pathogenic species of basidiomycete fungi are either life-threatening pathogens of humans or major economic pests for crop production. Sensing the host is a key aspect of pathogen proliferation during disease, and signal transduction pathways are critically important for detecting environmental conditions and facilitating adaptation. This review focuses on the contributions of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway in Cryptococcus neoformans, a species that causes meningitis in humans, and Ustilago maydis, a model phytopathogen that causes a smut disease on maize. Environmental sensing by the cAMP/PKA pathway regulates the production of key virulence traits in C. neoformans including the polysaccharide capsule and melanin. For U. maydis, the pathway controls the dimorphic transition from budding growth to the filamentous cell type required for proliferation in plant tissue. We discuss recent advances in identifying new components of the cAMP/PKA pathway in these pathogens and highlight an emerging theme that pathway signaling influences iron acquisition. |