Transcriptome analysis and molecular studies on sulfur metabolism in the human pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (original) (raw)

2006, Molecular Genetics and …

The dimorphic pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis can grow as a prototroph for organic sulfur as a mycelial (non-pathogenic) form, but it is unable to assimilate inorganic sulfur as a yeast (pathogenic) form. Temperature and the inability to assimilate inorganic sulfur are the single conditions known to aVect P. brasiliensis mycelium-to-yeast (M-Y) dimorphic transition. For a comprehensive evaluation of genes that have their expression modulated during the MY transition in diVerent culture media, we performed a large-scale analysis of gene expression using a microarray hybridization approach. The results of the present work demonstrate the use of microarray hybridization analysis to examine gene expression during the MY transition in minimal medium and compare these results with the MY transition in complete medium. Our results showed that about 95% of the genes in our microarray are mainly responding to the temperature trigger, independently of the media where the MY transition took place. As a preliminary step to understand the inorganic sulfur inability in P. brasiliensis yeast form, we decided to characterize the mRNA accumulation of several genes involved in diVerent aspects of both organic and inorganic sulfur assimilation. Our results suggest that although P. brasiliensis cannot use inorganic sulfur as a single sulfur source to initiate both MY transition and Y growth, the fungus can somehow use both organic and inorganic pathways during these growth processes.