TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparative analysis of Cryptococcus neoformans acid-resistant particles generated from pigmented cells grown in different laccase substrates
AU - Garcia-Rivera, Javier
AU - Eisenman, Helene C.
AU - Nosanchuk, Joshua D.
AU - Aisen, Philip
AU - Zaragoza, Oscar
AU - Moadel, Tiffany
AU - Dadachova, Ekaterina
AU - Casadevall, Arturo
N1 - Funding Information:
J. Garcia-Rivera is supported by the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award GM64100. A. Casadevall and J. Nosanchuk are supported by the National Institutes of Health Awards AI52733. E. Dadachova is supported by NIH Grant AI060507. H. Eisenman is supported by NIH training Grant T32CA09173. The data presented in this paper are from a thesis to be submitted by Javier Garcia-Rivera in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy in the Sue Golding Graduate Division of Medical Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
PY - 2005/12
Y1 - 2005/12
N2 - Cryptococcus neoformans produces pigments in vitro in the presence of exogenous substrate. We characterized acid-resistant particles isolated from pigmented cells grown in l-dopa, methyl-dopa, (-)-epinephrine or (-)-norepinephrine. The goals of this study were to determine whether pigments made from each of these substrates were melanins and the consequences of pigmentation on related cell characteristics. The greatest yield of acid-resistant particles occurred with methyl-dopa followed by l-dopa. Electron microscopy indicated that l-dopa and methyl-dopa produced particles with thicker shells. The mAb 6D2 reacted with all particles, but a lower reactivity was observed with epinephrine-derived particles. ESR analysis revealed that epinephrine-derived particles failed to produce a stable free radical signal typical of melanins. Growth of C. neoformans in different substrates affected cell and capsule size but not capsule induction. Hence, the type of pigment produced by C. neoformans is dependent on the substrate and not all pigments meet the criteria for melanins.
AB - Cryptococcus neoformans produces pigments in vitro in the presence of exogenous substrate. We characterized acid-resistant particles isolated from pigmented cells grown in l-dopa, methyl-dopa, (-)-epinephrine or (-)-norepinephrine. The goals of this study were to determine whether pigments made from each of these substrates were melanins and the consequences of pigmentation on related cell characteristics. The greatest yield of acid-resistant particles occurred with methyl-dopa followed by l-dopa. Electron microscopy indicated that l-dopa and methyl-dopa produced particles with thicker shells. The mAb 6D2 reacted with all particles, but a lower reactivity was observed with epinephrine-derived particles. ESR analysis revealed that epinephrine-derived particles failed to produce a stable free radical signal typical of melanins. Growth of C. neoformans in different substrates affected cell and capsule size but not capsule induction. Hence, the type of pigment produced by C. neoformans is dependent on the substrate and not all pigments meet the criteria for melanins.
KW - Cryptococcus neoformans
KW - Melanin
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U2 - 10.1016/j.fgb.2005.09.003
DO - 10.1016/j.fgb.2005.09.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 16289955
AN - SCOPUS:27844557343
SN - 1087-1845
VL - 42
SP - 989
EP - 998
JO - Fungal Genetics and Biology
JF - Fungal Genetics and Biology
IS - 12
ER -