Melanin-lacking mutants of Cryptococcus neoformans and their virulence for mice
Open accessAbstract
A double mutant of Cryptococcus neoformans which lacked the ability to produce melanin (Mel-) on media containing diphenols and failed to grow at 37 degrees C (temperature sensitive, Tem-) was obtained by UV irradiation and subsequent cloning. The mutant showed two lesions in melanogenesis in that it lacked the active transport system for diphenolic compounds and also lacked phenoloxidase. Ultrastructures of the mutant and wild-type cells grown on a medium with or without L-dopa showed that only the wild-type cells grown on L-dopa medium formed a dark cell wall layer, presumably containing melanin. The mutant was crossed with a wild type, and the phenotypes of the progeny were analyzed. The analysis showed no linkage between the mating type and either Mel or Tem loci, but loose linkage was seen between Mel and Tem loci. The progeny, Mel+ Tem+, Mel+ Tem-, Mel- Tem+, and Mel- Tem-, were studied for their virulence in mice. Only Mel+ Tem+ types killed mice with an inoculum of 5 X 10(5) cells within 50 days.
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UV-induced melanin-deficient mutants of Cryptococcus neoformans exhibited complete loss of pathogenicity.
“UV-induced melanin-deficient mutants of C. neoformans exhibited complete loss of pathogenicity [82].”
From Fungal Melanin in Plant Pathogens: Complex Biosynthesis Pathways and Diverse Biological Functions (2025) · cites this paper as [82]
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- Authors
- Kwon-Chung, K. J., Polacheck, I., & Popkin, T. J.
- Venue
- Journal of Bacteriology
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Published
- 1982-06
- Volume
- 150
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 1414-1421
- ISSN
- 0021-9193 (ISSN-L)
- 1098-5530
- PMC
- PMC216368
- OpenAlex
- W1640810136
- Cited by
- 327
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 3.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of Bacteriology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Fungal Infections and Studies
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Microbiology › Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Keywords
- Cryptococcus neoformans, melanin deficiency, melanogenesis, phenoloxidase, temperature-sensitive mutants, virulence in mice, L-DOPA, cell wall ultrastructure, UV-induced mutants
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cryptococcus, Cryptococcus neoformans, Dopamine, Levodopa, Genetic Linkage, Melanins, Mutation, Norepinephrine, Temperature, Monophenol Monooxygenase, Mice
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