NICRYPTO · Nickel homeostasis in the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans
6РП — Действия „Мария Кюри“
- Период
- 2006-12-01 → 2008-11-30
- Финансиране от ЕС
- 80 000 €
- Участници
- 1
- Схема
- IRG
Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.
Накратко на български
Гъбичката Cryptococcus neoformans се изследва за това как усвоява никел, за да активира ензима уреаза. Разбирането на този процес помага за разработването на нови методи за лечение на инфекциите, причинени от този организъм.
Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.
Резултати накратко
Final Activity Report Summary - NICRYPTO (Nickel homeostasis in the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans)
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that usually grows in the soil but can cause disease in humans that have an impaired immune system. There is interest in understanding how an organism that usually lives in the soil is able to survive in the human body. Such knowledge will help in the development of new therapeutic treatments. Important for the ability of C. neoformans to cause disease is the enzyme urease, which provides the cell with a source of nitrogen. Urease activity depends on the metal ion nickel, which forms its active centre. Therefore, it is likely that nickel will also be important for the ability of C. neoformans to infect humans. We are interested in understanding how C. neoformans acquires nickel and how it becomes incorporated into the urease enzyme. The objective of this work has been to identify proteins that are involved in nickel metabolism in C. neoformans and determine if and how they are regulated. We have identified a transporter that is involved in the uptake of nickel and a protein that is potentially involved in the insertion of nickel into urease. Mutants that lack either of these proteins do not exhibit urease activity suggesting that the disruption of nickel acquisition and distribution in C. neoformans will inhibit its ability to cause disease.
Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз
Цел на проекта
Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that is able to infect humans and cause serious disease. The nickel containing enzyme urease is essential for the ability of C. neoformans to survive within the lung and establish infection. Nickel has the potential to be toxic to the cell so that C. neoformans will have evolved mechanisms to acquire and distribute this metal ion in a way that does not cause cellular damage.The objective of this proposal is to define the nickel homeostasic pathways of C. neoformans. Initially, genetic screens will be carried out to identify genes that are required for the acquisition, distribution and sensing of nickel in C. neoformans. The regulation of the identified genes and their respective gene products will be analysed using standard molecular techniques.The cellular localisation of the relevant gene products will be identified and preliminary analysis of any nickel binding proteins carried out. This will establish C. neoformans as a model organism for the study of nickel metabolism as it relates to a fungal pathogen. This is a novel area of research that will provide the applicant with a biological system that will be the basis of his research for many years. Consequently, this proposal will help the applicant return to Europe from the United States and establish himself as an independent scientist.This research falls within the life sciences, genomics and biotechnology thematic priority of the Specific Programme. In particular, this proposal provides a multidisciplinary approach to a basic biological process that has implications for human health.
Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).
Участници
- UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE · NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEКоординаторОбединеното кралство
Връзки
Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз