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3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetate 2,3-Dioxygenase Modulates The Ability Of Enterobacter Hormaechei To Induce Cryptococcus Neoformans Melanization, Amy Nelson
Honors Scholar Theses
In this study, we performed transposon mutagenesis to create a library of Enterobacter hormaechei mutants and developed a melanization assay to identify mutants that could not induce the typical melanization phenotype in Cryptococcus neoformans. Relevant phenotype labels included: “hypomelanizer”, a total lack of melanization; “hypermelanizer”, an increased melanization; or “abnormal”, an increased melanization with complete color change of the assay plate to a reddish-brown. Genomic sequencing of 47 mutants and bioinformatic analysis allowed us to pinpoint the transposon insertion site in each E. hormaechei mutant to identify the genes that were affected. A single mutant that induced the abnormal …
Tyrr Regulates The Ability Of Enterobacter Hormaechei To Induce Melanin Production In Cryptoccus Neoformans, Ally Watson
Tyrr Regulates The Ability Of Enterobacter Hormaechei To Induce Melanin Production In Cryptoccus Neoformans, Ally Watson
Honors Scholar Theses
The yeast Cryptococcus neoformans is present in the microbiota of many plants and animals and produces melanin, a compound that protects cells against UV light and promotes virulence. Melanin production can be induced by exogenous tyrosine, homogentisic acid, catecholamines, or their precursors such as L-DOPA, all of which may be produced by bacteria. The goal of this study was to investigate the interaction between Enterobacter hormaechei (a mosquito gut isolate) and C. neoformans with respect to the production of melanin by C. neoformans in the presence of E. hormaechei, potentially due to the production of L-DOPA or other metabolites …