The Effects of Host-like Environmental Signals and Gene Expression on Capsule Growth in Cryptococcus neoformans

<p><em>Cryptococcus neoformans</em> is a fungal pathogen that causes cryptococcosis, a disease that kills almost 200,000 people worldwide each year. A unique feature of this deadly yeast is its polysaccharide capsule, which is known to be associated with its virulence. Here, we systematically explore the effects of all possible combinations of 4 capsule-inducing signals on gene expression, cell size, and capsule size. These signals are medium (YPD, DMEM or RPMI), temperature (30°C or 37°C), CO₂ (room air or 5%), cAMP (0 mM or 20 mM), and pH buffer (HEPES/no HEPES). We explore the effects of exogenous cAMP at a range of concentrations and of deletions of cAMP pathway genes <em>PKR1</em>, <em>PDE1</em>, and <em>PDE2</em>. We present a computational framework for identifying a set of genes that are putatively associated with capsule induction. In addition, we follow up with experiments to validate and corroborate the hypotheses from the computational analysis in search of new genes that may be involved in capsule growth.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science & Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2022

Author dc:creator

• Jung, Yu Min

Contributors dc:contributor

• Michael Brent
• Tamara Doering Jeremy Buhler

• Bioinformatics
• Engineering
• Systems Biology

Statement dc:rights

• I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to.

Language dc:language

English (en)

Identifier

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/752

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:eng_etds-1806