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Eukaryotic Cell, June 2004, p. 785-794, Vol. 3, No. 3
1535-9778/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/EC.3.3.785-794.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Sequence Elements Necessary for Transcriptional Activation of BAD1 in the Yeast Phase of Blastomyces dermatitidis

Peggy J. Rooney1 and Bruce S. Klein1,2,3*

Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology,1 Department of Pediatrics,2 Department of Internal Medicine and the Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin 537923

Received 27 February 2004/ Accepted 2 April 2004

Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungal pathogen that converts from mycelia or conidia to a host-adapted yeast morphotype upon infection. Conversion to the yeast form is accompanied by the production of the virulence factor BAD1. Yeast-phase-specific expression of BAD1 is transcriptionally regulated, and its promoter shares homology with that of the yeast-phase-specific gene YPS3 of Histoplasma capsulatum. Serial truncations of the BAD1 upstream region were fused to the lacZ reporter to define functional areas in the promoter. Examination of PBAD1-lacZ fusions in B. dermatitidis indicated that BAD1 transcription is upregulated in the yeast phase. The 63-nucleotide box A region conserved in the YPS3 upstream region was shown to be an essential component of the minimal BAD1 promoter. A matched PYPS3-lacZ construct indicated that this same region was needed for minimal YPS3 promoter activity in B. dermatitidis transformants. Reporter activity in H. capsulatum transformants similarly showed a requirement for box A in the minimal BAD1 promoter. Several putative transcription factor binding sites were identified within box A of BAD1. Replacement of two of these predicted sites within box A—a cAMP responsive element and a Myb binding site—sharply reduced transcriptional activity, indicating that these regions are critical in dictating the yeast-phase-specific expression of this crucial virulence determinant of B. dermatitidis.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: University of Wisconsin, 600 Highland Ave., K4/434, Madison, WI 53792. Phone: (608) 263-9217. Fax: (608) 263-6210. E-mail: bsklein{at}wisc.edu.

Eukaryotic Cell, June 2004, p. 785-794, Vol. 3, No. 3
1535-9778/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/EC.3.3.785-794.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Bohse, M. L., Woods, J. P. (2005). Surface Localization of the Yps3p Protein of Histoplasma capsulatum. Eukaryot Cell 4: 685-693 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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