Pathways of heme utilization in fungi. 2020

Daniel Kornitzer, and Udita Roy
Department of Molecular Microbiology, B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 31096, Israel. Electronic address: danielk@technion.ac.il.

Iron acquisition is challenging in most environments. As an alternative to elemental iron, organisms can take up iron-protoporphyrin IX, or heme. Heme can be found in decaying organic matter and is particularly prevalent in animal hosts. Fungi have evolved at least three distinct endocytosis-mediated heme uptake systems, which have been studied in detail in the organisms Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Here we summarize the known molecular details of these three uptake systems that enable parasitic and saprophytic fungi to take advantage of external heme as either cellular iron or heme sources.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007501 Iron A metallic element with atomic symbol Fe, atomic number 26, and atomic weight 55.85. It is an essential constituent of HEMOGLOBINS; CYTOCHROMES; and IRON-BINDING PROTEINS. It plays a role in cellular redox reactions and in the transport of OXYGEN. Iron-56,Iron 56
D011524 Protoporphyrins Porphyrins with four methyl, two vinyl, and two propionic acid side chains attached to the pyrrole rings. Protoporphyrin IX occurs in hemoglobin, myoglobin, and most of the cytochromes.
D002176 Candida albicans A unicellular budding fungus which is the principal pathogenic species causing CANDIDIASIS (moniliasis). Candida albicans var. stellatoidea,Candida stellatoidea,Dematium albicans,Monilia albicans,Myceloblastanon albicans,Mycotorula albicans,Parasaccharomyces albicans,Procandida albicans,Procandida stellatoidea,Saccharomyces albicans,Syringospora albicans
D003455 Cryptococcus neoformans A species of the fungus CRYPTOCOCCUS. Its teleomorph is Filobasidiella neoformans. Blastomyces neoformans,Debaryomyces neoformans,Filobasidiella neoformans,Lipomyces neoformans,Saccharomyces neoformans,Torula neoformans,Torulopsis neoformans,Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii
D004705 Endocytosis Cellular uptake of extracellular materials within membrane-limited vacuoles or microvesicles. ENDOSOMES play a central role in endocytosis. Endocytoses
D006418 Heme The color-furnishing portion of hemoglobin. It is found free in tissues and as the prosthetic group in many hemeproteins. Ferroprotoporphyrin,Protoheme,Haem,Heme b,Protoheme IX
D012568 Schizosaccharomyces A genus of ascomycetous fungi of the family Schizosaccharomycetaceae, order Schizosaccharomycetales. Fission Yeast,Schizosaccharomyces malidevorans,Schizosaccharomyces pombe,Yeast, Fission,S pombe,Fission Yeasts
D015398 Signal Transduction The intracellular transfer of information (biological activation/inhibition) through a signal pathway. In each signal transduction system, an activation/inhibition signal from a biologically active molecule (hormone, neurotransmitter) is mediated via the coupling of a receptor/enzyme to a second messenger system or to an ion channel. Signal transduction plays an important role in activating cellular functions, cell differentiation, and cell proliferation. Examples of signal transduction systems are the GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID-postsynaptic receptor-calcium ion channel system, the receptor-mediated T-cell activation pathway, and the receptor-mediated activation of phospholipases. Those coupled to membrane depolarization or intracellular release of calcium include the receptor-mediated activation of cytotoxic functions in granulocytes and the synaptic potentiation of protein kinase activation. Some signal transduction pathways may be part of larger signal transduction pathways; for example, protein kinase activation is part of the platelet activation signal pathway. Cell Signaling,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Pathways,Receptor Mediated Signal Transduction,Signal Transduction Pathways,Signal Transduction Systems,Pathway, Signal,Pathway, Signal Transduction,Pathways, Signal,Pathways, Signal Transduction,Receptor-Mediated Signal Transductions,Signal Pathway,Signal Transduction Pathway,Signal Transduction System,Signal Transduction, Receptor-Mediated,Signal Transductions,Signal Transductions, Receptor-Mediated,System, Signal Transduction,Systems, Signal Transduction,Transduction, Signal,Transductions, Signal

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