Topic description

It is well established that fungi protect themselves from nitric oxide (NO), an antimicrobial compound produced and released by macrophages and other immune cells in host defense. Although fungal species have evolved several strategies to detoxify the adverse effects of NO, a prominent mechanism involves the production of the heme-dependent flavohemoglobin (flavoHb) enzyme, which neutralizes NO toxicity by converting NO into innocuous nitrate. Despite the essential role for flavoHb, enabling fungal cells to survive in the presence of NO, the mechanism whereby flavoHb is regulated and acquires heme for its NO detoxification activity remains poorly understood. Our research focuses on the unique biology of two yeasts: Schizosaccharomyces pombe and . Both yeasts serve as model systems to investigate how saprophytic and pathogenic yeast cells acquire exogenous heme. In the case of S. pombe, this tractable model allows the use of the power of genetic...