The G-protein alpha-subunit GasC plays a major role in germination in the dimorphic fungus Penicillium marneffei.

A p21-Activated Kinase Is Required for Conidial Germination in Penicillium marneffei

Asexual spores (conidia) are the infectious propagules of many pathogenic fungi, and the capacity to sense the host environment and trigger conidial germination is a key pathogenicity determinant. Germination of conidia requires the de novo establishment of a polarised growth axis and consequent germ tube extension. The molecular mechanisms that control polarisation during germination are poorl...

Morphogenetic circuitry regulating growth and development in the dimorphic pathogen Penicillium marneffei.

Penicillium marneffei is an emerging human-pathogenic fungus endemic to Southeast Asia. Like a number of other fungal pathogens, P. marneffei exhibits temperature-dependent dimorphic growth and grows in two distinct cellular morphologies, hyphae at 25°C and yeast cells at 37°C. Hyphae can differentiate to produce the infectious agents, asexual spores (conidia), which are inhaled into the host l...

G-Protein Signaling Mediates Asexual Development at 25°C but Has No Effect on Yeast-Like Growth at 37°C in the Dimorphic Fungus Penicillium marneffei

Role of the yakA gene in morphogenesis and stress response in Penicillium marneffei.

Penicillium marneffei is a thermally dimorphic fungus and a highly significant pathogen of immunocompromised individuals living in or having travelled in south-east Asia. At 25 °C, P. marneffei grows filamentously. Under the appropriate conditions, these filaments (hyphae) produce conidiophores bearing chains of conidia. Yet, when incubated at 37 °C, or upon infecting host tissue, P. marneffei ...

The RFX protein RfxA is an essential regulator of growth and morphogenesis in Penicillium marneffei.

Fungi are small eukaryotes capable of undergoing multiple complex developmental programs. The opportunistic human pathogen Penicillium marneffei is a dimorphic fungus, displaying vegetative (proliferative) multicellular hyphal growth at 25 degrees C and unicellular yeast growth at 37 degrees C. P. marneffei also undergoes asexual development into differentiated multicellular conidiophores beari...