TY - JOUR
AU - Liza, Gross
AB -  Because HIV attacks the very cells charged with fighting infection, the virus compromises the body’s ability to co-exist with pathogens that are otherwise harmless. It is these pathogen-induced opportunistic infections, and not the virus itself, that produce the most debilitating effects of the disease. The appearance of specific opportunistic infections—including the life-threatening fungal infection cryptococcosis—signals progression to AIDS. Nearly all AIDS-related cryptococcosis cases worldwide are caused by Cryptococcus neoformans , a single-celled fungus originally isolated over 100 years ago. A critical factor in C. neoformans infection is iron availability. Because iron also supports fundamental host cell processes, the pathogen must compete with the host to secure enough iron for survival and replication. Genetic and nutritional factors, along with HIV itself, promote iron accumulation in cells and organs, dramatically increasing its availability to C. neoformans and other potential pathogens. Understanding how pathogenic fungi sense host resources and control virulence-related factors is essential for developing effective antifungal therapies. In a new study, Won Hee Jung, James Kronstad, and colleagues identify a gene in C. neoformans that coordinates both processes, revealing a potentially powerful antifungal strategy. The gene, called Cryptococcus iron regulator (CIR1) , regulates not only the pathogen’s response to 
TI - Iron Regulation and an Opportunistic AIDS-Related Fungal Infection
JF - PLoS Biology
DO - 10.1371/journal.pbio.0040427
DA - 2006-11-21
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/public-library-of-science-plos-journal/iron-regulation-and-an-opportunistic-aids-related-fungal-infection-ihFgobuE6b
VL - 4
IS - 12
DP - DeepDyve
ER -