Transcriptomic response of Cryptococcus neoformans to ecologically relevant nitrogen concentrations

We examine the transcriptomic response of Cryptococcus neoformans to two different ecologically relevant nitrogen concentrations. Our data revealed that low nitrogen conditions modulate the expression of numerous virulence genes in C. neoformans. Among these were, CTR4 and CGP1, which showed highly significant modulation under low nitrogen conditions. Furthermore, data analysis revealed the upregulation of antifungal tolerance-related genes in low nitrogen conditions, including genes involved in ergosterol biosynthetic processes and cell wall integrity. Overall, our findings provide insight into the survival of C. neoformans in nitrogen-poor ecological niches and suggest that pre-adaptation to these conditions may influence the pathobiology of this yeast. Overall design: Examination of the C. neoformans transcriptome during growth in high and low nitrogen conditions