The unusual 'love' type of deadly pathogen

A deadly fungus that causes meningitis has a very special mating strategy, in which it "does it" and reproduces with its own copy, according to a new study.

Most species that reproduce through mating give birth to a generation that is the genetic blend of two different parents. However, Cryptococcus neoformans - the deadly perpetrator of meningitis, gives birth to "mono" babies , from two identical parents.

The descendants of the same parent-like pair will have additional copies of some chromosomes or thread-like structures carrying certain DNA, creating a genetic diversity compared to the original.

According to molecular biologist Joseph Heitman of Duke University (USA), the head of research and reproduction through mating exists to increase the genetic diversity of a species, making them adaptable. more with different environments. However, "that" also comes with a price, requiring two individuals to consume energy and resources to find a partner.

C. neoformans has 2 genders: "a" and "alpha" . An individual "a" and "alpha" can reproduce by mating with each other, but because most of these fungal species are in the "alpha" form, they have been thought to reproduce asexually (words an individual). But by 2005, Mr. Heitman and colleagues discovered two genetically identical fungal bodies that can " sexually " give birth to a single child.

The mating pairs often produce offspring with innumerable copies of a chromosome (the chromosome) - a phenomenon known as aneuploidy, which is associated with serious human disorders such as societies. Down syndrome, originating from the redundancy of a copy of chromosome 21. However, in fungi, an unconformed multiple trait may provide an advantage, such as helping to combat fungal killer treatment.

In the new study, Heitman's team found that identical C. neoformans pairs gave off a generation that possessed a number of different characteristics from parents, such as drug resistance or body pigmentation. Most of these individuals have additional copies of the chromosomes. Some individuals then lost their excess chromosomes and became identical to their parents, implying redundant copies of the chromosome responsible for the diversity of observed traits in the offspring.

The team concluded that C. neoformans has reaped the benefits of mating by mating without paying for it.

In humans, C. neoformans can cause inflammation of the lining of the brain. Most people are exposed to this fungus, but the infection generally attacks only those with weakened immune systems. Statistics show that C. neoformans killed 600,000 people a year and caused about one-third of AIDS-related deaths.

Researchers claim that understanding C. neoformans' reproductive mechanisms may lead to better treatments for fungi.