AUTHOR=Suo Chenhao , Gao Yiru , Ding Chen , Sun Tianshu 

TITLE=The function and regulation of heat shock transcription factor in Cryptococcus

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1195968

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2023.1195968

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Cryptococcus</italic> species are opportunistic human fungal pathogens. Survival in a hostile environment, such as the elevated body temperatures of transmitting animals and humans, is crucial for <italic>Cryptococcus</italic> infection. Numerous intriguing investigations have shown that the Hsf family of thermotolerance transcription regulators plays a crucial role in the pathogen-host axis of <italic>Cryptococcus</italic>. Although Hsf1 is known to be a master regulator of the heat shock response through the activation of gene expression of heat shock proteins (Hsps). Hsf1 and other Hsfs are multifaceted transcription regulators that regulate the expression of genes involved in protein chaperones, metabolism, cell signal transduction, and the electron transfer chain. In <italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic>, a model organism, Hsf1’s working mechanism has been intensively examined. Nonetheless, the link between Hsfs and <italic>Cryptococcus</italic> pathogenicity remains poorly understood. This review will focus on the transcriptional regulation of Hsf function in <italic>Cryptococcus</italic>, as well as potential antifungal treatments targeting Hsf proteins.</p>