E. R. Ballou

This paper identifies Gat201 as a transcription factor controlling a trade-off between capsule production and proliferation in Cryptococcus neoformans at alkaline pH.

This study shows microglia support cryptococcal brain infections by hosting fungal growth and facilitating copper acquisition, and demonstrates that IFNγ can block this process.

This paper develops an in vitro method to induce titan cells in Cryptococcus gattii and identifies p-Aminobenzoic acid as a key inducer, revealing strain-specific differences and asynchronous cell cycle features during titanisation.

This paper identifies host-derived reactive nitrogen species as key drivers of the Cryptococcus neoformans yeast-to-titan switch by increasing endogenous superoxide, which promotes genotoxic stress and polyploidy, while requiring SOD activity for titan cell viability.

The paper identifies a bacterial endosymbiont in Rhizopus microsporus that enhances fungal virulence by suppressing amoeba predation and macrophage clearance.

The paper investigates the relationship between titan cells, small cells, and titanides in Cryptococcus neoformans, showing their shared features and impact on aneuploidy and drug resistance.

This paper establishes an in vitro system to induce Titan cells in Cryptococcus neoformans, identifies bacterial peptidoglycan as an inducer, and shows that Titanisation is regulated and conserved across species.