J. A. Alspaugh

This study identifies Cbi1/Bim1 as a copper-binding protein in Cryptococcus neoformans that links copper homeostasis to adaptive changes in the fungal cell wall, including chitin and chitosan levels, and modulates host immune responses.

This study identifies a fungal strain with reduced growth and increased immunogenicity that induces granulomas in mice, providing a model for studying cryptococcal latency and reactivation.

This paper compares three RNA enrichment methods for RNA-Seq in Cryptococcus neoformans, finding that RNase H depletion outperforms others in rRNA removal and expression accuracy.

This study identifies how the Rra1 protein in Cryptococcus neoformans internalizes and recycles in response to alkaline pH, enabling the fungus to adapt to the human host environment.

This study identifies the sterol homeostasis pathway as essential for fungal survival at alkaline pH, independent of the Rim pathway, and shows increased susceptibility to antifungals under alkaline conditions.

This study identifies Ali1, a fungal arrestin protein, as a contributor to cytokinesis and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans by facilitating lipid synthesis and membrane modification.