E. R. Ballou

Cryptococcus neoformans rapidly invades the murine brain by sequential breaching of airway and endothelial tissues barriers, followed by engulfment by microglia

A trade-off between proliferation and defense in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus at alkaline pH is controlled by the transcription factor GAT201

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

Microglia protect fungi against copper starvation and promote brain infection

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

An in vitro method for inducing titan cells reveals novel features of yeast-to-titan switching in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii

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.

Host-derived Reactive Nitrogen Species mediate the Cryptococcus neoformans yeast-to-titan switch via fungal-derived superoxide

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.

Environmental interactions with amoebae as drivers of bacterial-fungal endosymbiosis and pathogenicity

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

Host environmental conditions induce small fungal cell size and alter population heterogeneity in Cryptococcus neoformans

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.

The Cryptococcus neoformans Titan cell is an inducible and regulated morphotype underlying pathogenesis

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.