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function sigma factor σ E is required for normal BLZ945 chemical structure cell wall structure in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). J Bacteriol 1999, 181:204–211.PubMed Authors’ contributions HRT and GL conceived the project. YYP performed the experiments, LQW, XHH and YQT conducted partial data analysis. YYP, GL and HRT wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors Tryptophan synthase declare no conflict of interest.”
“Background Pathogenic fungi use signal transduction pathways to sense the environment and to adapt quickly to changing conditions. Identification of the components that comprise signalling cascades controlling dimorphism in Sporothrix schenckii has been of particular interest in our laboratory for years. Studying the mechanisms controlling dimorphism in S. schenckii

is important for understanding its pathogenicity and the response to the hostile environment encountered in the host [1, 2]. Dimorphism in S. schenckii as in other pathogenic fungi has been associated with virulence [3, 4]. This fungus exhibits mycelium morphology in its saprophytic phase at 25°C and yeast morphology in host tissues at 35-37°C. Studies on the role of calcium in S. schenckii dimorphism showed that calcium stimulates the yeast to mycelium transition and that calcium uptake accompanies this transition [5]. Calcium is one of the most important intracellular second messengers and is involved in a wide range of cellular events in many eukaryotic cells [6, 7]. Calcium can affect cellular processes by binding to calmodulin (CaM) that in turn activates Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) [[8–10]]. These serine/threonine protein kinases have two major domains: a highly conserved amino-terminal catalytic domain and a carboxy-terminal regulatory domain.