Table 1.

The evolution of cell functions in similar proteins as revealed by gene knockout mutants of C. gattii (Cg) and C. neoformans (Cn)^a

Target gene	Cellular function	Fungus	Fungal features examinedb					Ref.
			37°C growth	Capsule	Melanin	Mating	Virulence
SOD1	Cytoplasmic antioxidant	Cg Cn	↔ ↔	↓ ↔	↓ ↔	↔ ND	↓ ↓	67, 68
SOD2	Mitochondrial antioxidant	Cg Cn	↓ ↓	↔ ND	↔ ND	↔ ND	X X	69, 70
TPS1	Trehalose biosynthesis pathway	Cg Cn	↓ ↓	↓ ↔	↓ ↔	↓ ND	↓ X	71, 72
TPS2	Trehalose biosynthesis pathway	Cg Cn	X ↓	↓ ↔	↓ ↔	↔ ND	↓ ↔	71, 72
PKA1	Regulation of cellular pathways	Cg Cn	ND ND	↓ X	↔ X	↔ X	ND X	74, 75
PKA2	Regulation of cellular pathways	Cg Cn	ND ND	↓ ↔	↓ ↔	↑ ↔	ND ND	74, 75
STE12α	Regulation of mating	Cg Cn	ND ↔	↔ ↓	↓ ↔	↓ ↓	↓ ↔	61, 73

^aC. neoformans refers to C. neoformans var. grubii.

^bAbbreviations: ND, not done; ↔, no change; ↓, reduced; ↑, enhanced; X, absent.