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. 2019 Dec 30;14(12):e0226682. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226682

Fig 11. Proposed model of the function of Gpa11 and Gpa12 regulating sporangiospore size and virulence in M. circinelloides.

Fig 11

Through one or more GPCRs, Gpa11 and Gpa12 in the spores of M. circinelloides activate CnaA, which in turn activates the calcineurin pathway. The calcineurin pathway leads to the expression of genes regulated by this pathway, like ena1 and ena2. The dysfunction of Ena1 and Ena2, which are Na+-K+ ATPases, could increase cytosolic levels of sodium ions, allowing the influx of water, leading to an increase in spore size in M. circinelloides as was observed in the Δgpa11/Δgpa12 strain. The CnaA negatively regulates the virulence and stimulates the PKA pathway, meanwhile Gpa11 or Gpa12 positively regulate the virulence and activate the PKA pathway during aerobic germination, but unknown elements are implied in the avirulent phenotype by the mutations in gpa11 and gpa12.