Dr. Christina M. Hull

Research Interest

We are interested in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of sexual development in human fungal pathogens. We study this process in Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes a fatal form of fungal meningitis. Although C. neoformans has two mating types (a and alpha ); over 95% of all clinical and environmental isolates are of the alpha mating type. Understanding the differences between a and alpha cells (cell identity determination) and the ways in which the mating types interact promises to lend insight into how this organism causes disease. Currently, the focus of the lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms that control cell identity and development in C. neoformans. Using biochemical, genetic, molecular, and cell biological approaches we are elucidating the basic processes and mechanisms important for C. neoformans to reproduce both sexually and asexually. Finally, we are using a mouse model of infection to test the roles of cell identity genes in the virulence process.

Training

1992, B.S., University of Utah
2000, Ph.D., University of California-San Francisco
2000-2003, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Duke University

Publications – NCBI PubMed search for "C.M. Hull"

Young, L. Y., C. M. Hull, and J. Heitman. 2003. Disruption of Ergosterol Biosynthesis Confers Resistance to Amphotericin B in Candida lusitaniae. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 47: 2717-2724

Hull, C. M., R. C. Davidson, and J. Heitman. 2002. Cell Identity and Sexual Development in Cryptococcus neoformans are Controlled by the Mating Type-Specific Homeodomain Protein Sxi1 alpha . Genes & Development 16: 3046-3060

Hull, C. M. and J. Heitman. 2002. Fungal Mating: Candida albicans Flips a Switch to Get in the Mood. Current Biology 12: R782-R784

Hull, C. M. and J. Heitman. 2002. Genetics of Cryptococcus neoformans. Annual Review of Genetics. 36: 557-615

Davidson, R. C., J. R. Blankenship, P. Kraus, M. de Jesus-Berrios, C. M. Hull, C. D’Souza, P. Wang, and J. Heitman. 2002. A PCR-Based Strategy to Generate Integrative Targeting Alleles with Large Regions of Homology. Microbiology 148: 2607-2615

Hull, C. M., R. M. Raisner, and A. D. Johnson. 2000. Evidence for Mating in the "Asexual" Yeast Candida albicans in a Mammalian Host. Science 289: 307-310

Hull, C. M. and A. D. Johnson. 1999. Identification of a Mating Type-Like Locus in the Asexual Pathogenic Yeast Candida albicans. Science 285: 1271-1275