Scientists at the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) discovered a biological circuit linking energy metabolism to calcium signalling in the pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans.
This pathway regulates the formation of 'Titan cells', which allow the fungus to evade immune defences and cause cryptococcal meningitis in over 1.5 lakh people annually.
Researchers suggest that targeting this metabolic-signalling network could prevent the fungus from transforming into its dangerous form, offering a new strategy to combat invasive fungal infections.