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Katsipoulaki M, Stappers MHT, Malavia-Jones D, Brunke S, Hube B, Gow NAR. Candida albicans and Candida glabrata: global priority pathogens. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024; 88:e0002123. [PMID: 38832801 PMCID: PMC11332356 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00021-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYA significant increase in the incidence of Candida-mediated infections has been observed in the last decade, mainly due to rising numbers of susceptible individuals. Recently, the World Health Organization published its first fungal pathogen priority list, with Candida species listed in medium, high, and critical priority categories. This review is a synthesis of information and recent advances in our understanding of two of these species-Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. Of these, C. albicans is the most common cause of candidemia around the world and is categorized as a critical priority pathogen. C. glabrata is considered a high-priority pathogen and has become an increasingly important cause of candidemia in recent years. It is now the second most common causative agent of candidemia in many geographical regions. Despite their differences and phylogenetic divergence, they are successful as pathogens and commensals of humans. Both species can cause a broad variety of infections, ranging from superficial to potentially lethal systemic infections. While they share similarities in certain infection strategies, including tissue adhesion and invasion, they differ significantly in key aspects of their biology, interaction with immune cells, host damage strategies, and metabolic adaptations. Here we provide insights on key aspects of their biology, epidemiology, commensal and pathogenic lifestyles, interactions with the immune system, and antifungal resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrto Katsipoulaki
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Mark H. T. Stappers
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Dhara Malavia-Jones
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Neil A. R. Gow
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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Arruda MFC, da Silva Ramos RCP, de Oliveira NS, Rosa RT, Stuelp-Campelo PM, Bianchini LF, Villas-Bôas SG, Rosa EAR. Central Carbon Metabolism in Candida albicans Biofilms Is Altered by Dimethyl Sulfoxide. J Fungi (Basel) 2024; 10:337. [PMID: 38786692 PMCID: PMC11121877 DOI: 10.3390/jof10050337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on fungal metabolism has not been well studied. This study aimed to evaluate, by metabolomics, the impact of DMSO on the central carbon metabolism of Candida albicans. Biofilms of C. albicans SC5314 were grown on paper discs, using minimum mineral (MM) medium, in a dynamic continuous flow system. The two experimental conditions were control and 0.03% DMSO (v/v). After 72 h of incubation (37 °C), the biofilms were collected and the metabolites were extracted. The extracted metabolites were subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The experiment was conducted using five replicates on three independent occasions. The GC/MS analysis identified 88 compounds. Among the 88 compounds, the levels of 27 compounds were markedly different between the two groups. The DMSO group exhibited enhanced levels of putrescine and glutathione and decreased levels of methionine and lysine. Additionally, the DMSO group exhibited alterations in 13 metabolic pathways involved in primary and secondary cellular metabolism. Among the 13 altered pathways, seven were downregulated and six were upregulated in the DMSO group. These results indicated a differential intracellular metabolic profile between the untreated and DMSO-treated biofilms. Hence, DMSO was demonstrated to affect the metabolic pathways of C. albicans. These results suggest that DMSO may influence the results of laboratory tests when it is used as a solvent. Hence, the use of DMSO as a solvent must be carefully considered in drug research, as the effect of the researched drugs may not be reliably translated into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Fernanda Cordeiro Arruda
- Graduate Program on Dentistry, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (M.F.C.A.); (R.C.P.d.S.R.)
| | - Romeu Cassiano Pucci da Silva Ramos
- Graduate Program on Dentistry, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (M.F.C.A.); (R.C.P.d.S.R.)
| | - Nicoly Subtil de Oliveira
- Graduate Program on Animal Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil;
| | - Rosimeire Takaki Rosa
- Xenobiotics Research Unit, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (R.T.R.); (P.M.S.-C.); (L.F.B.)
| | - Patrícia Maria Stuelp-Campelo
- Xenobiotics Research Unit, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (R.T.R.); (P.M.S.-C.); (L.F.B.)
| | - Luiz Fernando Bianchini
- Xenobiotics Research Unit, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (R.T.R.); (P.M.S.-C.); (L.F.B.)
| | | | - Edvaldo Antonio Ribeiro Rosa
- Graduate Program on Dentistry, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (M.F.C.A.); (R.C.P.d.S.R.)
- Graduate Program on Animal Sciences, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil;
- Xenobiotics Research Unit, School of Medicine and Life Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba 80215-901, Brazil; (R.T.R.); (P.M.S.-C.); (L.F.B.)
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Song S, Zhao S, Sun X, Meng L, Wang Z, Tan H, Liu J, Zhang M, Deng Y. Anti-virulence strategy of diaryl chalcogenide compounds against Candida albicans infection. Virulence 2023; 14:2265012. [PMID: 37771181 PMCID: PMC10549196 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2023.2265012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is an important opportunistic pathogenic fungus that frequently causes serious systemic infection in humans. Due to the vital roles of biofilm formation and the yeast-to-hypha transition in the infection process, we have selected a series of diaryl chalcogenides and tested their efficacy against C. albicans SC5314 pathogenicity by the inhibition of biofilm formation and the yeast-to-hypha transition. The compounds 5-sulfenylindole and 5-selenylindole were found to have excellent abilities to inhibit both biofilm formation and hyphal formation in C. albicans SC5314. Intriguingly, the two leading compounds also markedly attenuated C. albicans SC5314 virulence in human cell lines and mouse infection models at micromolar levels. Furthermore, our results showed that the presence of the compounds at 100 µM resulted in a marked decrease in the expression of genes involved in the cAMP-PKA and MAPK pathways in C. albicans SC5314. Intriguingly, the compounds 5-sulfenylindole and 5-selenylindole not only attenuated the cytotoxicity of Candida species strains but also showed excellent synergistic effects with antifungal agents against the clinical drug-resistant C. albicans strain HCH12. The compound 5-sulfenylindole showed an obvious advantage over fluconazole as it could also restore the composition and richness of the intestinal microbiota in mice infected by C. albicans. Together, these results suggest that diaryl chalcogenides can potentially be designed as novel clinical therapeutic agents against C. albicans infection. The diaryl chalcogenides of 5-sulfenylindole and 5-selenylindole discovered in this study can provide new direction for developing antifungal agents against C. albicans infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihao Song
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuo Zhao
- School of Basic Medicine, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiuyun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Lili Meng
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zijie Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- Hunan Children’s Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Huihui Tan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingyun Liu
- Integrative Microbiology Research Center, College of Plant Protection, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- Zhengzhou Shuqing Medical College, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Engineering of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yinyue Deng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
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Shahina Z, Yennamalli RM, Dahms TE. Key essential oil components delocalize Candida albicans Kar3p and impact microtubule structure. Microbiol Res 2023; 272:127373. [PMID: 37058783 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2023.127373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of Candida albicans associated infections is often ineffective in the light of resistance, with an urgent need to discover novel antimicrobials. Fungicides require high specificity and can contribute to antifungal resistance, so inhibition of fungal virulence factors is a good strategy for developing new antifungals. OBJECTIVES Examine the impact of four plant-derived essential oil components (1,8-cineole, α-pinene, eugenol, and citral) on C. albicans microtubules, kinesin motor protein Kar3 and morphology. METHODS Microdilution assays were used to determine minimal inhibitory concentrations, microbiological assays assessed germ tube, hyphal and biofilm formation, confocal microscopy probed morphological changes and localization of tubulin and Kar3p, and computational modelling was used to examine the theoretical binding of essential oil components to tubulin and Kar3p. RESULTS We show for the first time that essential oil components delocalize the Kar3p, ablate microtubules, and induce psuedohyphal formation with reduced biofilm formation. Single and double deletion mutants of kar3 were resistant to 1,8-cineole, sensitive to α-pinene and eugenol, but unimpacted by citral. Strains with homozygous and heterozygous Kar3p disruption had a gene-dosage effect for all essential oil components, resulting in enhanced resistance or susceptibility patterns that were identical to that of cik1 mutants. The link between microtubule (αβ-tubulin) and Kar3p defects was further supported by computational modeling, showing preferential binding to αβ-tubulin and Kar3p adjacent to their Mg2+-binding sites. CONCLUSION This study highlights how essential oil components interfere with the localization of the kinesin motor protein complex Kar3/Cik1 and disrupt microtubules, leading to their destabilization which results in hyphal and biofilm defects.
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Rashid S, Correia-Mesquita TO, Godoy P, Omran RP, Whiteway M. SAGA Complex Subunits in Candida albicans Differentially Regulate Filamentation, Invasiveness, and Biofilm Formation. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:764711. [PMID: 35350439 PMCID: PMC8957876 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.764711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) is a highly conserved, multiprotein co-activator complex that consists of five distinct modules. It has two enzymatic functions, a histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and a deubiquitinase (DUB) and plays a central role in processes such as transcription initiation, elongation, protein stability, and telomere maintenance. We analyzed conditional and null mutants of the SAGA complex module components in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans; Ngg1, (the HAT module); Ubp8, (the DUB module); Tra1, (the recruitment module), Spt7, (the architecture module) and Spt8, (the TBP interaction unit), and assessed their roles in a variety of cellular processes. We observed that spt7Δ/Δ and spt8Δ/Δ strains have a filamentous phenotype, and both are highly invasive in yeast growing conditions as compared to the wild type, while ngg1Δ/Δ and ubp8Δ/Δ are in yeast-locked state and non-invasive in both YPD media and filamentous induced conditions compared to wild type. RNA-sequencing-based transcriptional profiling of SAGA mutants reveals upregulation of hyphal specific genes in spt7Δ/Δ and spt8Δ/Δ strains and downregulation of ergosterol metabolism pathway. As well, spt7Δ/Δ and spt8Δ/Δ confer susceptibility to antifungal drugs, to acidic and alkaline pH, to high temperature, and to osmotic, oxidative, cell wall, and DNA damage stresses, indicating that these proteins are important for genotoxic and cellular stress responses. Despite having similar morphological phenotypes (constitutively filamentous and invasive) spt7 and spt8 mutants displayed variation in nuclear distribution where spt7Δ/Δ cells were frequently binucleate and spt8Δ/Δ cells were consistently mononucleate. We also observed that spt7Δ/Δ and spt8Δ/Δ mutants were quickly engulfed by macrophages compared to ngg1Δ/Δ and ubp8Δ/Δ strains. All these findings suggest that the SAGA complex modules can have contrasting functions where loss of Spt7 or Spt8 enhances filamentation and invasiveness while loss of Ngg1 or Ubp8 blocks these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Malcolm Whiteway
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Candida tropicalis Systemic Infection Redirects Leukocyte Infiltration to the Kidneys Attenuating Encephalomyelitis. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:jof7090757. [PMID: 34575795 PMCID: PMC8471291 DOI: 10.3390/jof7090757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors, including infections, are strongly associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), which is an autoimmune and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Although classically associated with bacterial and viral agents, fungal species have also been suspected to affect the course of the disease. Candida tropicalis is an opportunistic fungus that affects immunocompromised individuals and is also able to spread to vital organs. As C. tropicalis has been increasingly isolated from systemic infections, we aimed to evaluate the effect of this fungus on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model to study MS. For this, EAE was induced in female C57BL/6 mice 3 days after infection with 106 viable C. tropicalis yeasts. The infection decreased EAE prevalence and severity, confirmed by the less inflammatory infiltrate and less demyelization in the lumbar spinal cord. Despite this, C. tropicalis infection associated with EAE results in the death of some animals and increased urea and creatinine serum levels. The kidneys of EAE-infected mice showed higher fungal load associated with increased leukocyte infiltration (CD45+ cells) and higher expression of T-box transcription factor (Tbx21) and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3). Altogether, our results demonstrate that although C. tropicalis infection reduces the prevalence and severity of EAE, partially due to the sequestration of leukocytes by the inflamed renal tissue, this effect is associated with a poor disease outcome.
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Chow EWL, Pang LM, Wang Y. From Jekyll to Hyde: The Yeast-Hyphal Transition of Candida albicans. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10070859. [PMID: 34358008 PMCID: PMC8308684 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a major fungal pathogen of humans, accounting for 15% of nosocomial infections with an estimated attributable mortality of 47%. C. albicans is usually a benign member of the human microbiome in healthy people. Under constant exposure to highly dynamic environmental cues in diverse host niches, C. albicans has successfully evolved to adapt to both commensal and pathogenic lifestyles. The ability of C. albicans to undergo a reversible morphological transition from yeast to filamentous forms is a well-established virulent trait. Over the past few decades, a significant amount of research has been carried out to understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms, signaling pathways, and transcription factors that govern the C. albicans yeast-to-hyphal transition. This review will summarize our current understanding of well-elucidated signal transduction pathways that activate C. albicans hyphal morphogenesis in response to various environmental cues and the cell cycle machinery involved in the subsequent regulation and maintenance of hyphal morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eve Wai Ling Chow
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore;
| | - Li Mei Pang
- National Dental Centre Singapore, National Dental Research Institute Singapore (NDRIS), 5 Second Hospital Ave, Singapore 168938, Singapore;
| | - Yue Wang
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore 138673, Singapore;
- Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 10 Medical Drive, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Correspondence:
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Meylani V, Sembiring L, Fudholi A, Wibawa T. Differentiated sap (4-6) gene expression of Candida albicans isolates from HIV-positive patients with oral candidiasis and commensals in healthy individuals. Microb Pathog 2021; 158:105075. [PMID: 34224845 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.105075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Gene expression of SAP 4-6 based on the detection of mRNA was observed in Candida albicans isolates from HIV-positive patients with oral candidiasis and commensal from healthy individuals. The species of C. albicans strains were selectively isolated from both sources using CHROMagar Chromogenic Media. The obtained isolates were then induced to express SAP 4-6 using SAP 4-6 gene inducer media. Analysis of gene expression was performed on a molecular basis using the RT-PCR method. Molecular analysis of gene expression showed that the isolates CH3 from HIV-positive patients with oral candidiasis could express SAP 4-6 gene, while commensal isolates from healthy people could not. Based on the results of this study, it could be concluded that, in terms of molecular detection, only isolates from HIV-positive patients (CH3) could express their SAP 4-6 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vita Meylani
- Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Siliwangi, Jl. Siliwangi No. 24 Tasikmalaya, 46115, West Java, Indonesia.
| | - Langkah Sembiring
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Teknika Selatan, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ahmad Fudholi
- Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 4600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Research Centre for Electrical Power and Mechatronics, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Bandung, Indonesia
| | - Tri Wibawa
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Public Health and Nursing, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jl. Farmako, Sekip Utara, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Abstract
Close to half of a collection of 27 clinical a/α isolates of Candida albicans underwent white-to-opaque switching. Complementation experiments revealed that while approximately half of the a/α switchers were due to EFG1 mutations, the remaining half were due to mutations in other genes. In addition, the results of competition experiments in a mouse GI tract colonization model support previous observations that efg1/efg1 cells rapidly outcompete EFG1/EFG1 strains, but direct microscopic analysis reveals that the major colonizing cells were opaque, not gray. The transcription factor EFG1 functions as a suppressor of white-to-opaque and white-to-gray switching in a/α strains of Candida albicans. In a collection of 27 clinical isolates, 4 of the 17 EFG1/EFG1 strains, 1 of the 2 EFG1/efg1 strains, and all 8 of the efg1/efg1 strains underwent white-to-opaque switching. The four EFG1/EFG1 strains, the one EFG1/efg1 strain, and one of the eight efg1/efg1 strains that underwent switching to opaque did not switch to gray and could not be complemented with a copy of EFG1. Competition experiments in a mouse model for gastrointestinal (GI) colonization confirmed that efg1/efg1 cells rapidly outcompete EFG1/EFG1 cells, and in plating experiments, formed colonies containing both gray and opaque cells. Direct microscopic analysis of live cells in the feces, however, revealed that the great majority of cells were opaque, suggesting opaque, not gray, may be the dominant phenotype at the site of colonization. IMPORTANCE Close to half of a collection of 27 clinical a/α isolates of Candida albicans underwent white-to-opaque switching. Complementation experiments revealed that while approximately half of the a/α switchers were due to EFG1 mutations, the remaining half were due to mutations in other genes. In addition, the results of competition experiments in a mouse GI tract colonization model support previous observations that efg1/efg1 cells rapidly outcompete EFG1/EFG1 strains, but direct microscopic analysis reveals that the major colonizing cells were opaque, not gray.
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Kim SW, Joo YJ, Chun YJ, Park YK, Kim J. Cross‐talk between Tor1 and Sch9 regulates hyphae‐specific genes or ribosomal protein genes in a mutually exclusive manner inCandida albicans. Mol Microbiol 2019; 112:1041-1057. [DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Se Woong Kim
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Division of Life Sciences Korea University Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
- HAEL Lab, TechnoComplex Korea University 145Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo Jin Joo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Division of Life Sciences Korea University Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Jin Chun
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Division of Life Sciences Korea University Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
| | - Young Kwang Park
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Division of Life Sciences Korea University Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Kim
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Division of Life Sciences Korea University Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
- HAEL Lab, TechnoComplex Korea University 145Seoul 02841Republic of Korea
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Sharma J, Rosiana S, Razzaq I, Shapiro RS. Linking Cellular Morphogenesis with Antifungal Treatment and Susceptibility in Candida Pathogens. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:E17. [PMID: 30795580 PMCID: PMC6463059 DOI: 10.3390/jof5010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections are a growing public health concern, and an increasingly important cause of human mortality, with Candida species being amongst the most frequently encountered of these opportunistic fungal pathogens. Several Candida species are polymorphic, and able to transition between distinct morphological states, including yeast, hyphal, and pseudohyphal forms. While not all Candida pathogens are polymorphic, the ability to undergo morphogenesis is linked with the virulence of many of these pathogens. There are also many connections between Candida morphogenesis and antifungal drug treatment and susceptibility. Here, we review how Candida morphogenesis-a key virulence trait-is linked with antifungal drugs and antifungal drug resistance. We highlight how antifungal therapeutics are able to modulate morphogenesis in both sensitive and drug-resistant Candida strains, the shared signaling pathways that mediate both morphogenesis and the cellular response to antifungal drugs and drug resistance, and the connection between Candida morphology, drug resistance, and biofilm growth. We further review the development of anti-virulence drugs, and targeting Candida morphogenesis as a novel therapeutic strategy to target fungal pathogens. Together, this review highlights important connections between fungal morphogenesis, virulence, and susceptibility to antifungals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehoshua Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Sierra Rosiana
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Iqra Razzaq
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
| | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Mms21: A Putative SUMO E3 Ligase in Candida albicans That Negatively Regulates Invasiveness and Filamentation, and Is Required for the Genotoxic and Cellular Stress Response. Genetics 2018; 211:579-595. [PMID: 30530734 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In the life cycle of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, the formation of filamentous cells is a differentiation process that is critically involved in host tissue invasion, and in adaptation to host cell and environmental stresses. Here, we have used the Gene Replacement And Conditional Expression library to identify genes controlling invasiveness and filamentation; conditional repression of the library revealed 69 mutants that triggered these processes. Intriguingly, the genes encoding the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) E3 ligase Mms21, and all other tested members of the sumoylation pathway, were both nonessential and capable of triggering filamentation upon repression, suggesting an important role for sumoylation in controlling filamentation in C. albicans We have investigated Mms21 in detail. Both Mms21 nulls (mms21Δ/Δ) and SP [Siz/Pias (protein inhibitor of activated signal transducer and activator of transcription)] domain (SUMO E3 ligase domain)-deleted mutants displayed invasiveness, filamentation, and abnormal nuclear segregation; filament formation occurred even in the absence of the hyphal transcription factor Efg1. Transcriptional analysis of mms21Δ/Δ showed an increase in expression from two- to eightfold above that of the wild-type for hyphal-specific genes, including ECE1, PGA13, PGA26, HWP1, ALS1, ALS3, SOD4, SOD5, UME6, and HGC1 The Mms21-deleted mutants were unable to recover from DNA-damaging agents like methyl methane sulfonate, hydroxyurea, hydrogen peroxide, and UV radiation, suggesting that the protein is important for genotoxic stress responses. In addition, the mms21Δ/Δ mutant displayed sensitivity to cell wall and thermal stresses, and to different antifungal drugs. All these findings suggest that Mms21 plays important roles in cellular differentiation, DNA damage and cellular stress responses, and in response to antifungal drugs.
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Zhao S, Huang J, Sun X, Huang X, Fu S, Yang L, Liu X, He F, Deng Y. (1-aryloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-phenylpiperazine derivatives suppress Candida albicans virulence by interfering with morphological transition. Microb Biotechnol 2018; 11:1080-1089. [PMID: 30221456 PMCID: PMC6196381 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical treatment of Candida albicans infections has become more difficult due to the limited development of antifungal agents and the rapid emergence of drug resistance. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of a series of piperazine derivatives and the evaluation of their inhibitory activity against C. albicans virulence. Thirty-four (1-aryloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-phenylpiperazine derivatives, including 25 new compounds, were synthesized and assessed for their efficacy against the physiology and pathogenesis of C. albicans. Several compounds strongly inhibited the morphological transition and virulence of C. albicans cells, although they did not influence the growth rate of the fungal pathogen. A leading novel compound, (1-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-4-(1-biphenylol-2-hydroxypropyl)-piperazine), significantly attenuated C. albicans virulence by interfering with the process of hyphal development, but it showed no cytotoxicity against human cells at a micromolar level. These findings suggest that (1-aryloxy-2-hydroxypropyl)-phenylpiperazine derivatives could potentially be developed as novel therapeutic agents for the clinical treatment of C. albicans infections by interfering with morphological transition and virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Guangdong Innovative Research Team of SociomicrobiologyCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Integrative Microbiology Research CentreSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
| | - Jun‐Jun Huang
- Pharmaceutical Research CenterSchool of PharmacologyGuangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhou510182China
| | - Xiuyun Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Guangdong Innovative Research Team of SociomicrobiologyCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Integrative Microbiology Research CentreSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
| | - Xiaorong Huang
- Guangdong Innovative Research Team of SociomicrobiologyCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
| | - Shuna Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Guangdong Innovative Research Team of SociomicrobiologyCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Integrative Microbiology Research CentreSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
| | - Liang Yang
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE)Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore637551Singapore
| | - Xue‐Wei Liu
- Division of Chemistry and Biological ChemistrySchool of Physical and Mathematical SciencesNanyang Technological University21 Nanyang LinkSingapore637371Singapore
| | - Fei He
- Integrative Microbiology Research CentreSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
| | - Yinyue Deng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro‐BioresourcesSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Guangdong Innovative Research Team of SociomicrobiologyCollege of AgricultureSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
- Integrative Microbiology Research CentreSouth China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou510642China
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14
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Câmara CRS, Shi Q, Pedersen M, Zbasnik R, Nickerson KW, Schlegel V. Histone acetylation increases in response to ferulic, gallic, and sinapic acids acting synergistically in vitro to inhibit Candida albicans
yeast-to-hyphae transition. Phytother Res 2018; 33:319-326. [DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Qinyin Shi
- Department of Food Science and Technology; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Matthew Pedersen
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Richard Zbasnik
- Department of Food Science and Technology; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Kenneth W. Nickerson
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska USA
| | - Vicki Schlegel
- Department of Food Science and Technology; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska USA
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15
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Abstract
Candida albicans surface-attached biofilms such as those formed on intravenous catheters with direct access to the bloodstream often serve as a nidus for continuous release of cells capable of initiating new infectious foci. We previously reported that cells dispersed from a biofilm are yeast cells that originate from the top-most hyphal layers of the biofilm. Compared to their planktonic counterparts, these biofilm dispersal yeast cells displayed enhanced virulence-associated characteristics and drug resistance. However, little is known about their molecular properties. To address that issue, in this study we aimed to define the molecular characteristics of these biofilm dispersal cells. We found that the inducer of dispersal, PES1, genetically interacts with the repressor of filamentation, NRG1, in a manner consistent with the definition of dispersed cells as yeast cells. Further, using a flow biofilm model, we performed comprehensive comparative RNA sequencing on freshly dispersed cells in order to identify unique transcriptomic characteristics. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that dispersed cells largely inherit a biofilm-like mRNA profile. Strikingly, however, dispersed cells seemed transcriptionally reprogrammed to acquire nutrients such as zinc and amino acids and to metabolize alternative carbon sources, while their biofilm-associated parent cells did not induce the same high-affinity transporters or express gluconeogenetic genes, despite exposure to the same nutritional signals. Collectively, the findings from this study characterize cell dispersal as an intrinsic step of biofilm development which generates propagules more adept at colonizing distant host sites. This developmental step anticipates the need for virulence-associated gene expression before the cells experience the associated external signals. Candida albicans surface-attached biofilms serve as a reservoir of cells to perpetuate and expand an infection; cells released from biofilms on catheters have direct access to the bloodstream. Biofilm dispersal yeast cells exhibit enhanced adhesion, invasion, and biofilm formation compared to their planktonic counterparts. Here, we show using transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) that dispersed yeast cells are developmentally distinct from the cells in their parent biofilms as well as from planktonic yeast cells. Dispersal cells possess an anticipatory expression pattern that primes them to infect new sites in the host, to survive in nutrient-starved niches, and to invade new sites. These studies identified dispersal cells as a unique proliferative cell type of the biofilm and showed that they could serve as targets for antibiofilm drug development in the future.
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16
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Decanalizing thinking on genetic canalization. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 88:54-66. [PMID: 29751086 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The concept of genetic canalization has had an abiding influence on views of complex-trait evolution. A genetically canalized system has evolved to become less sensitive to the effects of mutation. When a gene product that supports canalization is compromised, the phenotypic impacts of a mutation should be more pronounced. This expected increase in mutational effects not only has important consequences for evolution, but has also motivated strategies to treat disease. However, recent studies demonstrate that, when putative agents of genetic canalization are impaired, systems do not behave as expected. Here, we review the evidence that is used to infer whether particular gene products are agents of genetic canalization. Then we explain how such inferences often succumb to a converse error. We go on to show that several candidate agents of genetic canalization increase the phenotypic impacts of some mutations while decreasing the phenotypic impacts of others. These observations suggest that whether a gene product acts as a 'buffer' (lessening mutational effects) or a 'potentiator' (increasing mutational effects) is not a fixed property of the gene product but instead differs for the different mutations with which it interacts. To investigate features of genetic interactions that might predispose them toward buffering versus potentiation, we explore simulated gene-regulatory networks. Similarly to putative agents of genetic canalization, the gene products in simulated networks also modify the phenotypic effects of mutations in other genes without a strong overall tendency towards lessening or increasing these effects. In sum, these observations call into question whether complex traits have evolved to become less sensitive (i.e., are canalized) to genetic change, and the degree to which trends exist that predict how one genetic change might alter another's impact. We conclude by discussing approaches to address these and other open questions that are brought into focus by re-thinking genetic canalization.
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17
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Basso V, d'Enfert C, Znaidi S, Bachellier-Bassi S. From Genes to Networks: The Regulatory Circuitry Controlling Candida albicans Morphogenesis. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2018; 422:61-99. [PMID: 30368597 DOI: 10.1007/82_2018_144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is a commensal yeast of most healthy individuals, but also one of the most prevalent human fungal pathogens. During adaptation to the mammalian host, C. albicans encounters different niches where it is exposed to several types of stress, including oxidative, nitrosative (e.g., immune system), osmotic (e.g., kidney and oral cavity) stresses and pH variation (e.g., gastrointestinal (GI) tract and vagina). C. albicans has developed the capacity to respond to the environmental changes by modifying its morphology, which comprises the yeast-to-hypha transition, white-opaque switching, and chlamydospore formation. The yeast-to-hypha transition has been very well characterized and was shown to be modulated by several external stimuli that mimic the host environment. For instance, temperature above 37 ℃, serum, alkaline pH, and CO2 concentration are all reported to enhance filamentation. The transition is characterized by the activation of an intricate regulatory network of signaling pathways, involving many transcription factors. The regulatory pathways that control either the stress response or morphogenesis are required for full virulence and promote survival of C. albicans in the host. Many of these transcriptional circuitries have been characterized, highlighting the complexity and the interconnections between the different pathways. Here, we present the major signaling pathways and the main transcription factors involved in the yeast-to-hypha transition. Furthermore, we describe the role of heat shock transcription factors in the morphogenetic transition, providing an edifying example of the complex cross talk between pathways involved in morphogenesis and stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Basso
- Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Institut Pasteur, INRA, 25 Rue Du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France.,Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Cellule Pasteur, 25 Rue Du Docteur Roux, Paris, France.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Institut Pasteur, INRA, 25 Rue Du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Sadri Znaidi
- Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Institut Pasteur, INRA, 25 Rue Du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France. .,Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Moléculaire, Vaccinologie et Développement Biotechnologique, 13 Place Pasteur, 1002, Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia.
| | - Sophie Bachellier-Bassi
- Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Institut Pasteur, INRA, 25 Rue Du Docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
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18
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Masłyk M, Janeczko M, Demchuk OM, Boguszewska-Czubara A, Golczyk H, Sierosławska A, Rymuszka A, Martyna A, Kubiński K. A representative of arylcyanomethylenequinone oximes effectively inhibits growth and formation of hyphae in Candida albicans and influences the activity of protein kinases in vitro. Saudi Pharm J 2017; 26:244-252. [PMID: 30166923 PMCID: PMC6111191 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we applied various assays to reveal new activities of phenylcyanomethylenequinone oxime-4-(hydroxyimino) cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene](phenyl)ethanenitrile (4-AN) for potential anti-microbial applications. These assays demonstrated (a) the antimicrobial effect on bacterial and fungal cultures, (b) the effect on the in vitro activity of the kinase CK2, (c) toxicity towards human erythrocytes, the Caco-2 cancer cell line, and embryonic development of Zebrafish. We demonstrated the activity of 4-AN against selected bacteria and Candida spp. The MIC ranging from 4 µg/ml to 125 µg/ml proved effective in inhibition of formation of hyphae and cell aggregation in Candida, which was demonstrated at the cytological level. Noteworthy, 4-AN was found to inhibit the CK2 kinase with moderate potency. Moreover, at low concentrations, it did not exert any evident toxic effects on human erythrocytes, Caco-2 cells, or Zebrafish embryos. 4-AN can be a potential candidate as a novel drug against Candida infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Masłyk
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
| | - Monika Janeczko
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
| | - Oleg M Demchuk
- Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, ul. Gliniana 33, 20-614 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Boguszewska-Czubara
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, ul. Chodźki 4A, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Hieronim Golczyk
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Sierosławska
- Department of Animal Physiology and Toxicology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Rymuszka
- Department of Animal Physiology and Toxicology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Martyna
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
| | - Konrad Kubiński
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biotechnology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, ul. Konstantynów 1i, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
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19
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Jung SI, Rodriguez N, Irrizary J, Liboro K, Bogarin T, Macias M, Eivers E, Porter E, Filler SG, Park H. Yeast casein kinase 2 governs morphology, biofilm formation, cell wall integrity, and host cell damage of Candida albicans. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0187721. [PMID: 29107946 PMCID: PMC5673188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulatory networks governing morphogenesis of a pleomorphic fungus, Candida albicans are extremely complex and remain to be completely elucidated. This study investigated the function of C. albicans yeast casein kinase 2 (CaYck2p). The yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain displayed constitutive pseudohyphae in both yeast and hyphal growth conditions, and formed enhanced biofilm under non-biofilm inducing condition. This finding was further supported by gene expression analysis of the yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain which showed significant upregulation of UME6, a key transcriptional regulator of hyphal transition and biofilm formation, and cell wall protein genes ALS3, HWP1, and SUN41, all of which are associated with morphogenesis and biofilm architecture. The yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain was hypersensitive to cell wall damaging agents and had increased compensatory chitin deposition in the cell wall accompanied by an upregulation of the expression of the chitin synthase genes, CHS2, CHS3, and CHS8. Absence of CaYck2p also affected fungal-host interaction; the yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain had significantly reduced ability to damage host cells. However, the yck2Δ/yck2Δ strain had wild-type susceptibility to cyclosporine and FK506, suggesting that CaYck2p functions independently from the Ca+/calcineurin pathway. Thus, in C. albicans, Yck2p is a multifunctional kinase that governs morphogenesis, biofilm formation, cell wall integrity, and host cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sook-In Jung
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, South Korea
| | - Natalie Rodriguez
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Jihyun Irrizary
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Karl Liboro
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Thania Bogarin
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Marlene Macias
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Edward Eivers
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Edith Porter
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California, United States of America
| | - Hyunsook Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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20
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Jenull S, Tscherner M, Gulati M, Nobile CJ, Chauhan N, Kuchler K. The Candida albicans HIR histone chaperone regulates the yeast-to-hyphae transition by controlling the sensitivity to morphogenesis signals. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8308. [PMID: 28814742 PMCID: PMC5559454 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08239-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphological plasticity such as the yeast-to-hyphae transition is a key virulence factor of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Hyphal formation is controlled by a multilayer regulatory network composed of environmental sensing, signaling, transcriptional modulators as well as chromatin modifications. Here, we demonstrate a novel role for the replication-independent HIR histone chaperone complex in fungal morphogenesis. HIR operates as a crucial modulator of hyphal development, since genetic ablation of the HIR complex subunit Hir1 decreases sensitivity to morphogenetic stimuli. Strikingly, HIR1-deficient cells display altered transcriptional amplitudes upon hyphal initiation, suggesting that Hir1 affects transcription by establishing transcriptional thresholds required for driving morphogenetic cell-fate decisions. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the transcription factor Ume6, which facilitates hyphal maintenance, rescues filamentation defects of hir1Δ/Δ cells, suggesting that Hir1 impacts the early phase of hyphal initiation. Hence, chromatin chaperone-mediated fine-tuning of transcription is crucial for driving morphogenetic conversions in the fungal pathogen C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Jenull
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9/2, A-1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Tscherner
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9/2, A-1030, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, USA
| | - Megha Gulati
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California-Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Clarissa J Nobile
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California-Merced, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Neeraj Chauhan
- Public Health Research Institute, Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School - Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Karl Kuchler
- Medical University of Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Campus Vienna Biocenter, Dr.-Bohr-Gasse 9/2, A-1030, Vienna, Austria.
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21
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Efficient click chemistry towards fatty acids containing 1,2,3-triazole: Design and synthesis as potential antifungal drugs for Candida albicans. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 136:596-602. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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22
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Zhu LB, Wang Y, Zhang ZB, Yang HL, Yan RM, Zhu D. Influence of environmental and nutritional conditions on yeast–mycelial dimorphic transition in Trichosporon cutaneum. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2017.1292149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Li Bin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Key Lab of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of life sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
- School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi Bin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Hui Lin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ri Ming Yan
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Du Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Protection and Utilization of Subtropic Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
- Key Lab of Bioprocess Engineering of Jiangxi Province, College of life sciences, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, China
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23
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Candida krusei and Candida glabrata reduce the filamentation of Candida albicans by downregulating expression of HWP1 gene. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2017; 62:317-323. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-017-0500-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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24
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Comparative molecular dynamics studies of heterozygous open reading frames of DNA polymerase eta (η) in pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41087. [PMID: 28120914 PMCID: PMC5264235 DOI: 10.1038/srep41087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic instability in Candida albicans is believed to play a crucial role in fungal pathogenesis. DNA polymerases contribute significantly to stability of any genome. Although Candida Genome database predicts presence of S. cerevisiae DNA polymerase orthologs; functional and structural characterizations of Candida DNA polymerases are still unexplored. DNA polymerase eta (Polη) is unique as it promotes efficient bypass of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers. Interestingly, C. albicans is heterozygous in carrying two Polη genes and the nucleotide substitutions were found only in the ORFs. As allelic differences often result in functional differences of the encoded proteins, comparative analyses of structural models and molecular dynamic simulations were performed to characterize these orthologs of DNA Polη. Overall structures of both the ORFs remain conserved except subtle differences in the palm and PAD domains. The complementation analysis showed that both the ORFs equally suppressed UV sensitivity of yeast rad30 deletion strain. Our study has predicted two novel molecular interactions, a highly conserved molecular tetrad of salt bridges and a series of π-π interactions spanning from thumb to PAD. This study suggests these ORFs as the homologues of yeast Polη, and due to its heterogeneity in C. albicans they may play a significant role in pathogenicity.
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25
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Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Fungal Infections in Cancer Patients. Fungal Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-34106-4_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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26
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Abastabar M, Hosseinpoor S, Hedayati MT, Shokohi T, Valadan R, Mirhendi H, Mohammadi R, Aghili SR, Rahimi N, Aslani N, Haghani I, Gholami S. Hyphal wall protein 1 gene: A potential marker for the identification of different Candida species and phylogenetic analysis. Curr Med Mycol 2016; 2:1-8. [PMID: 28959789 PMCID: PMC5611690 DOI: 10.18869/acadpub.cmm.2.4.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hyphal wall protein 1 (HWP1) is an important adhesin which usually is expressed on the germ tube and hyphal surface produced by different Candida species. The hyphal wall protein-coding gene (HWP1) was evaluated as a novel identification and phylogenetic marker in Candida tropicalis, C. orthopsilosis, C. parapsilosis and C. glabrata. MATERIALS AND METHODS Initially, four specific primer pairs were designed, and the target was amplified and finally sequenced. A total of 77 Candida isolates from four different species were included in the study. Consensus sequences were used for the evaluation of phylogenetic tree using the CLC Genome Workbench, GENEIOUS, and MEGA softwares and the levels of nucleotide and amino acid polymorphism were assessed. RESULTS According to the results, the specific amplified fragments of HWP1 gene were useful for the differentiation of four species. Intra-species variation was observed only in C. tropicalis with two DNA types. The phylogenetic tree of Candida species based on the HWP1 gene showed consistency in topology with those inferred from other gene sequences. CONCLUSION We found that HWP1 gene was an excellent marker for the identification of non-albicansCandida species as well as the phylogenetic analysis of the most clinically significant Candida species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Abastabar
- Invasive Fungi Research Center (IFRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.,Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - S Hosseinpoor
- Student Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - M T Hedayati
- Invasive Fungi Research Center (IFRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.,Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - T Shokohi
- Invasive Fungi Research Center (IFRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.,Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - R Valadan
- Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center (MCBRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran.,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - H Mirhendi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - R Mohammadi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.,Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - S R Aghili
- Invasive Fungi Research Center (IFRC), Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.,Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - N Rahimi
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - N Aslani
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - I Haghani
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - S Gholami
- Department of Medical Mycology and Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Kadosh D. Control of Candida albicans morphology and pathogenicity by post-transcriptional mechanisms. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:4265-4278. [PMID: 27312239 PMCID: PMC5582595 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2294-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is a major human fungal pathogen responsible for both systemic and mucosal infections in a wide variety of immunocompromised individuals. Because the ability of C. albicans to undergo a reversible morphological transition from yeast to filaments is important for virulence, significant research efforts have focused on mechanisms that control this transition. While transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms have been well-studied, considerably less is known about the role of post-transcriptional mechanisms. However, in recent years several discoveries have begun to shed light on this important, but understudied, area. Here, I will review a variety of post-transcriptional mechanisms that have recently been shown to control C. albicans morphology, virulence and/or virulence-related processes, including those involving alternative transcript localization, mRNA stability and translation. I will also discuss the role that these mechanisms play in other pathogens as well as the potential they may hold to serve as targets for new antifungal strategies. Ultimately, gaining a better understanding of C. albicans post-transcriptional mechanisms will significantly improve our knowledge of how morphogenesis and virulence are controlled in fungal pathogens and open new avenues for the development of novel and more effective antifungals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kadosh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science, Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC: 7758, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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Ku M, Baek YU, Kwak MK, Kang SO. Candida albicans glutathione reductase downregulates Efg1-mediated cyclic AMP/protein kinase A pathway and leads to defective hyphal growth and virulence upon decreased cellular methylglyoxal content accompanied by activating alcohol dehydrogenase and glycolytic enzymes. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:772-788. [PMID: 27751952 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glutathione reductase maintains the glutathione level in a reduced state. As previously demonstrated, glutathione is required for cell growth/division and its biosynthesizing-enzyme deficiency causes methylglyoxal accumulation. However, experimental evidences for reciprocal relationships between Cph1-/Efg1-mediated signaling pathway regulation and methylglyoxal production exerted by glutathione reductase on yeast morphology remain unclear. METHODS Glutathione reductase (GLR1) disruption/overexpression were performed to investigate aspects of pathological/morphological alterations in Candida albicans. These assumptions were proved by observations of cellular susceptibility to oxidants and thiols, and measurements of methylglyoxal and glutathione content in hyphal-inducing conditions mainly through the activity of GLR1-overexpressing cells. Additionally, the transcriptional/translational levels of bioenergetic enzymes and dimorphism-regulating protein kinases were examined in the strain. RESULTS The GLR1-deficient strain was non-viable when GLR1 expression under the control of a CaMAL2 promoter was conditionally repressed, despite partial rescue of growth by exogenous thiols. During filamentation, non-growing hyphal GLR1-overexpressing cells exhibited resistance against oxidants and cellular methylglyoxal was significantly decreased, which concomitantly increased expressions of genes encoding energy-generating enzymes, including fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1), with remarkable repression of Efg1-signaling cascades. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report that GLR1-triggered Efg1-mediated signal transduction repression strictly reduces dimorphic switching and virulence by maintaining the basal level of methylglyoxal following the enhanced gene expressions of glycolytic enzymes and ADH1. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE The Efg1 downregulatory mechanism by GLR1 expression has possibilities to involve in other complex network of signal pathways. Understanding how GLR1 overexpression affects multiple signaling pathways can help identify attractive targets for antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- MyungHee Ku
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Un Baek
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Kyu Kwak
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sa-Ouk Kang
- Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences, and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.
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Zheng H, He Y, Zhou X, Qian G, Lv G, Shen Y, Liu J, Li D, Li X, Liu W. Systematic Analysis of the Lysine Succinylome in Candida albicans. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:3793-3801. [PMID: 27605073 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most common human fungal pathogen for both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Lysine succinylation is a frequently occurring post-translational modification that is found in many organisms; however, the role of succinylation is still under investigation. Here, we initiated a first screening of lysine succinylation in C. albicans. We identified 1550 succinylation sites from 389 proteins in C. albicans, demonstrating that succinylation is conservative in this organism. However, the lysine succinylation sites showed some difference in C. albicans, with the overlapping rates between C. albicans and other species ranging from 55% for Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 40% for human, 35% for mouse, and to only 16% for Escherichia coli. The further bioinformatics analysis indicated that the succinylated proteins were involved in a wide range of cellular functions with diverse subcellular localizations. Furthermore, we discovered that lysine succinylation could coexist with phosphorylation and/or acetylation in C. albicans. The KEGG enrichment pathway analysis of these succinylated proteins suggested that succinylation may play an indispensable role in the regulation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The bioinformatic data obtained from this study therefore enable the depth-resolved physiological roles of lysine succinylation in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailin Zheng
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun He
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaowei Zhou
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanyu Qian
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China
| | - Guixia Lv
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China
| | - Yongnian Shen
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China
| | - Jiyun Liu
- Jingjie PTM Biolab (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. , Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongmei Li
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China.,Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center , Washington, D.C. 20057, United States
| | - Xiaofang Li
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, People's Republic of China
| | - Weida Liu
- Department of Medical Mycology, Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042 People's Republic of China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs , Nanjing, Jiangsu 210042, People's Republic of China
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Xu N, Dong YJ, Yu QL, Zhang B, Zhang M, Jia C, Chen YL, Zhang B, Xing LJ, Li MC. Convergent Regulation of Candida albicans Aft2 and Czf1 in Invasive and Opaque Filamentation. J Cell Biochem 2016; 116:1908-18. [PMID: 25716417 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.25146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of mucosal infections and invasive diseases in immuno-compromised humans. The abilities of yeast-hyphal growth and white-opaque switching affect C. albicans physiology and virulence. Here, we showed that C. albicans Aft2 regulator was required for embedded filamentous growth and opaque cell-type formation. Under low-temperature matrix embedded conditions, Aft2 functioned downstream of Czf1-mediated pathway and was required for invasive filamentation. Moreover, deletion of AFT2 significantly reduced opaque cell-type formation under N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) inducing conditions. Ectopic expression of CZF1 slightly increased the white-opaque switching frequency in the aft2Δ/Δ mutant, but did not completely restore to wild-type levels, suggesting that Czf1 at least partially bypassed the essential requirement for Aft2 in response to opaque-inducing cues. In addition, multiple environmental cues altered AFT2 mRNA and protein levels, such as low temperature, physical environment and GlcNAc. Although the absence of Czf1 or Efg1 also increased the expression level of AFT2 gene, deletion of CZF1 remarkably reduced the stability of Aft2 protein. Furthermore, C. albicans Aft2 physically interacted with Czf1 under all tested conditions, whereas the interaction between Aft2 and Efg1 was barely detectable under embedded conditions, supporting the hypothesis that Aft2, together with Czf1, contributed to activate filamentous growth by antagonizing Efg1-mediated repression under matrix-embedded conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Xu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China.,Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, 300308, China
| | - Yi-Jie Dong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Qi-Lin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Chang Jia
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Yu-Lu Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Biao Zhang
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300193, China
| | - Lai-Jun Xing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Ming-Chun Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology for Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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Albataineh MT, Kadosh D. Regulatory roles of phosphorylation in model and pathogenic fungi. Med Mycol 2015; 54:333-52. [PMID: 26705834 PMCID: PMC4818690 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myv098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 20 years, considerable advances have been made toward our understanding
of how post-translational modifications affect a wide variety of biological
processes, including morphology and virulence, in medically important fungi.
Phosphorylation stands out as a key molecular switch and regulatory modification that
plays a critical role in controlling these processes. In this article, we first
provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the regulatory roles that both
Ser/Thr and non-Ser/Thr kinases and phosphatases play in model and pathogenic fungi.
Next, we discuss the impact of current global approaches that are being used to
define the complete set of phosphorylation targets (phosphoproteome) in medically
important fungi. Finally, we provide new insights and perspectives into the potential
use of key regulatory kinases and phosphatases as targets for the development of
novel and more effective antifungal strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad T Albataineh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229
| | - David Kadosh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229
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Celińska E, Olkowicz M, Grajek W. L-Phenylalanine catabolism and 2-phenylethanol synthesis in Yarrowia lipolytica--mapping molecular identities through whole-proteome quantitative mass spectrometry analysis. FEMS Yeast Res 2015; 15:fov041. [PMID: 26060219 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fov041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A world-wide effort is now being pursued towards the development of flavors and fragrances (F&F) production independently from traditional sources, as well as autonomously from depleting fossil fuel supplies. Biotechnological production of F&F by microbes has emerged as a vivid solution to the current market limitations. Amongst a wide variety of fragrant chemicals, 2-PE is of significant interest to both scientific and industrial community. Although the general overview of the 2-PE synthesis pathway is commonly known, involvement of particular molecular identities in this pathway has not been elucidated in Yarrowia lipolytica to date. The aim of this study was mapping molecular identities involved in 2-PE synthesis in Y. lipolytica. To acquire a comprehensive landscape of the proteins that are directly and indirectly involved in L-Phe degradation and 2-PE synthesis, we took advantage of comprehensibility and sensitivity of high-throughput LC-MS/MS-quantitative analysis. Amongst a number of proteins involved in amino acid turnover and the central carbon metabolism, enzymes involved in L-Phe conversion to 2-PE have been identified. Results on yeast-to-hyphae transition in relation to the character of the provided nitrogen source have been presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewelina Celińska
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 48, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
| | - Mariola Olkowicz
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Włodzimierz Grajek
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Microbiology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 48, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
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Egbe NE, Paget CM, Wang H, Ashe MP. Alcohols inhibit translation to regulate morphogenesis in C. albicans. Fungal Genet Biol 2015; 77:50-60. [PMID: 25843913 PMCID: PMC4444595 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2015.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Alcohols induce morphological alterations in C. albicans. Alcohols inhibit protein synthesis. Translational inhibition occurs as a result of eIF2B regulation. Regulation of protein synthesis and morphogenesis are mechanistically connected.
Many molecules are secreted into the growth media by microorganisms to modulate the metabolic and physiological processes of the organism. For instance, alcohols like butanol, ethanol and isoamyl alcohol are produced by the human pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans and induce morphological differentiation. Here we show that these same alcohols cause a rapid inhibition of protein synthesis. More specifically, the alcohols target translation initiation, a complex stage of the gene expression process. Using molecular techniques, we have identified the likely translational target of these alcohols in C. albicans as the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B). eIF2B is the guanine nucleotide exchange factor for eIF2, which supports the exchange reaction where eIF2.GDP is converted to eIF2.GTP. Even minimal regulation at this step will lead to alterations in the levels of specific proteins that may allow the exigencies of the fungus to be realised. Indeed, similar to the effects of alcohols, a minimal inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide also causes an induction of filamentous growth. These results suggest a molecular basis for the effect of various alcohols on morphological differentiation in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nkechi E Egbe
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline M Paget
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Wang
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Mark P Ashe
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
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Childers DS, Kadosh D. Filament condition-specific response elements control the expression of NRG1 and UME6, key transcriptional regulators of morphology and virulence in Candida albicans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122775. [PMID: 25811669 PMCID: PMC4374957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated human fungal pathogen and can cause a range of mucosal and systemic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Morphogenesis, the ability to undergo a reversible transition from budding yeast to elongated filaments, is an essential virulence trait. The yeast-to-filament transition is associated with expression of genes specifically important for filamentation as well as other virulence-related processes, and is controlled, in part, by the key transcriptional regulators Nrg1 and Ume6. Both of these regulators are themselves controlled at the transcriptional level by filament-inducing environmental cues, although little is known about how this process occurs. In order to address this question and determine whether environmental signals regulate transcription of UME6 and NRG1 via distinct and/or common promoter elements, we performed promoter deletion analyses. Strains bearing promoter deletion constructs were induced to form filaments in YEPD plus 10% serum at 37°C, Spider medium (nitrogen and carbon starvation) and/or Lee’s medium pH 6.8 (neutral pH) and reporter gene expression was measured. In the NRG1 promoter we identified several distinct condition-specific response elements for YEPD plus 10% serum at 37°C and Spider medium. In the UME6 promoter we also identified response elements for YEPD plus 10% serum at 37°C. While a few of these elements are distinct, others overlap with those which respond to Lee’s pH 6.8 medium. Consistent with UME6 possessing a very long 5’ UTR, many response elements in the UME6 promoter are located significantly upstream from the coding sequence. Our data indicate that certain distinct condition-specific elements can control expression of C. albicans UME6 and NRG1 in response to key filament-inducing environmental cues. Because C. albicans encounters a variety of host microenvironments during infection, our results suggest that UME6 and NRG1 expression can be differentially modulated by multiple signaling pathways to control filamentation and virulence in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delma S. Childers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States of America
| | - David Kadosh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kim EC, Kim J. Deletion analysis of LSm, FDF, and YjeF domains of Candida albicans Edc3 in hyphal growth and oxidative-stress response. J Microbiol 2015; 53:111-5. [PMID: 25626365 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-015-4727-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen whose responses to environmental changes are associated with the virulence attributes. Edc3 is known to be an enhancer of the mRNA decapping reactions and a scaffold protein of cytoplasmic processing bodies (P-bodies). Recent studies of C. albicans Edc3 suggested its critical roles in filamentous growth and stress-induced apoptotic cell death. The edc3/edc3 deletion mutant strain showed increased cell survival and less ROS accumulation upon treatment with hydrogen peroxide. To investigate the diverse involvement of Edc3 in the cellular processes, deletion mutations of LSm, FDF, or YjeF domain of Edc3 were constructed. The edc3-LSmΔ or edc3-YjeFΔ mutation showed the filamentation defect, resistance to oxidative stress, and decreased ROS accumulation. In contrast, the edc3-FDFΔ mutation exhibited a wild-type level of filamentous growth and a mild defect in ROS accumulation. These results suggest that Lsm and YjeF domains of Edc3 are critical in hyphal growth and oxidative stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eung-Chul Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 305-764, Republic of Korea
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36
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Candida albicans: Molecular interactions with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2014.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Ppg1, a PP2A-type protein phosphatase, controls filament extension and virulence in Candida albicans. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2014; 13:1538-47. [PMID: 25326520 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00199-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans, a major human fungal pathogen, is the primary cause of invasive candidiasis in a wide array of immunocompromised patients. C. albicans virulence requires the ability to undergo a reversible morphological transition from yeast to filaments in response to a variety of host environmental cues. These cues are sensed by the pathogen and activate multiple signal transduction pathways to induce filamentation. Reversible phosphorylation events are critical for regulation of many of these pathways. While a variety of protein kinases are known to function as components of C. albicans filamentous growth signal transduction pathways, considerably little is known about the role of phosphatases. Here we demonstrate that PPG1, encoding a putative type 2A-related protein phosphatase, is important for C. albicans filament extension, invasion, and virulence in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. PPG1 is also important for downregulation of NRG1, a key transcriptional repressor of C. albicans filamentous growth, and is shown to affect the expression of several filament-specific target genes. An epistasis analysis suggests that PPG1 controls C. albicans filamentation via the cyclic AMP-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling pathway. We demonstrate that Ppg1 possesses phosphatase activity and that a ppg1 catalytic mutant shows nearly equivalent filamentation, invasion, and virulence defects compared to those of a ppg1Δ/Δ strain. Overall, our results suggest that phosphatases, such as Ppg1, play critical roles in controlling and fine-tuning C. albicans filament extension and virulence as well as signal transduction pathways, transcriptional regulators, and target genes associated with these processes.
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Changes in glutathione-dependent redox status and mitochondrial energetic strategies are part of the adaptive response during the filamentation process in Candida albicans. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2014; 1842:1855-69. [PMID: 25018088 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 07/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is an opportunist pathogen responsible for a large spectrum of infections, from superficial mycosis to systemic diseases called candidiasis. Its ability to grow in various morphological forms, such as unicellular budding yeast, filamentous pseudohyphae and hyphae, contributes to its survival in the diverse microenvironments it encounters in the host. During infection in vivo, C. albicans is faced with high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by phagocytes, and the thiol-dependent redox status of the cells reflects their levels of oxidative stress. We investigated the role of glutathione during the transition between the yeast and hyphal forms of the pathogen, in relation to possible changes in mitochondrial bioenergetic pathways. Using various growth media and selective mutations affecting the filamentation process, we showed that C. albicans filamentation was always associated with a depletion of intracellular glutathione levels. Moreover, the induction of hypha formation resulted in general changes in thiol metabolism, including the oxidation of cell surface -SH groups and glutathione excretion. Metabolic adaptation involved tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activation, acceleration of mitochondrial respiration and a redistribution of electron transfer pathways, with an increase in the contribution of the alternative oxidase and rotenone-insensitive dehydrogenase. Changes in redox status and apparent oxidative stress may be necessary to the shift to adaptive metabolic pathways, ensuring normal mitochondrial function and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. The consumption of intracellular glutathione levels during the filamentation process may thus be the price paid by C. albicans for survival in the conditions encountered in the host.
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Time-lapse video microscopy and image analysis of adherence and growth patterns of Candida albicans strains. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:5185-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5696-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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40
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Monniot C, Boisramé A, Da Costa G, Chauvel M, Sautour M, Bougnoux ME, Bellon-Fontaine MN, Dalle F, d’Enfert C, Richard ML. Rbt1 protein domains analysis in Candida albicans brings insights into hyphal surface modifications and Rbt1 potential role during adhesion and biofilm formation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e82395. [PMID: 24349274 PMCID: PMC3857780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell wall proteins are central to the virulence of Candida albicans. Hwp1, Hwp2 and Rbt1 form a family of hypha-associated cell surface proteins. Hwp1 and Hwp2 have been involved in adhesion and other virulence traits but Rbt1 is still poorly characterized. To assess the role of Rbt1 in the interaction of C. albicans with biotic and abiotic surfaces independently of its morphological state, heterologous expression and promoter swap strategies were applied. The N-terminal domain with features typical of the Flo11 superfamily was found to be essential for adhesiveness to polystyrene through an increase in cell surface hydrophobicity. A 42 amino acid-long domain localized in the central part of the protein was shown to enhance the aggregation function. We demonstrated that a VTTGVVVVT motif within the 42 amino acid domain displayed a high β-aggregation potential and was responsible for cell-to-cell interactions by promoting the aggregation of hyphae. Finally, we showed through constitutive expression that while Rbt1 was directly accessible to antibodies in hyphae, it was not so in yeast. Similar results were obtained for another cell wall protein, namely Iff8, and suggested that modification of the cell wall structure between yeast and hyphae can regulate the extracellular accessibility of cell wall proteins independently of gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Monniot
- INRA, UMR1319 Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- AgroParisTech, UMR Micalis, Thiverval Grignon, France
| | - Anita Boisramé
- INRA, UMR1319 Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- AgroParisTech, UMR Micalis, Thiverval Grignon, France
| | - Grégory Da Costa
- INRA, UMR1319 Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- AgroParisTech, UMR Micalis, Thiverval Grignon, France
| | - Muriel Chauvel
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
- INRA, USC2019, Paris, France
| | - Marc Sautour
- UMR Agroécologie 1347 Agrosup/INRA/Université de Bourgogne, Laboratoire Microbiologie Environnementale et Risque Sanitaire (M.E.R.S.), Dijon, France
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Bougnoux
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
- INRA, USC2019, Paris, France
- Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris Unité de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Service de Microbiologie, Hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Paris, France
| | | | - Frédéric Dalle
- UMR Agroécologie 1347 Agrosup/INRA/Université de Bourgogne, Laboratoire Microbiologie Environnementale et Risque Sanitaire (M.E.R.S.), Dijon, France
| | - Christophe d’Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
- INRA, USC2019, Paris, France
| | - Mathias L. Richard
- INRA, UMR1319 Micalis, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- AgroParisTech, UMR Micalis, Thiverval Grignon, France
- * E-mail:
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Novel Regulatory Mechanisms of Pathogenicity and Virulence to Combat MDR in Candida albicans. Int J Microbiol 2013; 2013:240209. [PMID: 24163696 PMCID: PMC3791847 DOI: 10.1155/2013/240209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2013] [Revised: 08/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Continuous deployment of antifungals in treating infections caused by dimorphic opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans has led to the emergence of drug resistance resulting in cross-resistance to many unrelated drugs, a phenomenon termed multidrug resistance (MDR). Despite the current understanding of major factors which contribute to MDR mechanisms, there are many lines of evidence suggesting that it is a complex interplay of multiple factors which may be contributed by still unknown mechanisms. Coincidentally with the increased usage of antifungal drugs, the number of reports for antifungal drug resistance has also increased which further highlights the need for understanding novel molecular mechanisms which can be explored to combat MDR, namely, ROS, iron, hypoxia, lipids, morphogenesis, and transcriptional and signaling networks. Considering the worrying evolution of MDR and significance of C. albicans being the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, this review summarizes these new regulatory mechanisms which could be exploited to prevent MDR development in C. albicans as established from recent studies.
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Ras signaling gets fine-tuned: regulation of multiple pathogenic traits of Candida albicans. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2013; 12:1316-25. [PMID: 23913542 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00094-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that can cause disseminated infection in patients with indwelling catheters or other implanted medical devices. A common resident of the human microbiome, C. albicans responds to environmental signals, such as cell contact with catheter materials and exposure to serum or CO2, by triggering the expression of a variety of traits, some of which are known to contribute to its pathogenic lifestyle. Such traits include adhesion, biofilm formation, filamentation, white-to-opaque (W-O) switching, and two recently described phenotypes, finger and tentacle formation. Under distinct sets of environmental conditions and in specific cell types (mating type-like a [MTLa]/alpha cells, MTL homozygotes, or daughter cells), C. albicans utilizes (or reutilizes) a single signal transduction pathway-the Ras pathway-to affect these phenotypes. Ras1, Cyr1, Tpk2, and Pde2, the proteins of the Ras signaling pathway, are the only nontranscriptional regulatory proteins that are known to be essential for regulating all of these processes. How does C. albicans utilize this one pathway to regulate all of these phenotypes? The regulation of distinct and yet related processes by a single, evolutionarily conserved pathway is accomplished through the use of downstream transcription factors that are active under specific environmental conditions and in different cell types. In this minireview, we discuss the role of Ras signaling pathway components and Ras pathway-regulated transcription factors as well as the transcriptional regulatory networks that fine-tune gene expression in diverse biological contexts to generate specific phenotypes that impact the virulence of C. albicans.
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43
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Reversion of a fungal genetic code alteration links proteome instability with genomic and phenotypic diversification. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:11079-84. [PMID: 23776239 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1302094110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Many fungi restructured their proteomes through incorporation of serine (Ser) at thousands of protein sites coded by the leucine (Leu) CUG codon. How these fungi survived this potentially lethal genetic code alteration and its relevance for their biology are not understood. Interestingly, the human pathogen Candida albicans maintains variable Ser and Leu incorporation levels at CUG sites, suggesting that this atypical codon assignment flexibility provided an effective mechanism to alter the genetic code. To test this hypothesis, we have engineered C. albicans strains to misincorporate increasing levels of Leu at protein CUG sites. Tolerance to the misincorporations was very high, and one strain accommodated the complete reversion of CUG identity from Ser back to Leu. Increasing levels of Leu misincorporation decreased growth rate, but production of phenotypic diversity on a phenotypic array probing various metabolic networks, drug resistance, and host immune cell responses was impressive. Genome resequencing revealed an increasing number of genotype changes at polymorphic sites compared with the control strain, and 80% of Leu misincorporation resulted in complete loss of heterozygosity in a large region of chromosome V. The data unveil unanticipated links between gene translational fidelity, proteome instability and variability, genome diversification, and adaptive phenotypic diversity. They also explain the high heterozygosity of the C. albicans genome and open the door to produce microorganisms with genetic code alterations for basic and applied research.
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Ovchinnikova ES, Krom BP, Harapanahalli AK, Busscher HJ, van der Mei HC. Surface thermodynamic and adhesion force evaluation of the role of chitin-binding protein in the physical interaction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2013; 29:4823-4829. [PMID: 23509956 DOI: 10.1021/la400554g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are able to form pathogenic polymicrobial communities. P. aeruginosa colonizes and kills hyphae but is unable to attach to yeast. It is unknown why the interaction of P. aeruginosa is different with yeast than with hyphae. Here we aim to evaluate the role of P. aeruginosa chitin-binding protein (CbpD) in its physical interaction with C. albicans hyphae or yeast, based on surface thermodynamic and atomic force microscopic analyses. A P. aeruginosa mutant lacking CbpD was unable to express strong adhesion forces with hyphae (-2.9 nN) as compared with the parent strain P. aeruginosa PAO1 (-4.8 nN) and showed less adhesion to hyphae. Also blocking of CbpD using N-acetyl-glucosamine yielded a lower adhesion force (-4.3 nN) with hyphae. Strong adhesion forces were restored after complementing the expression of CbpD in P. aeruginosa PAO1 ΔcbpD yielding an adhesion force of -5.1 nN. These observations were confirmed with microscopic evaluation of adhesion tests. Regardless of the absence or presence of CbpD on the bacterial cell surfaces, or their blocking, P. aeruginosa experienced favorable thermodynamic conditions for adhesion with hyphae, which were absent with yeast. In addition, adhesion forces with yeast were less than 0.5 nN in all cases. Concluding, CbpD in P. aeruginosa is responsible for strong physical interactions with C. albicans hyphae. The development of this interaction requires time due to the fact that CbpDs have to invade the outermost mannoprotein layer on the hyphal cell surfaces. In order to do this, thermodynamic conditions at the outermost cell surfaces have to be favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina S Ovchinnikova
- University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Groningen, The Netherlands
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45
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In vitro antimicrobial and anticancer potential of hinokitiol against oral pathogens and oral cancer cell lines. Microbiol Res 2013; 168:254-62. [PMID: 23312825 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2012.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2012] [Revised: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Hinokitiol is a natural component isolated from Chamacyparis taiwanensis. It has anti-microbial activity, and has been used in oral care products. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal microbicidal concentration (MMC) of hinokitiol against MRSA, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Streptococcus mutans, and Candida albicans were determined by the agar and broth dilution method (MIC: 40-110μM; MMC: 50-130μM); the paradoxical inhibition phenomenon (PIP) was observed in A. actinomycetemcomitans and S. mutans. The PIP can be described as microbial growth occurring in the presence of both high and low concentrations of a compound, between which microbial growth is inhibited. The PIP was confirmed using a kinetic microplate and inhibition zone methods. The PIP was also observed in MRSA. The low autolysin activity somehow correlated to the PIP positive. The cell diameter was increased in all the pathogens, and the transition was inhibited in C. albicans following hinokitiol treatment. Hinokitiol is also a potential anticancer drug. The 200μM of hinokitiol has significant antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities against oral pathogens and oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, respectively, and lower cytotoxic effects for normal human oral keratinocytes, indicating that hinokitiol displays a high potential for safe and effective applications in oral health care.
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46
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Carlisle PL, Kadosh D. A genome-wide transcriptional analysis of morphology determination in Candida albicans. Mol Biol Cell 2012; 24:246-60. [PMID: 23242994 PMCID: PMC3564527 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e12-01-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, the most common cause of human fungal infections, undergoes a reversible morphological transition from yeast to pseudohyphal and hyphal filaments, which is required for virulence. For many years, the relationship among global gene expression patterns associated with determination of specific C. albicans morphologies has remained obscure. Using a strain that can be genetically manipulated to sequentially transition from yeast to pseudohyphae to hyphae in the absence of complex environmental cues and upstream signaling pathways, we demonstrate by whole-genome transcriptional profiling that genes associated with pseudohyphae represent a subset of those associated with hyphae and are generally expressed at lower levels. Our results also strongly suggest that in addition to dosage, extended duration of filament-specific gene expression is sufficient to drive the C. albicans yeast-pseudohyphal-hyphal transition. Finally, we describe the first transcriptional profile of the C. albicans reverse hyphal-pseudohyphal-yeast transition and demonstrate that this transition involves not only down-regulation of known hyphal-specific, genes but also differential expression of additional genes that have not previously been associated with the forward transition, including many involved in protein synthesis. These findings provide new insight into genome-wide expression patterns important for determining fungal morphology and suggest that in addition to similarities, there are also fundamental differences in global gene expression as pathogenic filamentous fungi undergo forward and reverse morphological transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia L Carlisle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
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47
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Yadav JSS, Bezawada J, Yan S, Tyagi RD, Surampalli RY. Candida krusei: biotechnological potentials and concerns about its safety. Can J Microbiol 2012; 58:937-52. [PMID: 22823163 DOI: 10.1139/w2012-077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Yeasts have a tradition in biotechnological applications, and Saccharomyces species are the most dominating representatives. Among the yeast species, Candida krusei has been isolated from different habitats, and in recent years, it has gained increased interest because of its diverse biotechnological role. It is found in many fermented food items and dairy products and has also been exploited for production of biochemicals and enzymes. However, because of its opportunistic pathogenic nature, it draws scientific attention regarding the safety of its industrial exploitation. Candida krusei generally causes infections in immunocompromised patients, such as those suffering from Human immunodeficiency virus - acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and also in cancer patients. The recent increase in the use of immunosuppressive drugs has increased the chances of C. krusei infections. Candida krusei possesses an intrinsic resistance to many triazole antifungal drugs, especially fluconazole, which is a main drug used in antifungal therapy; therefore, there is serious concern regarding its safe industrial use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Shankar Singh Yadav
- Institut national de la recherche scientifique - Eau Terre Environnement, Université du Québec, 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
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48
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Moazeni M, Khoramizadeh MR, Kordbacheh P, Sepehrizadeh Z, Zeraati H, Noorbakhsh F, Teimoori-Toolabi L, Rezaie S. RNA-Mediated Gene Silencing in Candida albicans: Inhibition of Hyphae Formation by Use of RNAi Technology. Mycopathologia 2012; 174:177-85. [DOI: 10.1007/s11046-012-9539-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 03/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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49
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Quantitative proteomics and metabolomics approaches to demonstrate N-acetyl-D-glucosamine inducible amino acid deprivation response as morphological switch in Candida albicans. Fungal Genet Biol 2012; 49:369-78. [PMID: 22406769 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2012.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Revised: 02/18/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Candida albicans is a life threatening polymorphic pathogen for immunocompromised patients, causing superficial as well as invasive systemic diseases. The mucosal membranes of the host, which are the primary sites of its infection, are rich in amino sugars like N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). GlcNAc is also one of the potent inducers of morphological transition, an important pathogenic trait of C. albicans. We thus performed proteomic analysis on total soluble proteins to identify the molecules involved in this response. Proteomic analysis using 2-DE demonstrated reproducible upregulation of 36 spots from a total of 585 matched spots. Mass spectroscopy (MS/MS) analyses of upregulated proteins revealed that carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were the most prominent functional classes. Metabolite profiling using GC-MS allowed a quantitative comparison of 58 metabolites in GlcNAc or glucose grown cells. We observed a significant decrease in the intracellular amino acid pool of GlcNAc grown cells. Moreover, GlcNAc induces both bZIP transcription factor (GCN4) and eIF2α kinase (GCN2) which are responsible for the activation of general amino acid control response in C. albicans. Inactivation of these genes blocks GlcNAc induced morphogenesis. Altogether these results suggest that amino acid starvation is the morphogenetic signal in presence of GlcNAc in C. albicans.
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50
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Zelante T, Iannitti RG, De Luca A, Arroyo J, Blanco N, Servillo G, Sanglard D, Reichard U, Palmer GE, Latgè JP, Puccetti P, Romani L. Sensing of mammalian IL-17A regulates fungal adaptation and virulence. Nat Commun 2012; 3:683. [PMID: 22353714 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections by opportunistic fungi have traditionally been viewed as the gross result of a pathogenic automatism, which makes a weakened host more vulnerable to microbial insults. However, fungal sensing of a host's immune environment might render this process more elaborate than previously appreciated. Here we show that interleukin (IL)-17A binds fungal cells, thus tackling both sides of the host-pathogen interaction in experimental settings of host colonization and/or chronic infection. Global transcriptional profiling reveals that IL-17A induces artificial nutrient starvation conditions in Candida albicans, resulting in a downregulation of the target of rapamycin signalling pathway and in an increase in autophagic responses and intracellular cAMP. The augmented adhesion and filamentous growth, also observed with Aspergillus fumigatus, eventually translates into enhanced biofilm formation and resistance to local antifungal defenses. This might exemplify a mechanism whereby fungi have evolved a means of sensing host immunity to ensure their own persistence in an immunologically dynamic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Zelante
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia 06122, Italy
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