1
|
Pavesic MW, Gale AN, Nickels TJ, Harrington AA, Bussey M, Cunningham KW. Calcineurin-dependent contributions to fitness in the opportunistic pathogen Candida glabrata. mSphere 2024; 9:e0055423. [PMID: 38171022 PMCID: PMC10826367 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00554-23] [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] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The protein phosphatase calcineurin is vital for the virulence of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata. The host-induced stresses that activate calcineurin signaling are unknown, as are the targets of calcineurin relevant to virulence. To potentially shed light on these processes, millions of transposon insertion mutants throughout the genome of C. glabrata were profiled en masse for fitness defects in the presence of FK506, a specific inhibitor of calcineurin. Eighty-seven specific gene deficiencies depended on calcineurin signaling for full viability in vitro both in wild-type and pdr1∆ null strains lacking pleiotropic drug resistance. Three genes involved in cell wall biosynthesis (FKS1, DCW1, FLC1) possess co-essential paralogs whose expression depended on calcineurin and Crz1 in response to micafungin, a clinical antifungal that interferes with cell wall biogenesis. Interestingly, 80% of the FK506-sensitive mutants were deficient in different aspects of vesicular trafficking, such as endocytosis, exocytosis, sorting, and biogenesis of secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In response to the experimental antifungal manogepix that blocks GPI-anchor biosynthesis in the ER, calcineurin signaling increased and strongly prevented cell death independent of Crz1, one of its major targets. Comparisons between manogepix, micafungin, and the ER-stressing tunicamycin reveal a correlation between the degree of calcineurin signaling and the degree of cell survival. These findings suggest that calcineurin plays major roles in mitigating stresses of vesicular trafficking. Such stresses may arise during host infection and in response to antifungal therapies.IMPORTANCECalcineurin plays critical roles in the virulence of most pathogenic fungi. This study sheds light on those roles in the opportunistic pathogen Candida glabrata using a genome-wide analysis in vitro. The findings could lead to antifungal developments that also avoid immunosuppression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Pavesic
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew N. Gale
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Timothy J. Nickels
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Maya Bussey
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kyle W. Cunningham
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Yadav
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Khari A, Biswas B, Gangwar G, Thakur A, Puria R. Candida auris biofilm: a review on model to mechanism conservation. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2023; 21:295-308. [PMID: 36755419 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2179036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Candida auris is included in the fungal infection category 'critical' by WHO because of associated high drug tolerance and spread at an alarming rate which if remains untouched may result in serious outbreaks. Since its discovery in 2009, several assiduous efforts by mycologists across the world have deciphered its biology including growth physiology, drug tolerance, biofilm formation, etc. The differential response of various strains from different clades poses a hurdle in drawing a final conclusion. AREAS COVERED This review provides brief insights into the understanding of C. auris biofilm. It includes information on various models developed to understand the biofilms and conservation of different signaling pathways. Significant development has been made in the recent past with the generation of relevant in vivo and ex vivo models. The role of signaling pathways in the development of biofilm is largely unknown. EXPERT OPINION The selection of an appropriate model system is a must for the accuracy and reproducibility of results. The conservation of major signaling pathways in C. auris with respect to C. albicans and S. cerevisiae highlights that initial inputs acquired from orthologs will be valuable in getting insights into the mechanism of biofilm formation and associated pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arsha Khari
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India
| | | | | | - Anil Thakur
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, India
| | - Rekha Puria
- School of Biotechnology, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang H, Gai Y, Zhao Y, Wang M, Ma Z. The calcium-calcineurin and high-osmolarity glycerol pathways co-regulate tebuconazole sensitivity and pathogenicity in Fusarium graminearum. PESTICIDE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 190:105311. [PMID: 36740345 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2022.105311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The calcium-calcineurin and high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathways play crucial roles in fungal development, pathogenicity, and in responses to various environmental stresses. However, interaction of these pathways in regulating fungicide sensitivity remains largely unknown in phytopathogenic fungi. In this study, we investigated the function of the calcium-calcineurin signalling pathway in Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight. Inhibitors of Ca2+ and calcineurin enhanced antifungal activity of tebuconazole (an azole fungicide) against F. graminearum. Deletion of the putative downstream transcription factor FgCrz1 resulted in significantly increased sensitivity of F. graminearum to tebuconazole. FgCrz1-GFP was translocated to the nucleus upon tebuconazole treatment in a calcineurin-dependent manner. In addition, deletion of FgCrz1 increased the phosphorylation of FgHog1 in response to tebuconazole. Moreover, the calcium-calcineurin and HOG signalling pathways exhibited synergistic effect in regulating pathogenicity and sensitivity of F. graminearum to tebuconazole and multiple other stresses. RNA-seq data revealed that FgCrz1 regulated expression of a set of non-CYP51 genes that are associated with tebuconazole sensitivity, including multidrug transporters, membrane lipid biosynthesis and metabolism, and cell wall organization. Our findings demonstrate that the calcium-calcineurin and HOG pathways act coordinately to orchestrate tebuconazole sensitivity and pathogenicity in F. graminearum, which may provide novel insights in management of Fusarium disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huiyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yunpeng Gai
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Youfu Zhao
- Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University, Prosser, WA 99350, USA
| | - Minhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
| | - Zhonghua Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gupta S, Kumar A, Tamuli R. CRZ1 transcription factor is involved in cell survival, stress tolerance, and virulence in fungi. J Biosci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12038-022-00294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
6
|
Yang Y, Xie P, Li Y, Bi Y, Prusky DB. Updating Insights into the Regulatory Mechanisms of Calcineurin-Activated Transcription Factor Crz1 in Pathogenic Fungi. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101082. [PMID: 36294647 PMCID: PMC9604740 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+, as a second messenger in cells, enables organisms to adapt to different environmental stresses by rapidly sensing and responding to external stimuli. In recent years, the Ca2+ mediated calcium signaling pathway has been studied systematically in various mammals and fungi, indicating that the pathway is conserved among organisms. The pathway consists mainly of complex Ca2+ channel proteins, calcium pumps, Ca2+ transporters and many related proteins. Crz1, a transcription factor downstream of the calcium signaling pathway, participates in regulating cell survival, ion homeostasis, infection structure development, cell wall integrity and virulence. This review briefly summarizes the Ca2+ mediated calcium signaling pathway and regulatory roles in plant pathogenic fungi. Based on discussing the structure and localization of transcription factor Crz1, we focus on the regulatory role of Crz1 on growth and development, stress response, pathogenicity of pathogenic fungi and its regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, we explore the cross-talk between Crz1 and other signaling pathways. Combined with the important role and pathogenic mechanism of Crz1 in fungi, the new strategies in which Crz1 may be used as a target to explore disease control in practice are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yangyang Yang
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Pengdong Xie
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Yongcai Li
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Yang Bi
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Dov B. Prusky
- Department of Postharvest Science, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Rishon LeZion 7505101, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bhakt P, Raney M, Kaur R. The SET-domain protein CgSet4 negatively regulates antifungal drug resistance via the ergosterol biosynthesis transcriptional regulator CgUpc2a. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102485. [PMID: 36108742 PMCID: PMC9576903 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections, which pose a serious threat to human health, are increasingly associated with a high mortality rate and elevated health care costs, owing to rising resistance to current antifungals and emergence of multidrug-resistant fungal species. Candida glabrata is the second to fourth common cause of Candida bloodstream infections. Its high propensity to acquire resistance toward two mainstream drugs, azoles (inhibit ergosterol biosynthesis) and echinocandins (target cell wall), in clinical settings, and its inherent low azole susceptibility render antifungal therapy unsuccessful in many cases. Here, we demonstrate a pivotal role for the SET {suppressor of variegation 3 to 9 [Su(var)3-9], enhancer of zeste [E(z)], and trithorax (Trx)} domain-containing protein, CgSet4, in azole and echinocandin resistance via negative regulation of multidrug transporter-encoding and ergosterol biosynthesis (ERG) genes through the master transcriptional factors CgPdr1 and CgUpc2A, respectively. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that C. glabrata responds to caspofungin (CSP; echinocandin antifungal) stress by downregulation and upregulation of ERG and cell wall organization genes, respectively. Although CgSet4 acts as a repressor of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway via CgUPC2A transcriptional downregulation, the CSP-induced ERG gene repression is not dependent on CgSet4, as CgSet4 showed diminished abundance on the CgUPC2A promoter in CSP-treated cells. Furthermore, we show a role for the last three enzymes of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, CgErg3, CgErg5, and CgErg4, in antifungal susceptibility and virulence in C. glabrata. Altogether, our results unveil the link between ergosterol biosynthesis and echinocandin resistance and have implications for combination antifungal therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Bhakt
- Laboratory of Fungal Pathogenesis, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mayur Raney
- Laboratory of Fungal Pathogenesis, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India; Graduate Studies, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Rupinder Kaur
- Laboratory of Fungal Pathogenesis, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, India.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yu S, Paderu P, Lee A, Eirekat S, Healey K, Chen L, Perlin DS, Zhao Y. Histone Acetylation Regulator Gcn5 Mediates Drug Resistance and Virulence of Candida glabrata. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0096322. [PMID: 35658596 PMCID: PMC9241792 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00963-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is poised to adapt to drug pressure rapidly and acquire antifungal resistance leading to therapeutic failure. Given the limited antifungal armamentarium, there is an unmet need to explore new targets or therapeutic strategies for antifungal treatment. The lysine acetyltransferase Gcn5 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of C. albicans. Yet how Gcn5 functions and impacts antifungal resistance in C. glabrata is unknown. Disrupting GCN5 rendered C. glabrata cells more sensitive to various stressors, partially reverted resistance in drug-resistant mutants, and attenuated the emergence of resistance compared to wild-type cells. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis revealed transcriptomic changes involving multiple biological processes and different transcriptional responses to antifungal drugs in gcn5Δ cells compared to wild-type cells. GCN5 deletion also resulted in reduced intracellular survival within THP-1 macrophages. In summary, Gcn5 plays a critical role in modulating the virulence of C. glabrata and regulating its response to antifungal pressure and host defense. IMPORTANCE As an important and successful human pathogen, Candida glabrata is known for its swift adaptation and rapid acquisition of resistance to the most commonly used antifungal agents, resulting in therapeutic failure in clinical settings. Here, we describe that the histone acetyltransferase Gcn5 is a key factor in adapting to antifungal pressure and developing resistance in C. glabrata. The results provide new insights into epigenetic control over the drug response in C. glabrata and may be useful for drug target discovery and the development of new therapeutic strategies to combat fungal infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuying Yu
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Mechanisms Research and Precision Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Diseases (BZ0447), Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Padmaja Paderu
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - Annie Lee
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sami Eirekat
- Department of Biology, William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kelley Healey
- Department of Biology, William Paterson University, Wayne, New Jersey, USA
| | - Liang Chen
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - David S. Perlin
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Yanan Zhao
- Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Medical Sciences, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Bohner F, Papp C, Gácser A. The effect of antifungal resistance development on the virulence of Candida species. FEMS Yeast Res 2022; 22:6552956. [PMID: 35325128 PMCID: PMC9466593 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the relevance of diseases associated with fungal pathogens increased worldwide. Members of the Candida genus are responsible for the greatest number of fungal bloodstream infections every year. Epidemiological data consistently indicate a modest shift toward non-albicans species, albeit Candidaalbicans is still the most recognizable species within the genus. As a result, the number of clinically relevant pathogens has increased, and, despite their distinct pathogenicity features, the applicable antifungal agents remained the same. For bloodstream infections, only three classes of drugs are routinely used, namely polyenes, azoles and echinocandins. Antifungal resistance toward all three antifungal drug classes frequently occurs in clinical settings. Compared with the broad range of literature on virulence and antifungal resistance of Candida species separately, only a small portion of studies examined the effect of resistance on virulence. These studies found that resistance to polyenes and echinocandins concluded in significant decrease in the virulence in different Candida species. Meanwhile, in some cases, resistance to azole type antifungals resulted in increased virulence depending on the species and isolates. These findings underline the importance of studies aiming to dissect the connections of virulence and resistance in Candida species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Flora Bohner
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Csaba Papp
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Attila Gácser
- HCEMM-USZ Fungal Pathogens Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE "Lendület" Mycobiome Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Transcription Factor Crz1 from Cryptococcus humicola Conferred Aluminum Resistance and Interacted with Calcineurin. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:138. [PMID: 35304662 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02831-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Calcineurin was activated by aluminum stress and increased aluminum resistance. To investigate how the calcineurin pathway regulates aluminum stress in Cryptococcus humicola, the expressions of Crz1 under stresses were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Calcium, cadmium, and aluminum induced the expression of Crz1. Cna1, calcineurin catalytic subunit A (CNA1) encoding gene, was constructed into pGBKT7 and Crz1 gene was constructed into pGADT7. The resultant plasmids, pGADT7-Crz1 and pGBKT7-Cna1, were transformed into Y2HGold and Y187 yeast strain, respectively. Yeast two-hybridization results showed an interaction between CNA1 and Crz1. The role of Crz1 gene in stresses resistance including hydrogen peroxide, calcium, cadmium, and aluminum was assayed by constructing transgenic yeast. The growth of Crz1 transgenic yeasts was much better than that of the control yeast under these stress conditions. These results suggested that Crz1 participated in resistance to stresses and Crz1 showed an interaction with CNA1.
Collapse
|
11
|
CRISPR-Cas9 approach confirms Calcineurin-responsive zinc finger 1 (Crz1) transcription factor as a promising therapeutic target in echinocandin-resistant Candida glabrata. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265777. [PMID: 35303047 PMCID: PMC8932611 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive fungal infections, which kill more than 1.6 million patients each year worldwide, are difficult to treat due to the limited number of antifungal drugs (azoles, echinocandins, and polyenes) and the emergence of antifungal resistance. The transcription factor Crz1, a key regulator of cellular stress responses and virulence, is an attractive therapeutic target because this protein is absent in human cells. Here, we used a CRISPR-Cas9 approach to generate isogenic crz1Δ strains in two clinical isolates of caspofungin-resistant C. glabrata to analyze the role of this transcription factor in susceptibility to echinocandins, stress tolerance, biofilm formation, and pathogenicity in both non-vertebrate (Galleria mellonella) and vertebrate (mice) models of candidiasis. In these clinical isolates, CRZ1 disruption restores the susceptibility to echinocandins in both in vitro and in vivo models, and affects their oxidative stress response, biofilm formation, cell size, and pathogenicity. These results strongly suggest that Crz1 inhibitors may play an important role in the development of novel therapeutic agents against fungal infections considering the emergence of antifungal resistance and the low number of available antifungal drugs.
Collapse
|
12
|
Unmasking of CgYor1-Dependent Azole Resistance Mediated by Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and Calcineurin Signaling in Candida glabrata. mBio 2022; 13:e0354521. [PMID: 35038899 PMCID: PMC8764518 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03545-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, 18 predicted membrane-localized ABC transporters of Candida glabrata were deleted individually to create a minilibrary of knockouts (KO). The transporter KOs were analyzed for their susceptibility toward antimycotic drugs. Although CgYOR1 has previously been reported to be upregulated in various azole-resistant clinical isolates of C. glabrata, deletion of this gene did not change the susceptibility to any of the tested azoles. Additionally, Cgyor1Δ showed no change in susceptibility toward oligomycin, which is otherwise a well-known substrate of Yor1 in other yeasts. The role of CgYor1 in azole susceptibility only became evident when the major transporter CgCDR1 gene was deleted. However, under nitrogen-depleted conditions, Cgyor1Δ demonstrated an azole-susceptible phenotype, independent of CgCdr1. Notably, Cgyor1Δ cells also showed increased susceptibility to target of rapamycin (TOR) and calcineurin inhibitors. Moreover, increased phytoceramide levels in Cgyor1Δ and the deletions of regulators downstream of TOR and the calcineurin signaling cascade (Cgypk1Δ, Cgypk2Δ, Cgckb1Δ, and Cgckb2Δ) in the Cgyor1Δ background and their associated fluconazole (FLC) susceptibility phenotypes confirmed their involvement. Collectively, our findings show that TOR and calcineurin signaling govern CgYor1-mediated azole susceptibility in C. glabrata. IMPORTANCE The increasing incidence of Candida glabrata infections in the last 40 years is a serious concern worldwide. These infections are usually associated with intrinsic azole resistance and increasing echinocandin resistance. Efflux pumps, especially ABC transporter upregulation, are one of the prominent mechanisms of azole resistance; however, only a few of them are characterized. In this study, we analyzed the mechanisms of azole resistance due to a multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) subfamily ABC transporter, CgYor1. We demonstrate for the first time that CgYor1 does not transport oligomycin but is involved in azole resistance. Under normal growing conditions its function is masked by major transporter CgCdr1; however, under nitrogen-depleted conditions, it displays its azole resistance function independently. Moreover, we propose that the azole susceptibility due to removal of CgYor1 is not due to its transport function but involves modulation of TOR and calcineurin cascades.
Collapse
|
13
|
HAGIHARA KANAKO, HOSONAKA KOUSUKE, HOSHINO SHUHEI, IWATA KAZUKI, OGAWA NAOKI, SATOH RYOSUKE, TAKASAKI TERUAKI, MAEDA TAKUYA, SUGIURA REIKO. Ellagic Acid Combined with Tacrolimus Showed Synergistic Cell Growth Inhibition in Fission Yeast. Biocontrol Sci 2022; 27:31-39. [DOI: 10.4265/bio.27.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- KANAKO HAGIHARA
- Laboratory of Hygienic Science, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences
| | - KOUSUKE HOSONAKA
- Laboratory of Hygienic Science, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences
| | - SHUHEI HOSHINO
- Laboratory of Hygienic Science, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences
| | - KAZUKI IWATA
- Laboratory of Hygienic Science, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences
| | - NAOKI OGAWA
- Laboratory of Hygienic Science, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences
| | - RYOSUKE SATOH
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University
| | - TERUAKI TAKASAKI
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University
| | - TAKUYA MAEDA
- Laboratory of Hygienic Science, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Hyogo University of Health Sciences
| | - REIKO SUGIURA
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacogenomics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kindai University
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Identification of Candida glabrata Transcriptional Regulators That Govern Stress Resistance and Virulence. Infect Immun 2021; 89:IAI.00146-20. [PMID: 33318139 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00146-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms by which Candida glabrata resists host defense peptides and caspofungin are incompletely understood. To identify transcriptional regulators that enable C. glabrata to withstand these classes of stressors, a library of 215 C. glabrata transcriptional regulatory deletion mutants was screened for susceptibility to both protamine and caspofungin. We identified eight mutants that had increased susceptibility to both host defense peptides and caspofungin. Of these mutants, six were deleted for genes that were predicted to specify proteins involved in histone modification. These genes were ADA2, GCN5, SPT8, HOS2, RPD3, and SPP1 Deletion of ADA2, GCN5, and RPD3 also increased susceptibility to mammalian host defense peptides. The Δada2 and Δgcn5 mutants had increased susceptibility to other stressors, such as H2O2 and SDS. In the Galleria mellonella model of disseminated infection, the Δada2 and Δgcn5 mutants had attenuated virulence, whereas in neutropenic mice, the virulence of the Δada2 and Δrpd3 mutants was decreased. Thus, histone modification plays a central role in enabling C. glabrata to survive host defense peptides and caspofungin, and Ada2 and Rpd3 are essential for the maximal virulence of this organism during disseminated infection.
Collapse
|
15
|
F-box only and CUE proteins are crucial ubiquitination-associated components for conidiation and pathogenicity in the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. Fungal Genet Biol 2020; 144:103473. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
16
|
Song J, Zhou J, Zhang L, Li R. Mitochondria-Mediated Azole Drug Resistance and Fungal Pathogenicity: Opportunities for Therapeutic Development. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1574. [PMID: 33066090 PMCID: PMC7600254 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8101574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the role of mitochondria in pathogenic fungi in terms of azole resistance and fungal pathogenicity has been a rapidly developing field. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms by which mitochondria are involved in regulating azole resistance and fungal pathogenicity. Mitochondrial function is involved in the regulation of drug efflux pumps at the transcriptional and posttranslational levels. On the one hand, defects in mitochondrial function can serve as the signal leading to activation of calcium signaling and the pleiotropic drug resistance pathway and, therefore, can globally upregulate the expression of drug efflux pump genes, leading to azole drug resistance. On the other hand, mitochondria also contribute to azole resistance through modulation of drug efflux pump localization and activity. Mitochondria further contribute to azole resistance through participating in iron homeostasis and lipid biosynthesis. Additionally, mitochondrial dynamics play an important role in azole resistance. Meanwhile, mitochondrial morphology is important for fungal virulence, playing roles in growth in stressful conditions in a host. Furthermore, there is a close link between mitochondrial respiration and fungal virulence, and mitochondrial respiration plays an important role in morphogenetic transition, hypoxia adaptation, and cell wall biosynthesis. Finally, we discuss the possibility for targeting mitochondrial factors for the development of antifungal therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinxing Song
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province and School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China;
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Jinan 250012, China;
| | - Jingwen Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province and School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China;
| | - Lei Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Jinan 250012, China;
| | - Rongpeng Li
- The Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Medicinal Plants of Jiangsu Province and School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China;
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Identification of Essential Genes and Fluconazole Susceptibility Genes in Candida glabrata by Profiling Hermes Transposon Insertions. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2020; 10:3859-3870. [PMID: 32819971 PMCID: PMC7534453 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Within the budding yeasts, the opportunistic pathogen Candida glabrata and other members of the Nakaseomyces clade have developed virulence traits independently from C. albicans and C. auris. To begin exploring the genetic basis of C. glabrata virulence and its innate resistance to antifungals, we launched the Hermes transposon from a plasmid and sequenced more than 500,000 different semi-random insertions throughout the genome. With machine learning, we identified 1278 protein-encoding genes (25% of total) that could not tolerate transposon insertions and are likely essential for C. glabrata fitness in vitro. Interestingly, genes involved in mRNA splicing were less likely to be essential in C. glabrata than their orthologs in S. cerevisiae, whereas the opposite is true for genes involved in kinetochore function and chromosome segregation. When a pool of insertion mutants was challenged with the first-line antifungal fluconazole, insertions in several known resistance genes (e.g., PDR1, CDR1, PDR16, PDR17, UPC2A, DAP1, STV1) and 15 additional genes (including KGD1, KGD2, YHR045W) became hypersensitive to fluconazole. Insertions in 200 other genes conferred significant resistance to fluconazole, two-thirds of which function in mitochondria and likely down-regulate Pdr1 expression or function. Knockout mutants of KGD2 and IDH2, which consume and generate alpha-ketoglutarate in mitochondria, exhibited increased and decreased resistance to fluconazole through a process that depended on Pdr1. These findings establish the utility of transposon insertion profiling in forward genetic investigations of this important pathogen of humans.
Collapse
|
18
|
LeBlanc EV, Polvi EJ, Veri AO, Privé GG, Cowen LE. Structure-guided approaches to targeting stress responses in human fungal pathogens. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:14458-14472. [PMID: 32796038 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.013731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi inhabit extraordinarily diverse ecological niches, including the human body. Invasive fungal infections have a devastating impact on human health worldwide, killing ∼1.5 million individuals annually. The majority of these deaths are attributable to species of Candida, Cryptococcus, and Aspergillus Treating fungal infections is challenging, in part due to the emergence of resistance to our limited arsenal of antifungal agents, necessitating the development of novel therapeutic options. Whereas conventional antifungal strategies target proteins or cellular components essential for fungal growth, an attractive alternative strategy involves targeting proteins that regulate fungal virulence or antifungal drug resistance, such as regulators of fungal stress responses. Stress response networks enable fungi to adapt, grow, and cause disease in humans and include regulators that are highly conserved across eukaryotes as well as those that are fungal-specific. This review highlights recent developments in elucidating crystal structures of fungal stress response regulators and emphasizes how this knowledge can guide the design of fungal-selective inhibitors. We focus on the progress that has been made with highly conserved regulators, including the molecular chaperone Hsp90, the protein phosphatase calcineurin, and the small GTPase Ras1, as well as with divergent stress response regulators, including the cell wall kinase Yck2 and trehalose synthases. Exploring structures of these important fungal stress regulators will accelerate the design of selective antifungals that can be deployed to combat life-threatening fungal diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle V LeBlanc
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth J Polvi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda O Veri
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gilbert G Privé
- Departments of Medical Biophysics and Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Ito Y, Miyazaki T, Tanaka Y, Suematsu T, Nakayama H, Morita A, Hirayama T, Tashiro M, Takazono T, Saijo T, Shimamura S, Yamamoto K, Imamura Y, Izumikawa K, Yanagihara K, Kohno S, Mukae H. Roles of Elm1 in antifungal susceptibility and virulence in Candida glabrata. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9789. [PMID: 32555245 PMCID: PMC7299981 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66620-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Elm1 is a serine/threonine kinase involved in multiple cellular functions, including cytokinesis, morphogenesis, and drug resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; however, its roles in pathogenic fungi have not been reported. In this study, we created ELM1-deletion, ELM1-reconstituted, ELM1-overexpression, and ELM1-kinase-dead strains in the clinically important fungal pathogen Candida glabrata and investigated the roles of Elm1 in cell morphology, stress response, and virulence. The elm1Δ strain showed elongated morphology and a thicker cell wall, with analyses of cell-wall components revealing that this strain exhibited significantly increased chitin content relative to that in the wild-type and ELM1-overexpression strains. Although the elm1Δ strain exhibited slower growth than the other two strains, as well as increased sensitivity to high temperature and cell-wall-damaging agents, it showed increased virulence in a Galleria mellonella-infection model. Moreover, loss of Elm1 resulted in increased adhesion to agar plates and epithelial cells, which represent important virulence factors in C. glabrata. Furthermore, RNA sequencing revealed that expression levels of 30 adhesion-like genes were elevated in the elm1Δ strain. Importantly, all these functions were mediated by the kinase activity of Elm1. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the functional characterization of Elm1 in pathogenic fungi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Ito
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Taiga Miyazaki
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
| | - Yutaka Tanaka
- Department of Infection and Host Defense, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Takashi Suematsu
- Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hironobu Nakayama
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Japan
| | - Akihiro Morita
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Suzuka, Japan
| | - Tatsuro Hirayama
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masato Tashiro
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takahiro Takazono
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tomomi Saijo
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Shintaro Shimamura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuko Yamamoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Imamura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Koichi Izumikawa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Katsunori Yanagihara
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kohno
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mukae
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Malik A, Afaq S, Gamal BE, Ellatif MA, Hassan WN, Dera A, Noor R, Tarique M. Molecular docking and pharmacokinetic evaluation of natural compounds as targeted inhibitors against Crz1 protein in Rhizoctonia solani. Bioinformation 2019; 15:277-286. [PMID: 31285645 PMCID: PMC6599437 DOI: 10.6026/97320630015277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Crz1p regulates Calcineurin, a serine-threonine-specific protein phosphatase, in Rhizoctonia solani. It has attracted consideration as a novel target of antifungal therapy based on studies in numerous pathogenic fungi, including, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. To investigate whether Calcineurin can be a useful target for the treatment of Crz1 protein in R. solani causing wet root rot in Chickpea. The work presented here reports the in-silico studies of Crz1 protein against natural compounds. This study Comprises of quantitative structure-toxicity relationship (QSTR) and quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR). All compounds showed high binding energy for Crz1 protein through molecular docking. Further, a pharmacokinetic study revealed that these compounds had minimal side effects. Biological activity spectrum prediction of these compounds showed potential antifungal properties by showing significant interaction with Crz1. Hence, these compounds can be used for the prevention and treatment of wet root rot in Chickpea.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ajit Malik
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah Afaq
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Basiouny El Gamal
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Abd Ellatif
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Biochemistry,Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Waleed N Hassan
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayed Dera
- Departments of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied MedicalScience, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rana Noor
- 5Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025, India
| | - Mohammed Tarique
- Center for InterdisciplinaryResearch in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025, India
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Candida glabrata: A Lot More Than Meets the Eye. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7020039. [PMID: 30704135 PMCID: PMC6407134 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7020039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that causes superficial mucosal and life-threatening bloodstream infections in individuals with a compromised immune system. Evolutionarily, it is closer to the non-pathogenic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae than to the most prevalent Candida bloodstream pathogen, C. albicans. C. glabrata is a haploid budding yeast that predominantly reproduces clonally. In this review, we summarize interactions of C. glabrata with the host immune, epithelial and endothelial cells, and the ingenious strategies it deploys to acquire iron and phosphate from the external environment. We outline various attributes including cell surface-associated adhesins and aspartyl proteases, biofilm formation and stress response mechanisms, that contribute to the virulence of C. glabrata. We further discuss how, C. glabrata, despite lacking morphological switching and secreted proteolytic activity, is able to disarm macrophage, dampen the host inflammatory immune response and replicate intracellularly.
Collapse
|
22
|
Shimamura S, Miyazaki T, Tashiro M, Takazono T, Saijo T, Yamamoto K, Imamura Y, Izumikawa K, Yanagihara K, Kohno S, Mukae H. Autophagy-Inducing Factor Atg1 Is Required for Virulence in the Pathogenic Fungus Candida glabrata. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:27. [PMID: 30761093 PMCID: PMC6362428 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is one of the leading causes of candidiasis and serious invasive infections in hosts with weakened immune systems. C. glabrata is a haploid budding yeast that resides in healthy hosts. Little is known about the mechanisms of C. glabrata virulence. Autophagy is a ‘self-eating’ process developed in eukaryotes to recycle molecules for adaptation to various environments. Autophagy is speculated to play a role in pathogen virulence by supplying sources of essential proteins for survival in severe host environments. Here, we investigated the effects of defective autophagy on C. glabrata virulence. Autophagy was induced by nitrogen starvation and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in C. glabrata. A mutant strain lacking CgAtg1, an autophagy-inducing factor, was generated and confirmed to be deficient for autophagy. The Cgatg1Δ strain was sensitive to nitrogen starvation and H2O2, died rapidly in water without any nutrients, and showed high intracellular ROS levels compared with the wild-type strain and the CgATG1-reconstituted strain in vitro. Upon infecting mouse peritoneal macrophages, the Cgatg1Δ strain showed higher mortality from phagocytosis by macrophages. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using two mouse models of disseminated candidiasis and intra-abdominal candidiasis. The Cgatg1Δ strain showed significantly decreased CFUs in the organs of the two mouse models. These results suggest that autophagy contributes to C. glabrata virulence by conferring resistance to unstable nutrient environments and immune defense of hosts, and that Atg1 is a novel fitness factor in Candida species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shintaro Shimamura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Taiga Miyazaki
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Masato Tashiro
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Takahiro Takazono
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tomomi Saijo
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuko Yamamoto
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Imamura
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Koichi Izumikawa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Katsunori Yanagihara
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kohno
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mukae
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ksiezopolska E, Gabaldón T. Evolutionary Emergence of Drug Resistance in Candida Opportunistic Pathogens. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9090461. [PMID: 30235884 PMCID: PMC6162425 DOI: 10.3390/genes9090461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections, such as candidiasis caused by Candida, pose a problem of growing medical concern. In developed countries, the incidence of Candida infections is increasing due to the higher survival of susceptible populations, such as immunocompromised patients or the elderly. Existing treatment options are limited to few antifungal drug families with efficacies that vary depending on the infecting species. In this context, the emergence and spread of resistant Candida isolates are being increasingly reported. Understanding how resistance can evolve within naturally susceptible species is key to developing novel, more effective treatment strategies. However, in contrast to the situation of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, few studies have focused on the evolutionary mechanisms leading to drug resistance in fungal species. In this review, we will survey and discuss current knowledge on the genetic bases of resistance to antifungal drugs in Candida opportunistic pathogens. We will do so from an evolutionary genomics perspective, focusing on the possible evolutionary paths that may lead to the emergence and selection of the resistant phenotype. Finally, we will discuss the potential of future studies enabled by current developments in sequencing technologies, in vitro evolution approaches, and the analysis of serial clinical isolates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Ksiezopolska
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Fungal Resistance to Echinocandins and the MDR Phenomenon in Candida glabrata. JOURNAL OF FUNGI (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2018; 4:jof4030105. [PMID: 30200517 PMCID: PMC6162769 DOI: 10.3390/jof4030105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Candida glabrata has thoroughly adapted to successfully colonize human mucosal membranes and survive in vivo pressures. prior to and during antifungal treatment. Out of all the medically relevant Candida species, C. glabrata has emerged as a leading cause of azole, echinocandin, and multidrug (MDR: azole + echinocandin) adaptive resistance. Neither mechanism of resistance is intrinsic to C. glabrata, since stable genetic resistance depends on mutation of drug target genes, FKS1 and FKS2 (echinocandin resistance), and a transcription factor, PDR1, which controls expression of major drug transporters, such as CDR1 (azole resistance). However, another hallmark of C. glabrata is the ability to withstand drug pressure both in vitro and in vivo prior to stable "genetic escape". Additionally, these resistance events can arise within individual patients, which underscores the importance of understanding how this fungus is adapting to its environment and to drug exposure in vivo. Here, we explore the evolution of echinocandin resistance as a multistep model that includes general cell stress, drug adaptation (tolerance), and genetic escape. The extensive genetic diversity reported in C. glabrata is highlighted.
Collapse
|
25
|
The Unfolded Protein Response Pathway in the Yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. A Comparative View among Yeast Species. Cells 2018; 7:cells7080106. [PMID: 30110882 PMCID: PMC6116095 DOI: 10.3390/cells7080106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells have evolved signalling pathways that allow adaptation to harmful conditions that disrupt endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis. When the function of the ER is compromised in a condition known as ER stress, the cell triggers the unfolded protein response (UPR) in order to restore ER homeostasis. Accumulation of misfolded proteins due to stress conditions activates the UPR pathway. In mammalian cells, the UPR is composed of three branches, each containing an ER sensor (PERK, ATF6 and IRE1). However, in yeast species, the only sensor present is the inositol-requiring enzyme Ire1. To cope with unfolded protein accumulation, Ire1 triggers either a transcriptional response mediated by a transcriptional factor that belongs to the bZIP transcription factor family or an mRNA degradation process. In this review, we address the current knowledge of the UPR pathway in several yeast species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Candida glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Candida albicans. We also include unpublished data on the UPR pathway of the budding yeast Kluyveromyces lactis. We describe the basic components of the UPR pathway along with similarities and differences in the UPR mechanism that are present in these yeast species.
Collapse
|
26
|
The transcription factor FgCrz1A is essential for fungal development, virulence, deoxynivalenol biosynthesis and stress responses in Fusarium graminearum. Curr Genet 2018; 65:153-166. [DOI: 10.1007/s00294-018-0853-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
|
27
|
Clinical and Microbiological Characteristics of Candida guilliermondii and Candida fermentati. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2018; 62:AAC.02528-17. [PMID: 29581115 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02528-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A total of 46 clinical isolates of Candida guilliermondii and Candida famata were reidentified genetically, resulting in 27 C. guilliermondii and 12 Candida fermentati strains. The majority of C. guilliermondii strains, but not C. fermentati strains, were isolated from blood cultures. C. fermentati was more sensitive to antifungals, hydrogen peroxide, and killing by murine macrophages than was C. guilliermondii The C. guilliermondii isolates were echinocandin susceptible in vitro but resistant to micafungin in a murine model of invasive candidiasis.
Collapse
|
28
|
Jung WH, Son YE, Oh SH, Fu C, Kim HS, Kwak JH, Cardenas ME, Heitman J, Park HS. Had1 Is Required for Cell Wall Integrity and Fungal Virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2018; 8:643-652. [PMID: 29233914 PMCID: PMC5919746 DOI: 10.1534/g3.117.300444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Calcineurin modulates environmental stress survival and virulence of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans Previously, we identified 44 putative calcineurin substrates, and proposed that the calcineurin pathway is branched to regulate targets including Crz1, Pbp1, and Puf4 in C. neoformans In this study, we characterized Had1, which is one of the putative calcineurin substrates belonging to the ubiquitously conserved haloacid dehalogenase β-phosphoglucomutase protein superfamily. Growth of the had1∆ mutant was found to be compromised at 38° or higher. In addition, the had1∆ mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to cell wall perturbing agents, including Congo Red and Calcofluor White, and to an endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer dithiothreitol. Virulence studies revealed that the had1 mutation results in attenuated virulence compared to the wild-type strain in a murine inhalation infection model. Genetic epistasis analysis revealed that Had1 and the zinc finger transcription factor Crz1 play roles in parallel pathways that orchestrate stress survival and fungal virulence. Overall, our results demonstrate that Had1 is a key regulator of thermotolerance, cell wall integrity, and virulence of C. neoformans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Won-Hee Jung
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Ye-Eun Son
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hun Oh
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Ci Fu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Hye Shin Kim
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Hwan Kwak
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Maria E Cardenas
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Hee-Soo Park
- School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tanaka Y, Sasaki M, Ito F, Aoyama T, Sato-Okamoto M, Takahashi-Nakaguchi A, Chibana H, Shibata N. Cooperation between ER stress and calcineurin signaling contributes to the maintenance of cell wall integrity in Candida glabrata. Fungal Biol 2017; 122:19-33. [PMID: 29248112 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2017.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Candida glabrata is the second most common source of Candida infections in humans. In this pathogen, the maintenance of cell wall integrity (CWI) frequently precludes effective pharmacological treatment by antifungal agents. In numerous fungi, cell wall modulation is reported to be controlled by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, but how the latter affects CWI maintenance in C. glabrata is not clearly understood. Here, we characterized a C. glabrata strain harboring a mutation in the CNE1 gene, which encodes a molecular chaperone associated with nascent glycoprotein maturation in the ER. Disruption of cne1 induced ER stress and caused changes in the normal cell wall structure, specifically a reduction in the β-1,6-glucan content and accumulation of chitin. Conversely, a treatment with the typical ER stress inducer tunicamycin up-regulated the production of cell wall chitin but did not affect β-1,6-glucan content. Our results also indicated that C. glabrata features a uniquely evolved ER stress-mediated CWI pathway, which differs from that in the closely related species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ER stress-mediated CWI pathway in C. glabrata is also induced by the disruption of other genes encoding proteins that function in a correlated manner in the quality control of N-linked glycoproteins in the ER. These results suggest that calcineurin and ER quality control system act as a platform for maintaining CWI in C. glabrata.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Tanaka
- Department of Infection and Host Defense, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Japan
| | - Masato Sasaki
- Department of Infection and Host Defense, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Japan
| | - Fumie Ito
- Department of Infection and Host Defense, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Japan
| | - Toshio Aoyama
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Suzuka National College of Technology, Shirako-tyo, Suzuka, Mie 510-0294, Japan
| | - Michiyo Sato-Okamoto
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8673, Japan
| | | | - Hiroji Chibana
- Medical Mycology Research Center, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8673, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Shibata
- Department of Infection and Host Defense, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1 Komatsushima, Aoba-ku, Sendai 981-8558, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Cen Y, Timmermans B, Souffriau B, Thevelein JM, Van Dijck P. Comparison of genome engineering using the CRISPR-Cas9 system in C. glabrata wild-type and lig4 strains. Fungal Genet Biol 2017; 107:44-50. [PMID: 28822858 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Candida glabrata is reported as the second most prevalent human opportunistic fungal pathogen in North America and is threatening patients all over the world. Its incidence is rising, while it has developed resistance to the most widely used antifungal drugs, necessitating new approaches based on better insight into the biology of the organism. Despite its close phylogenetic relationship with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, generating precise genomic alterations in this species is problematic. Previously we have shown that deletion of LIG4, which encodes an enzyme involved in Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ), strongly enhances the probability of obtaining correctly modified transformants. In this work we used the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9) system to genetically engineer the C. glabrata genome, targeting the genes ADE2, MET15 and SOK2, located on different chromosomes. We used the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to replace the open reading frame (ORF) by the SAT1 selective marker or introduced a premature stop codon in ADE2 and MET15, as they are easily scored by their adenine or methionine auxotrophy, respectively. The SOK2 gene was modified by insertion of a triple HA-tag sequence and the transformants were verified in a western blot. The CRISPR-Cas9 mediated targeting efficiency varies depending on the gene targeted and the genetic modification performed. We show that CRISPR-Cas9 mediated genome editing is more efficient than the conventional method in the wild-type strain, moreover it has the big advantage being marker-free. In previous work, we showed that the targeting efficiency is highly increased in the lig4Δ strain using the conventional way to delete genes in C. glabrata. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 system in this strain, the percentage of correct transformants is consistently higher compared to the wild-type strain. This indicates that using the lig4 mutant as such is already a strong improvement, while the CRISPR-Cas9 gives the additional advantage of not leaving a scar or marker and that it therefore can be used to generate multiple modifications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuke Cen
- KU Leuven, Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, bus 2438, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bea Timmermans
- KU Leuven, Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, bus 2438, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ben Souffriau
- KU Leuven, Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, bus 2438, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan M Thevelein
- KU Leuven, Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, bus 2438, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Van Dijck
- KU Leuven, Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 31, bus 2438, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Unexpected effects of azole transporter inhibitors on antifungal susceptibility in Candida glabrata and other pathogenic Candida species. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180990. [PMID: 28700656 PMCID: PMC5507446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata is often resistant to azole antifungal agents. Drug efflux through azole transporters, such as Cdr1 and Cdr2, is a key mechanism of azole resistance and these genes are under the control of the transcription factor Pdr1. Recently, the monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor clorgyline was shown to inhibit the azole efflux pumps, leading to increased azole susceptibility in C. glabrata. In the present study, we have evaluated the effects of clorgyline on susceptibility of C. glabrata to not only azoles, but also to micafungin and amphotericin B, using wild-type and several mutant strains. The addition of clorgyline to the culture media increased fluconazole susceptibility of a C. glabrata wild-type strain, whereas micafungin and amphotericin B susceptibilities were markedly decreased. These phenomena were also observed in other medically important Candida species, including Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Candida krusei. Expression levels of CDR1, CDR2 and PDR1 mRNAs and an amount of Cdr1 protein in the C. glabrata wild-type strain were highly increased in response to the treatment with clorgyline. However, loss of Cdr1, Cdr2, Pdr1, and a putative clorgyline target (Fms1), which is an ortholog of human MAO-A, or overexpression of CDR1 did not affect the decreased susceptibility to micafungin and amphotericin B in the presence of clorgyline. The presence of other azole efflux pump inhibitors including milbemycin A4 oxime and carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone also decreased micafungin susceptibility in C. glabrata wild-type, Δcdr1, Δcdr2, and Δpdr1 strains. These findings suggest that azole efflux pump inhibitors increase azole susceptibility but concurrently induce decreased susceptibility to other classes of antifungals independent of azole transporter functions.
Collapse
|
32
|
The regulatory role of the transcription factor Crz1 in stress tolerance, pathogenicity, and its target gene expression in Metarhizium acridum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 101:5033-5043. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-017-8290-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
33
|
Chow EWL, Clancey SA, Billmyre RB, Averette AF, Granek JA, Mieczkowski P, Cardenas ME, Heitman J. Elucidation of the calcineurin-Crz1 stress response transcriptional network in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. PLoS Genet 2017; 13:e1006667. [PMID: 28376087 PMCID: PMC5380312 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcineurin is a highly conserved Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase that orchestrates cellular Ca2+ signaling responses. In Cryptococcus neoformans, calcineurin is activated by multiple stresses including high temperature, and is essential for stress adaptation and virulence. The transcription factor Crz1 is a major calcineurin effector in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other fungi. Calcineurin dephosphorylates Crz1, thereby enabling Crz1 nuclear translocation and transcription of target genes. Here we show that loss of Crz1 confers phenotypes intermediate between wild-type and calcineurin mutants, and demonstrate that deletion of the calcineurin docking domain results in the inability of Crz1 to translocate into the nucleus under thermal stress. RNA-sequencing revealed 102 genes that are regulated in a calcineurin-Crz1-dependent manner at 37°C. The majority of genes were down-regulated in cna1Δ and crz1Δ mutants, indicating these genes are normally activated by the calcineurin-Crz1 pathway at high temperature. About 58% of calcineurin-Crz1 target genes have unknown functions, while genes with known or predicted functions are involved in cell wall remodeling, calcium transport, and pheromone production. We identified three calcineurin-dependent response element motifs within the promoter regions of calcineurin-Crz1 target genes, and show that Crz1 binding to target gene promoters is increased upon thermal stress in a calcineurin-dependent fashion. Additionally, we found a large set of genes independently regulated by calcineurin, and Crz1 regulates 59 genes independently of calcineurin. Given the intermediate crz1Δ mutant phenotype, and our recent evidence for a calcineurin regulatory network impacting mRNA in P-bodies and stress granules independently of Crz1, calcineurin likely acts on factors beyond Crz1 that govern mRNA expression/stability to operate a branched transcriptional/post-transcriptional stress response network necessary for fungal virulence. Taken together, our findings reveal the core calcineurin-Crz1 stress response cascade is maintained from ascomycetes to a pathogenic basidiomycete fungus, but its output in C. neoformans appears to be adapted to promote fungal virulence. The ubquitiously conserved serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatase calcineurin is crucial for virulence of several opportunistic human fungal pathogens including Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans. We show that Crz1 acts downstream of calcineurin, to 1) govern expression of genes involved in cell wall integrity, and calcium and small molecule transport, and 2) contribute to stress survival and virulence of C. neoformans. Our studies reveal that calcineurin also controls mRNA expression levels of other genes independently of Crz1. We propose that calcineurin operates in a branched signal transduction cascade controlling targets at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eve W. L. Chow
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Shelly A. Clancey
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - R. Blake Billmyre
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Anna Floyd Averette
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joshua A. Granek
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Center for the Genomics of Microbial Systems, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Piotr Mieczkowski
- High-Throughput Sequencing Facility, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Maria E. Cardenas
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Rodrigues CF, Rodrigues ME, Silva S, Henriques M. Candida glabrata Biofilms: How Far Have We Come? J Fungi (Basel) 2017; 3:E11. [PMID: 29371530 PMCID: PMC5715960 DOI: 10.3390/jof3010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by Candida species have been increasing in the last decades and can result in local or systemic infections, with high morbidity and mortality. After Candida albicans, Candida glabrata is one of the most prevalent pathogenic fungi in humans. In addition to the high antifungal drugs resistance and inability to form hyphae or secret hydrolases, C. glabrata retain many virulence factors that contribute to its extreme aggressiveness and result in a low therapeutic response and serious recurrent candidiasis, particularly biofilm formation ability. For their extraordinary organization, especially regarding the complex structure of the matrix, biofilms are very resistant to antifungal treatments. Thus, new approaches to the treatment of C. glabrata's biofilms are emerging. In this article, the knowledge available on C. glabrata's resistance will be highlighted, with a special focus on biofilms, as well as new therapeutic alternatives to control them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Célia F Rodrigues
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO-Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Maria Elisa Rodrigues
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO-Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Sónia Silva
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO-Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Mariana Henriques
- CEB, Centre of Biological Engineering, LIBRO-Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Healey KR, Jimenez Ortigosa C, Shor E, Perlin DS. Genetic Drivers of Multidrug Resistance in Candida glabrata. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1995. [PMID: 28018323 PMCID: PMC5156712 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Both the incidence of invasive fungal infections and rates of multidrug resistance associated with fungal pathogen Candida glabrata have increased in recent years. In this perspective, we will discuss the mechanisms underlying the capacity of C. glabrata to rapidly develop resistance to multiple drug classes, including triazoles and echinocandins. We will focus on the extensive genetic diversity among clinical isolates of C. glabrata, which likely enables this yeast to survive multiple stressors, such as immune pressure and antifungal exposure. In particular, over half of C. glabrata clinical strains collected from U.S. and non-U.S. sites have mutations in the DNA mismatch repair gene MSH2, leading to a mutator phenotype and increased frequencies of drug-resistant mutants in vitro. Furthermore, recent studies and data presented here document extensive chromosomal rearrangements among C. glabrata strains, resulting in a large number of distinct karyotypes within a single species. By analyzing clonal, serial isolates derived from individual patients treated with antifungal drugs, we were able to document chromosomal changes occurring in C. glabrata in vivo during the course of antifungal treatment. Interestingly, we also show that both MSH2 genotypes and chromosomal patterns cluster consistently into specific strain types, indicating that C. glabrata has a complex population structure where genomic variants arise, perhaps during the process of adaptation to environmental changes, and persist over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kelley R Healey
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, New Jersey Medical School Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Cristina Jimenez Ortigosa
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, New Jersey Medical School Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Erika Shor
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, New Jersey Medical School Newark, NJ, USA
| | - David S Perlin
- Public Health Research Institute, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, New Jersey Medical School Newark, NJ, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Mohd-Assaad N, McDonald BA, Croll D. Multilocus resistance evolution to azole fungicides in fungal plant pathogen populations. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:6124-6142. [PMID: 27859799 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Evolution of fungicide resistance is a major threat to food production in agricultural ecosystems. Fungal pathogens rapidly evolved resistance to all classes of fungicides applied to the field. Resistance to the commonly used azole fungicides is thought to be driven mainly by mutations in a gene (CYP51) encoding a protein of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. However, some fungi gained azole resistance independently of CYP51 mutations and the mechanisms leading to CYP51-independent resistance are poorly understood. We used whole-genome sequencing and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to perform an unbiased screen of azole resistance loci in Rhynchosporium commune, the causal agent of the barley scald disease. We assayed cyproconazole resistance in 120 isolates collected from nine populations worldwide. We found that mutations in highly conserved genes encoding the vacuolar cation channel YVC1, a transcription activator, and a saccharopine dehydrogenase made significant contributions to fungicide resistance. These three genes were not previously known to confer resistance in plant pathogens. However, YVC1 is involved in a conserved stress response pathway known to respond to azoles in human pathogenic fungi. We also performed GWAS to identify genetic polymorphism linked to fungal growth rates. We found that loci conferring increased fungicide resistance were negatively impacting growth rates, suggesting that fungicide resistance evolution imposed costs. Analyses of population structure showed that resistance mutations were likely introduced into local populations through gene flow. Multilocus resistance evolution to fungicides shows how pathogen populations can evolve a complex genetic architecture for an important phenotypic trait within a short time span.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norfarhan Mohd-Assaad
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland.,School of Biosciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Bruce A McDonald
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Croll
- Plant Pathology, Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Crz1p Regulates pH Homeostasis in Candida glabrata by Altering Membrane Lipid Composition. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:6920-6929. [PMID: 27663025 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02186-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The asexual facultative aerobic haploid yeast Candida glabrata is widely used in the industrial production of various organic acids. To elucidate the physiological function of the C. glabrata transcription factor Crz1p (CgCrz1p) and its role in tolerance to acid stress, we deleted or overexpressed the corresponding gene, CgCRZ1 Deletion of CgCRZ1 resulted in a 60% decrease in the dry weight of cells (DCW) and a 50% drop in cell viability compared with those of the wild type at pH 2.0. Expression of lipid metabolism-associated genes was also significantly downregulated. Consequently, the proportion of C18:1 fatty acids, the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids, and the ergosterol content decreased by 30%, 46%, and 30%, respectively. Additionally, membrane integrity, fluidity, and H+-ATPase activity were reduced by 45%, 9%, and 50%, respectively. In contrast, overexpression of CgCrz1p increased C18:1 and ergosterol contents by 16% and 40%, respectively. Overexpression also enhanced membrane integrity, fluidity, and H+-ATPase activity by 31%, 6%, and 20%, respectively. Moreover, in the absence of pH buffering, the DCW and pyruvate titers increased by 48% and 60%, respectively, compared to that of the wild type. Together, these results suggest that CgCrz1p regulates tolerance to acidic conditions by altering membrane lipid composition in C. glabrataIMPORTANCE This study provides insight into the metabolism of Candida glabrata under acidic conditions, such as those encountered during the industrial production of organic acids. We found that overexpression of the transcription factor CgCrz1p improved viability, biomass, and pyruvate yields at a low pH. Analysis of plasma membrane lipid composition indicated that CgCrz1p might play an important role in its integrity and fluidity and that it enhanced the pumping of protons in acidic environments. We propose that altering the structure of the cell membrane may provide a successful strategy for increasing C. glabrata productivity at a low pH.
Collapse
|
38
|
Identification of Genes in Candida glabrata Conferring Altered Responses to Caspofungin, a Cell Wall Synthesis Inhibitor. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2016; 6:2893-907. [PMID: 27449515 PMCID: PMC5015946 DOI: 10.1534/g3.116.032490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Candida glabrata is an important human fungal pathogen whose incidence continues to rise. Because many clinical isolates are resistant to azole drugs, the drugs of choice to treat such infections are members of the echinocandin family, although there are increasing reports of resistance to these drugs as well. In efforts to better understand the genetic changes that lead to altered responses to echinocandins, we screened a transposon-insertion library of mutants for strains to identify genes that are important for cellular responses to caspofungin, a member of this drug family. We identified 16 genes that, when disrupted, caused increased tolerance, and 48 genes that, when disrupted, caused increased sensitivity compared to the wild-type parental strain. Four of the genes identified as causing sensitivity are orthologs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes encoding proteins important for the cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway. In addition, several other genes are orthologs of the high affinity Ca2+ uptake system (HACS) complex genes. We analyzed disruption mutants representing all 64 genes under 33 different conditions, including the presence of cell wall disrupting agents and other drugs, a variety of salts, increased temperature, and altered pH. Further, we generated knockout mutants in different genes within the CWI pathway and the HACS complex, and found that they too exhibited phenotypes consistent with defects in cell wall construction. Our results indicate that small molecules that inhibit the CWI pathway, or that the HACS complex, may be an important means of increasing the efficacy of caspofungin.
Collapse
|
39
|
Nishikawa H, Miyazaki T, Nakayama H, Minematsu A, Yamauchi S, Yamashita K, Takazono T, Shimamura S, Nakamura S, Izumikawa K, Yanagihara K, Kohno S, Mukae H. Roles of vacuolar H+-ATPase in the oxidative stress response of Candida glabrata. FEMS Yeast Res 2016; 16:fow054. [PMID: 27370212 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fow054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vacuolar H(+)-ATPase (V-ATPase) is responsible for the acidification of eukaryotic intracellular compartments and plays an important role in oxidative stress response (OSR), but its molecular bases are largely unknown. Here, we investigated how V-ATPase is involved in the OSR by using a strain lacking VPH2, which encodes an assembly factor of V-ATPase, in the pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata The loss of Vph2 resulted in increased H2O2 sensitivity and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level independently of mitochondrial functions. The Δvph2 mutant also displayed growth defects under alkaline conditions accompanied by the accumulation of intracellular ROS and these phenotypes were recovered in the presence of the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-l-cysteine. Both expression and activity levels of mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (Sod2) and catalase (Cta1) were decreased in the Δvph2 mutant. Phenotypic analyses of strains lacking and overexpressing these genes revealed that Sod2 and Cta1 play a predominant role in endogenous and exogenous OSR, respectively. Furthermore, supplementation of copper and iron restored the expression of SOD2 specifically in the Δvph2 mutant, suggesting that the homeostasis of intracellular cupper and iron levels maintained by V-ATPase was important for the Sod2-mediated OSR. This report demonstrates novel roles of V-ATPase in the OSR in C. glabrata.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Nishikawa
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan Department of Respiratory Medicine, Unit of Translational Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Taiga Miyazaki
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan Department of Respiratory Medicine, Unit of Translational Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Hironobu Nakayama
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Sciences, Suzuka, Mie 513-8670, Japan
| | - Asuka Minematsu
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Yamauchi
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Kohei Yamashita
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Takahiro Takazono
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Shintaro Shimamura
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Shigeki Nakamura
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Koichi Izumikawa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Katsunori Yanagihara
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kohno
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Mukae
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan Department of Respiratory Medicine, Unit of Translational Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Kołaczkowska A, Kołaczkowski M. Drug resistance mechanisms and their regulation in non-albicans Candida species. J Antimicrob Chemother 2016; 71:1438-50. [PMID: 26801081 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkv445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens use various mechanisms to survive exposure to drugs. Prolonged treatment very often leads to the stepwise acquisition of resistance. The limited number of antifungal therapeutics and their mostly fungistatic rather than fungicidal character facilitates selection of resistant strains. These are able to cope with cytotoxic molecules by acquisition of appropriate mutations, re-wiring gene expression and metabolic adjustments. Recent evidence points to the paramount importance of the permeability barrier and cell wall integrity in the process of adaptation to high drug concentrations. Molecular details of basal and acquired drug resistance are best characterized in the most frequent human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans Effector genes directly related to the acquisition of elevated tolerance of this species to azole and echinocandin drugs are well described. The emergence of high-level drug resistance against intrinsically lower susceptibility to azoles in yeast species other than C. albicans is, however, of particular concern. This is due to their steadily increasing contribution to high mortality rates associated with disseminated infections. Recent findings concerning underlying mechanisms associated with elevated drug resistance suggest a link to cell wall and plasma membrane metabolism in non-albicans Candida species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kołaczkowska
- Department of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Norwida 31, PL 50-375, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Marcin Kołaczkowski
- Department of Biophysics, Wroclaw Medical University, Chalubinskiego 10, PL50-368, Wroclaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Roy S, Thompson D. Evolution of regulatory networks in Candida glabrata: learning to live with the human host. FEMS Yeast Res 2015; 15:fov087. [PMID: 26449820 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fov087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida glabrata is second only to C. albicans as the cause of Candida infections and yet is more closely related to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Recent advances in functional genomics technologies and computational approaches to decipher regulatory networks, and the comparison of these networks among these and other Ascomycete species, have revealed both unique and shared strategies in adaptation to a human commensal/opportunistic pathogen lifestyle and antifungal drug resistance in C. glabrata. Recently, several C. glabrata sister species in the Nakeseomyces clade representing both human associated (commensal) and environmental isolates have had their genomes sequenced and analyzed. This has paved the way for comparative functional genomics studies to characterize the regulatory networks in these species to identify informative patterns of conservation and divergence linked to phenotypic evolution in the Nakaseomyces lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sushmita Roy
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| | - Dawn Thompson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Kasper L, Seider K, Hube B. Intracellular survival of Candida glabrata in macrophages: immune evasion and persistence. FEMS Yeast Res 2015; 15:fov042. [PMID: 26066553 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fov042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is a successful human opportunistic pathogen which causes superficial but also life-threatening systemic infections. During infection, C. glabrata has to cope with cells of the innate immune system such as macrophages, which belong to the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Candida glabrata is able to survive and even replicate inside macrophages while causing surprisingly low damage and cytokine release. Here, we present an overview of recent studies dealing with the interaction of C. glabrata with macrophages, from phagocytosis to intracellular growth and escape. We review the strategies of C. glabrata that permit intracellular survival and replication, including poor host cell activation, modification of phagosome maturation and phagosome pH, adaptation to antimicrobial activities, and mechanisms to overcome the nutrient limitations within the phagosome. In summary, these studies suggest that survival within macrophages may be an immune evasion and persistence strategy of C. glabrata during infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Katja Seider
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology-Hans Knoell Institute, 07745 Jena, Germany Integrated Research and Treatment Center, Sepsis und Sepsisfolgen, Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), University Hospital, 07747 Jena, Germany Friedrich Schiller University, 07743 Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Deletion of the DNA Ligase IV Gene in Candida glabrata Significantly Increases Gene-Targeting Efficiency. EUKARYOTIC CELL 2015; 14:783-91. [PMID: 26048009 DOI: 10.1128/ec.00281-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Candida glabrata is reported as the second most prevalent human opportunistic fungal pathogen in the United States. Over the last decades, its incidence increased, whereas that of Candida albicans decreased slightly. One of the main reasons for this shift is attributed to the inherent tolerance of C. glabrata toward the commonly used azole antifungal drugs. Despite a close phylogenetic distance to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, homologous recombination works with poor efficiency in C. glabrata compared to baker's yeast, in fact limiting targeted genetic alterations of the pathogen's genome. It has been shown that nonhomologous DNA end joining is dominant over specific gene targeting in C. glabrata. To improve the homologous recombination efficiency, we have generated a strain in which the LIG4 gene has been deleted, which resulted in a significant increase in correct gene targeting. The very specific function of Lig4 in mediating nonhomologous end joining is the reason for the absence of clear side effects, some of which affect the ku80 mutant, another mutant with reduced nonhomologous end joining. We also generated a LIG4 reintegration cassette. Our results show that the lig4 mutant strain may be a valuable tool for the C. glabrata research community.
Collapse
|
44
|
Jung KW, Yang DH, Maeng S, Lee KT, So YS, Hong J, Choi J, Byun HJ, Kim H, Bang S, Song MH, Lee JW, Kim MS, Kim SY, Ji JH, Park G, Kwon H, Cha S, Meyers GL, Wang LL, Jang J, Janbon G, Adedoyin G, Kim T, Averette AK, Heitman J, Cheong E, Lee YH, Lee YW, Bahn YS. Systematic functional profiling of transcription factor networks in Cryptococcus neoformans. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6757. [PMID: 25849373 PMCID: PMC4391232 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans causes life-threatening meningoencephalitis in humans, but its overall biological and pathogenic regulatory circuits remain elusive, particularly due to the presence of an evolutionarily divergent set of transcription factors (TFs). Here, we report the construction of a high-quality library of 322 signature-tagged gene-deletion strains for 155 putative TF genes previously predicted using the DNA-binding domain TF database, and examine their in vitro and in vivo phenotypic traits under 32 distinct growth conditions. At least one phenotypic trait is exhibited by 145 out of 155 TF mutants (93%) and ∼85% of them (132/155) are functionally characterized for the first time in this study. The genotypic and phenotypic data for each TF are available in the C. neoformans TF phenome database (http://tf.cryptococcus.org). In conclusion, our phenome-based functional analysis of the C. neoformans TF mutant library provides key insights into transcriptional networks of basidiomycetous fungi and human fungal pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Woo Jung
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Dong-Hoon Yang
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Shinae Maeng
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Kyung-Tae Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Yee-Seul So
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Joohyeon Hong
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Jaeyoung Choi
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea
| | - Hyo-Jeong Byun
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Hyelim Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Soohyun Bang
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Min-Hee Song
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Jang-Won Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Min Su Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Seo-Young Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Je-Hyun Ji
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Goun Park
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Hyojeong Kwon
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Suyeon Cha
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Gena Lee Meyers
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Li Li Wang
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Jooyoung Jang
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Guilhem Janbon
- Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département de Mycologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris F-75015, France
| | - Gloria Adedoyin
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medicine, and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Taeyup Kim
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medicine, and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Anna K. Averette
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medicine, and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Medicine, and Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Eunji Cheong
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| | - Yong-Hwan Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea
| | - Yin-Won Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea
| | - Yong-Sun Bahn
- Department of Biotechnology, Center for Fungal Pathogenesis, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 120-749, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Juvvadi PR, Lamoth F, Steinbach WJ. Calcineurin as a Multifunctional Regulator: Unraveling Novel Functions in Fungal Stress Responses, Hyphal Growth, Drug Resistance, and Pathogenesis. FUNGAL BIOL REV 2014; 28:56-69. [PMID: 25383089 DOI: 10.1016/j.fbr.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Calcineurin signaling plays diverse roles in fungi in regulating stress responses, morphogenesis and pathogenesis. Although calcineurin signaling is conserved among fungi, recent studies indicate important divergences in calcineurin-dependent cellular functions among different human fungal pathogens. Fungal pathogens utilize the calcineurin pathway to effectively survive the host environment and cause life-threatening infections. The immunosuppressive calcineurin inhibitors (FK506 and cyclosporine A) are active against fungi, making targeting calcineurin a promising antifungal drug development strategy. Here we summarize current knowledge on calcineurin in yeasts and filamentous fungi, and review the importance of understanding fungal-specific attributes of calcineurin to decipher fungal pathogenesis and develop novel antifungal therapeutic approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Praveen R Juvvadi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC, USA
| | - Frédéric Lamoth
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC, USA ; Infectious Diseases Service, Department of Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland ; Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - William J Steinbach
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC, USA ; Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
The gateway to the secretory pathway is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an organelle that is responsible for the accurate folding, post-translational modification and final assembly of up to a third of the cellular proteome. When secretion levels are high, errors in protein biogenesis can lead to the accumulation of abnormally folded proteins, which threaten ER homeostasis. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is an adaptive signaling pathway that counters a buildup in misfolded and unfolded proteins by increasing the expression of genes that support ER protein folding capacity. Fungi, like other eukaryotic cells that are specialized for secretion, rely upon the UPR to buffer ER stress caused by fluctuations in secretory demand. However, emerging evidence is also implicating the UPR as a central regulator of fungal pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss how diverse fungal pathogens have adapted ER stress response pathways to support the expression of virulence-related traits that are necessary in the host environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Krishnan
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0529
| | - David S Askew
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0529
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Schwarzmüller T, Ma B, Hiller E, Istel F, Tscherner M, Brunke S, Ames L, Firon A, Green B, Cabral V, Marcet-Houben M, Jacobsen ID, Quintin J, Seider K, Frohner I, Glaser W, Jungwirth H, Bachellier-Bassi S, Chauvel M, Zeidler U, Ferrandon D, Gabaldón T, Hube B, d'Enfert C, Rupp S, Cormack B, Haynes K, Kuchler K. Systematic phenotyping of a large-scale Candida glabrata deletion collection reveals novel antifungal tolerance genes. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004211. [PMID: 24945925 PMCID: PMC4063973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata is a frequent cause of candidiasis, causing infections ranging from superficial to life-threatening disseminated disease. The inherent tolerance of C. glabrata to azole drugs makes this pathogen a serious clinical threat. To identify novel genes implicated in antifungal drug tolerance, we have constructed a large-scale C. glabrata deletion library consisting of 619 unique, individually bar-coded mutant strains, each lacking one specific gene, all together representing almost 12% of the genome. Functional analysis of this library in a series of phenotypic and fitness assays identified numerous genes required for growth of C. glabrata under normal or specific stress conditions, as well as a number of novel genes involved in tolerance to clinically important antifungal drugs such as azoles and echinocandins. We identified 38 deletion strains displaying strongly increased susceptibility to caspofungin, 28 of which encoding proteins that have not previously been linked to echinocandin tolerance. Our results demonstrate the potential of the C. glabrata mutant collection as a valuable resource in functional genomics studies of this important fungal pathogen of humans, and to facilitate the identification of putative novel antifungal drug target and virulence genes. Clinical infections by the yeast-like pathogen Candida glabrata have been ever-increasing over the past years. Importantly, C. glabrata is one of the most prevalent causes of drug-refractory fungal infections in humans. We have generated a novel large-scale collection encompassing 619 bar-coded C. glabrata mutants, each lacking a single gene. Extensive profiling of phenotypes reveals a number of novel genes implicated in tolerance to antifungal drugs that interfere with proper cell wall function, as well as genes affecting fitness of C. glabrata both during normal growth and under environmental stress. This fungal deletion collection will be a valuable resource for the community to study mechanisms of virulence and antifungal drug tolerance in C. glabrata, which is particularly relevant in view of the increasing prevalence of infections caused by this important human fungal pathogen.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schwarzmüller
- Medical University Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Biao Ma
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ekkehard Hiller
- Molekulare Biotechnologie MBT Fraunhofer Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB Fraunhofer, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Fabian Istel
- Medical University Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Tscherner
- Medical University Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care, CSCC, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Lauren Ames
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Arnaud Firon
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
- INRA, USC2019, Paris, France
| | - Brian Green
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Vitor Cabral
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
- INRA, USC2019, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Cellule Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Marina Marcet-Houben
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ilse D. Jacobsen
- Department Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care, CSCC, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Jessica Quintin
- UPR 9022 du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Fondation Recherche Médicale, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France
| | - Katja Seider
- Department Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Ingrid Frohner
- Medical University Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Walter Glaser
- Medical University Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Jungwirth
- Institut für Molekulare Biowissenschaften, Universität Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sophie Bachellier-Bassi
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Murielle Chauvel
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Ute Zeidler
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Ferrandon
- UPR 9022 du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Equipe Fondation Recherche Médicale, Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France
| | - Toni Gabaldón
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Hans-Knoell-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care, CSCC, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, Département Génomes et Génétique, Paris, France
- INRA, USC2019, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (CE); (SR); (BC); (KH); (KK)
| | - Steffen Rupp
- Molekulare Biotechnologie MBT Fraunhofer Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB Fraunhofer, Stuttgart, Germany
- * E-mail: (CE); (SR); (BC); (KH); (KK)
| | - Brendan Cormack
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CE); (SR); (BC); (KH); (KK)
| | - Ken Haynes
- Department of Microbiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (CE); (SR); (BC); (KH); (KK)
| | - Karl Kuchler
- Medical University Vienna, Max F. Perutz Laboratories, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Vienna, Austria
- * E-mail: (CE); (SR); (BC); (KH); (KK)
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Cao Y, Du M, Luo S, Xia Y. Calcineurin modulates growth, stress tolerance, and virulence in Metarhizium acridum and its regulatory network. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:8253-65. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-5876-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
|
49
|
Bolotin-Fukuhara M, Fairhead C. Candida glabrata: a deadly companion? Yeast 2014; 31:279-88. [PMID: 24861573 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3019] [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: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The yeast Candida glabrata has become a major fungal opportunistic pathogen of humans since the 1980s. Contrary to what its name suggests, it is much closer, phylogenetically, to the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae than to the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Its similarity to S. cerevisiae fortunately extends to their amenability to molecular genetics methods. C. glabrata is now described as part of the Nakaseomyces clade, which includes two new pathogens and other environmental species. C. glabrata is likely a commensal species of the human digestive tract, but systemic infections of immunocompromised patients are often fatal. In addition to being the subject of active medical research, other studies on C. glabrata focus on fundamental aspects of evolution of yeast genomes and adaptation. For example, the genome of C. glabrata has undergone major gene and intron loss compared to S. cerevisiae. It is also an apparently asexual species, a feature that inevitably leads to questions about the species' evolutionary past, present and future. On-going research with this yeast continues to address various aspects of adaptation to the human host and mechanisms of evolution in the Saccharomycetaceae, major model organisms for biology.
Collapse
|
50
|
GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-linked aspartyl proteases regulate vacuole homoeostasis in Candida glabrata. Biochem J 2014; 458:323-34. [PMID: 24341558 DOI: 10.1042/bj20130757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A family of 11 GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-linked cell surface-associated aspartyl proteases (yapsins) in the human opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata is required for cell wall remodelling, pH homoeostasis, survival in macrophages and virulence in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis. In the present paper, we report new roles for yapsins in C. glabrata physiology and implicate them for the first time in the regulation of vacuole homoeostasis. In the present study we show that a C. glabrata mutant lacking all 11 yapsins, Cgyps1-11∆, possesses an enlarged vacuole and displays vma- (vacuolar membrane ATPase)-like phenotypes with elevated metal ion susceptibility in an alkaline pH medium and diminished Vma activity. The results of the present study also demonstrate a singular role for CgYps1 (C. glabrata yapsin 1) in the maintenance of ion homoeostasis under normal and calcineurin-inhibited conditions. Elevated polyphosphate levels and diminished cellular CPY (carboxypeptidase Y) activity in the Cgyps1-11∆ mutant highlight the yapsin requirement for a properly functioning vacuole. Lastly, a gross perturbation of cellular homoeostasis in the Cgyps1-11∆ mutant, even in the absence of external stressors, characterized by reduced levels of ATP and stress metabolites, elevated ROS (reactive oxygen species) levels, cell surface abnormalities, and a constitutively activated PKC (protein kinase C) signalling pathway underscore diverse physiological functions of yapsins in C. glabrata.
Collapse
|