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Brandt P, Gerwien F, Wagner L, Krüger T, Ramírez-Zavala B, Mirhakkak MH, Schäuble S, Kniemeyer O, Panagiotou G, Brakhage AA, Morschhäuser J, Vylkova S. Candida albicans SR-Like Protein Kinases Regulate Different Cellular Processes: Sky1 Is Involved in Control of Ion Homeostasis, While Sky2 Is Important for Dipeptide Utilization. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:850531. [PMID: 35601106 PMCID: PMC9121809 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.850531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases play a crucial role in regulating cellular processes such as growth, proliferation, environmental adaptation and stress responses. Serine-arginine (SR) protein kinases are highly conserved in eukaryotes and regulate fundamental processes such as constitutive and alternative splicing, mRNA processing and ion homeostasis. The Candida albicans genome encodes two (Sky1, Sky2) and the Candida glabrata genome has one homolog (Sky1) of the human SR protein kinase 1, but their functions have not yet been investigated. We used deletion strains of the corresponding genes in both fungi to study their cellular functions. C. glabrata and C. albicans strains lacking SKY1 exhibited higher resistance to osmotic stress and toxic polyamine concentrations, similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae sky1Δ mutants. Deletion of SKY2 in C. albicans resulted in impaired utilization of various dipeptides as the sole nitrogen source. Subsequent phosphoproteomic analysis identified the di- and tripeptide transporter Ptr22 as a potential Sky2 substrate. Sky2 seems to be involved in Ptr22 regulation since overexpression of PTR22 in the sky2Δ mutant restored the ability to grow on dipeptides and made the cells more susceptible to the dipeptide antifungals Polyoxin D and Nikkomycin Z. Altogether, our results demonstrate that C. albicans and C. glabrata Sky1 protein kinases are functionally similar to Sky1 in S. cerevisiae, whereas C. albicans Sky2, a unique kinase of the CTG clade, likely regulates dipeptide uptake via Ptr22.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Brandt
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Franziska Gerwien
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Lysett Wagner
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Krüger
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Mohammad H. Mirhakkak
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sascha Schäuble
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Olaf Kniemeyer
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Gianni Panagiotou
- Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- Department of Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Axel A. Brakhage
- Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Joachim Morschhäuser
- Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Slavena Vylkova
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute, Jena, Germany
- *Correspondence: Slavena Vylkova,
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Ruiz-Castilla FJ, Ruiz Pérez FS, Ramos-Moreno L, Ramos J. Candida albicans Potassium Transporters. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094884. [PMID: 35563275 PMCID: PMC9105532 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium is basic for life. All living organisms require high amounts of intracellular potassium, which fulfils multiple functions. To reach efficient potassium homeostasis, eukaryotic cells have developed a complex and tightly regulated system of transporters present both in the plasma membrane and in the membranes of internal organelles that allow correct intracellular potassium content and distribution. We review the information available on the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. While some of the plasma membrane potassium transporters are relatively well known and experimental data about their nature, function or regulation have been published, in the case of most of the transporters present in intracellular membranes, their existence and even function have just been deduced because of their homology with those present in other yeasts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Finally, we analyse the possible links between pathogenicity and potassium homeostasis. We comment on the possibility of using some of these transporters as tentative targets in the search for new antifungal drugs.
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Nestrerenko EO, Krasnoperova OE, Isayenkov SV. Potassium Transport Systems and Their Role in Stress Response, Plant Growth, and Development. CYTOL GENET+ 2021. [DOI: 10.3103/s0095452721010126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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4
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Qiu W, Li J, Wei Y, Fan F, Jiang J, Liu M, Han X, Tian C, Zhang S, Zhuo R. Genome sequencing of Aspergillus glaucus 'CCHA' provides insights into salt-stress adaptation. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8609. [PMID: 32140304 PMCID: PMC7045888 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Aspergillus, as a genus of filamentous fungi, has members that display a variety of different behavioural strategies, which are affected by various environmental factors. The decoded genomic sequences of many species vary greatly in their evolutionary similarities, encouraging studies on the functions and evolution of the Aspergillus genome in complex natural environments. Here, we present the 26 Mb de novo assembled high-quality reference genome of Aspergillus glaucus 'China Changchun halophilic Aspergillus' (CCHA), which was isolated from the surface of plants growing near a salt mine in Jilin, China, based on data from whole-genome shotgun sequencing using Illumina Solexa technology. The sequence, coupled with data from comprehensive transcriptomic survey analyses, indicated that the redox state and transmembrane transport might be critical molecular mechanisms for the adaptation of A. glaucus 'CCHA' to the high-salt environment of the saltern. The isolation of salt tolerance-related genes, such as CCHA-2114, and their overexpression in Escherichia coli demonstrated that A. glucus 'CCHA' is an excellent organism for the isolation and identification of salt tolerant-related genes. These data expand our understanding of the evolution and functions of fungal and microbial genomes, and offer multiple target genes for crop salt-tolerance improvement through genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenmin Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jingen Li
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Wei
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Feiyu Fan
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mingying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaojiao Han
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chaoguang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Shihong Zhang
- College of Plant Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Renying Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
- The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Dennis EK, Garneau-Tsodikova S. Synergistic combinations of azoles and antihistamines against Candida species in vitro. Med Mycol 2020; 57:874-884. [PMID: 30295881 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myy088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections are a major cause of skin and mucosal membrane disease. Immunocompromised individuals, such as those undergoing chemotherapy, are most susceptible to fungal infections. With a growing population of immunocompromised patients, there are many reports of increasing numbers of infections and of fungal strains resistant to current antifungals. One way to treat drug-resistant infections is to administer combinations of drugs to patients. Azoles are the most prescribed antifungals, as they are broad-spectrum and orally bioavailable. Terfenadine (TERF) and ebastine (EBA) are second-generation antihistamines, with EBA being used in many countries. In this study, we explored combinations of seven azole antifungals and two antihistamines (TERF and EBA) against a panel of 13 Candida fungal strains. We found 55 out of 91 combinations tested of TERF and EBA against the various fungal strains to be synergistic with the azoles. To evaluate the efficiency of these combinations to inhibit fungal growth, we performed time-kill assays. We also investigated the ability of these combinations to disrupt biofilm formation. Finally, we tested the specificity of the combinations towards fungal cells by mammalian cytotoxicity assays. These findings suggest a potential new strategy for targeting drug-resistant Candida infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Dennis
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, 789 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, 789 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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Bizzarri M, Cassanelli S, Dušková M, Sychrová H, Solieri L. A set of plasmids carrying antibiotic resistance markers and Cre recombinase for genetic engineering of nonconventional yeast Zygosaccharomyces rouxii. Yeast 2019; 36:711-722. [PMID: 31414502 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The so-called nonconventional yeasts are becoming increasingly attractive in food and industrial biotechnology. Among them, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is known to be halotolerant, osmotolerant, petite negative, and poorly Crabtree positive. These traits and the high fermentative vigour make this species very appealing for industrial and food applications. Nevertheless, the biotechnological exploitation of Z. rouxii has been biased by the low availability of genetic engineering tools and the recalcitrance of this yeast towards the most conventional transformation procedures. Centromeric and episomal Z. rouxii plasmids have been successfully constructed with prototrophic markers, which limited their usage to auxotrophic strains, mainly derived from the Z. rouxii haploid type strain Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) 732T . By contrast, the majority of industrially promising Z. rouxii yeasts are prototrophic and allodiploid/aneuploid strains. In order to expand the genetic tools for manipulating these strains, we developed two centromeric and two episomal vectors harbouring KanMXR and ClonNATR as dominant drug resistance markers, respectively. We also constructed the plasmid pGRCRE that allows the Cre recombinase-mediated marker recycling during multiple gene deletions. As proof of concept, pGRCRE was successfully used to rescue the kanMX-loxP module in Z. rouxii ATCC 42981 G418-resistant mutants previously constructed by replacing the MATαP expression locus with the loxP-kanMX-loxP cassette.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Bizzarri
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Stefano Cassanelli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Michala Dušková
- Department of Membrane Transport, Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Sychrová
- Department of Membrane Transport, Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lisa Solieri
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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Trk1, the sole potassium-specific transporter in Candida glabrata, contributes to the proper functioning of various cell processes. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 35:124. [DOI: 10.1007/s11274-019-2698-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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8
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Elicharova H, Herynkova P, Zimmermannova O, Sychrova H. Potassium uptake systems of
Candida krusei. Yeast 2019; 36:439-448. [DOI: 10.1002/yea.3396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hana Elicharova
- Department of Membrane TransportInstitute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Herynkova
- Department of Membrane TransportInstitute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic
| | - Olga Zimmermannova
- Department of Membrane TransportInstitute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic
| | - Hana Sychrova
- Department of Membrane TransportInstitute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic
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9
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Llopis-Torregrosa V, Vaz C, Monteoliva L, Ryman K, Engstrom Y, Gacser A, Gil C, Ljungdahl PO, Sychrová H. Trk1-mediated potassium uptake contributes to cell-surface properties and virulence of Candida glabrata. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7529. [PMID: 31101845 PMCID: PMC6525180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43912-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The absence of high-affinity potassium uptake in Candida glabrata, the consequence of the deletion of the TRK1 gene encoding the sole potassium-specific transporter, has a pleiotropic effect. Here, we show that in addition to changes in basic physiological parameters (e.g., membrane potential and intracellular pH) and decreased tolerance to various cell stresses, the loss of high affinity potassium uptake also alters cell-surface properties, such as an increased hydrophobicity and adherence capacity. The loss of an efficient potassium uptake system results in diminished virulence as assessed by two insect host models, Drosophila melanogaster and Galleria mellonella, and experiments with macrophages. Macrophages kill trk1Δ cells more effectively than wild type cells. Consistently, macrophages accrue less damage when co-cultured with trk1Δ mutant cells compared to wild-type cells. We further show that low levels of potassium in the environment increase the adherence of C. glabrata cells to polystyrene and the propensity of C. glabrata cells to form biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicent Llopis-Torregrosa
- Department of Membrane Transport, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Catarina Vaz
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid and IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucia Monteoliva
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid and IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
| | - Kicki Ryman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ylva Engstrom
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Attila Gacser
- Department of Microbiology, University of Szeged Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, Szeged, Hungary.,MTA-SZTE "Lendület" "Mycobiome" Research Group, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Concha Gil
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid and IRYCIS, Madrid, Spain
| | - Per O Ljungdahl
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hana Sychrová
- Department of Membrane Transport, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 14220, Prague 4, Czech Republic.
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10
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Hameed S, Hans S, Singh S, Fatima Z. Harnessing Metal Homeostasis Offers Novel and Promising Targets Against Candida albicans. Curr Drug Discov Technol 2019; 17:415-429. [PMID: 30827249 DOI: 10.2174/1570163816666190227231437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fungal infections, particularly of Candida species, which are the commensal organisms of human, are one of the major debilitating diseases in immunocompromised patients. The limited number of antifungal drugs available to treat Candida infections, with the concomitant increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, further worsens the therapeutic options. Thus, there is an urgent need for the better understanding of MDR mechanisms, and their reversal, by employing new strategies to increase the efficacy and safety profiles of currently used therapies against the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Micronutrient availability during C. albicans infection is regarded as a critical factor that influences the progression and magnitude of the disease. Intracellular pathogens colonize a variety of anatomical locations that are likely to be scarce in micronutrients, as a defense strategy adopted by the host, known as nutritional immunity. Indispensable critical micronutrients are required both by the host and by C. albicans, especially as a cofactor in important metabolic functions. Since these micronutrients are not freely available, C. albicans need to exploit host reservoirs to adapt within the host for survival. The ability of pathogenic organisms, including C. albicans, to sense and adapt to limited micronutrients in the hostile environment is essential for survival and confers the basis of its success as a pathogen. This review describes that micronutrients availability to C. albicans is a key attribute that may be exploited when one considers designing strategies aimed at disrupting MDR in this pathogenic fungi. Here, we discuss recent advances that have been made in our understanding of fungal micronutrient acquisition and explore the probable pathways that may be utilized as targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saif Hameed
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram (Manesar)-122413, India
| | - Sandeep Hans
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram (Manesar)-122413, India
| | - Shweta Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram (Manesar)-122413, India
| | - Zeeshan Fatima
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram (Manesar)-122413, India
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Four Saccharomyces species differ in their tolerance to various stresses though they have similar basic physiological parameters. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2017; 63:217-227. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-017-0559-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Elicharová H, Hušeková B, Sychrová H. ThreeCandida albicanspotassium uptake systems differ in their ability to provideSaccharomyces cerevisiae trk1trk2mutants with necessary potassium. FEMS Yeast Res 2016; 16:fow039. [DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/fow039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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