scholarly journals Cytocidal amino acid starvation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans acetolactate synthase (ilv2Δ) mutants is influenced by the carbon source and rapamycin

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (3) ◽  
pp. 929-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne M. Kingsbury ◽  
John H. McCusker
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Acetolactate Synthase ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Tor Pathway ◽  
Fold Reduction ◽  
Isoleucine Biosynthesis

The isoleucine and valine biosynthetic enzyme acetolactate synthase (Ilv2p) is an attractive antifungal drug target, since the isoleucine and valine biosynthetic pathway is not present in mammals, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ilv2Δ mutants do not survive in vivo, Cryptococcus neoformans ilv2 mutants are avirulent, and both S. cerevisiae and Cr. neoformans ilv2 mutants die upon isoleucine and valine starvation. To further explore the potential of Ilv2p as an antifungal drug target, we disrupted Candida albicans ILV2, and demonstrated that Ca. albicans ilv2Δ mutants were significantly attenuated in virulence, and were also profoundly starvation-cidal, with a greater than 100-fold reduction in viability after only 4 h of isoleucine and valine starvation. As fungicidal starvation would be advantageous for drug design, we explored the basis of the starvation-cidal phenotype in both S. cerevisiae and Ca. albicans ilv2Δ mutants. Since the mutation of ILV1, required for the first step of isoleucine biosynthesis, did not suppress the ilv2Δ starvation-cidal defects in either species, the cidal phenotype was not due to α-ketobutyrate accumulation. We found that starvation for isoleucine alone was more deleterious in Ca. albicans than in S. cerevisiae, and starvation for valine was more deleterious than for isoleucine in both species. Interestingly, while the target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway inhibitor rapamycin further reduced S. cerevisiae ilv2Δ starvation viability, it increased Ca. albicans ilv1Δ and ilv2Δ viability. Furthermore, the recovery from starvation was dependent on the carbon source present during recovery for S. cerevisiae ilv2Δ mutants, reminiscent of isoleucine and valine starvation inducing a viable but non-culturable-like state in this species, while Ca. albicans ilv1Δ and ilv2Δ viability was influenced by the carbon source present during starvation, supporting a role for glucose wasting in the Ca. albicans cidal phenotype.

scholarly journals Divergent Subunit Interactions among Fungal mRNA 5′-Capping Machineries

2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshimitsu Takagi ◽  
Eun-Jung Cho ◽  
Rozmin T. K. Janoo ◽  
Vladimir Polodny ◽  
Yasutaka Takase ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Rna Polymerase Ii ◽  
Subunit Interactions ◽  
Pol Ii ◽  
Mrna Capping ◽  
Capping Enzyme ◽  
Enzyme Subunits ◽  
Carboxyl Terminal

ABSTRACT The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mRNA capping enzyme consists of two subunits: an RNA 5′-triphosphatase (RTPase) and GTP::mRNA guanylyltransferase (GTase). The GTase subunit (Ceg1) binds to the phosphorylated carboxyl-terminal domain of the largest subunit (CTD-P) of RNA polymerase II (pol II), coupling capping with transcription. Ceg1 bound to the CTD-P is inactive unless allosterically activated by interaction with the RTPase subunit (Cet1). For purposes of comparison, we characterize here the related GTases and RTPases from the yeasts Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Candida albicans. Surprisingly, the S. pombe capping enzyme subunits do not interact with each other. Both can independently interact with CTD-P of pol II, and the GTase is not repressed by CTD-P binding. The S. pombe RTPase gene (pct1 +) is essential for viability. Pct1 can replace the S. cerevisiae RTPase when GTase activity is supplied by the S. pombe or mouse enzymes but not by the S. cerevisiae GTase. The C. albicans capping enzyme subunits do interact with each other. However, this interaction is not essential in vivo. Our results reveal an unexpected diversity among the fungal capping machineries.

scholarly journals N-Acetylglucosamine Utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae Based on Expression of Candida albicans NAG Genes

2009 ◽  
Vol 75 (18) ◽  
pp. 5840-5845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jürgen Wendland ◽  
Yvonne Schaub ◽  
Andrea Walther
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Sole Carbon Source ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Bioethanol Production ◽  
Catabolic Pathway ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Kinase A

ABSTRACT Synthesis of chitin de novo from glucose involves a linear pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several of the pathway genes, including GNA1, are essential. Genes for chitin catabolism are absent in S. cerevisiae. Therefore, S. cerevisiae cannot use chitin as a carbon source. Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide after cellulose and consists of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) moieties. Here, we have generated S. cerevisiae strains that are able to use GlcNAc as a carbon source by expressing four Candida albicans genes (NAG3 or its NAG4 paralog, NAG5, NAG2, and NAG1) encoding a GlcNAc permease, a GlcNAc kinase, a GlcNAc-6-phosphate deacetylase, and a glucosamine-6-phosphate deaminase, respectively. Expression of NAG3 and NAG5 or NAG4 and NAG5 in S. cerevisiae resulted in strains in which the otherwise-essential ScGNA1 could be deleted. These strains required the presence of GlcNAc in the medium, indicating that uptake of GlcNAc and its phosphorylation were achieved. Expression of all four NAG genes produced strains that could use GlcNAc as the sole carbon source for growth. Utilization of a GlcNAc catabolic pathway for bioethanol production using these strains was tested. However, fermentation was slow and yielded only minor amounts of ethanol (approximately 3.0 g/liter), suggesting that fructose-6-phosphate produced from GlcNAc under these conditions is largely consumed to maintain cellular functions and promote growth. Our results present the first step toward tapping a novel, renewable carbon source for biofuel production.

Carbon source induced yeast-to-hypha transition in Candida albicans is dependent on the presence of amino acids and on the G-protein-coupled receptor Gpr1

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 291-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.M. Maidan ◽  
J.M. Thevelein ◽  
P. Van Dijck
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
G Protein ◽  
High Glucose ◽  
Glucose Concentration ◽  
G Protein Coupled Receptor ◽  
Hypha Formation ◽  
G Protein Coupled

Yeast-to-hypha transition in Candida albicans can be induced by a wide variety of factors, including specific nutrients. We have started to investigate the mechanism by which some of these nutrients may be sensed. The G-protein-coupled receptor Gpr1 is required for yeast-to-hypha transition on various solid hypha-inducing media. Recently we have shown induction of Gpr1 internalization by specific amino acids, e.g. methionine. This suggests a possible role for methionine as a ligand of CaGpr1. Here we show that there is a big variation in methionine-induced hypha formation depending on the type of carbon source present in the medium. In addition high glucose concentrations repress hypha formation whereas a concentration of 0.1%, which mimics the glucose concentration present in the bloodstream, results in maximal hypha formation. Hence, it remains unclear whether Gpr1 senses sugars, as in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or specific amino acids like methionine.

scholarly journals Deletion of the ATP2 Gene in Candida albicans Blocks Its Escape From Macrophage Clearance

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yishan Zhang ◽  
Chuanyan Tang ◽  
Zhanpeng Zhang ◽  
Shuixiu Li ◽  
Yajing Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Systemic Infection ◽  
Invasive Infection ◽  
First Line ◽  
Dramatic Decrease

Macrophages provide the first-line defense against invasive fungal infections and, therefore, escape from macrophage becomes the basis for the establishment of Candida albicans invasive infection. Here, we found that deletion of ATP2 (atp2Δ/Δ) in C. albicans resulted in a dramatic decrease from 69.2% (WT) to 1.2% in the escape rate in vitro. The effect of ATP2 on macrophage clearance stands out among the genes currently known to affect clearance. In the normal mice, the atp2Δ/Δ cells were undetectable in major organs 72 h after systemic infection, while WT cells persisted in vivo. However, in the macrophage-depleted mice, atp2Δ/Δ could persist for 72 h at an amount comparable to that at 24 h. Regarding the mechanism, WT cells sustained growth and switched to hyphal form, which was more conducive to escape from macrophages, in media that mimic the glucose-deficient environment in macrophages. In contrast, atp2Δ/Δ cells can remained viable but were unable to complete morphogenesis in these media, resulting in them being trapped within macrophages in the yeast form. Meanwhile, atp2Δ/Δ cells were killed by oxidative stress in alternative carbon sources by 2- to 3-fold more than WT cells. Taken together, ATP2 deletion prevents C. albicans from escaping macrophage clearance, and therefore ATP2 has a functional basis as a drug target that interferes with macrophage clearance.

The fungal-specific subunit i/j of F1FO-ATP synthase stimulates the pathogenicity of Candida albicans independent of oxidative phosphorylation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajing Zhao ◽  
Yan Lyu ◽  
Yanli Zhang ◽  
Shuixiu Li ◽  
Yishan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Oxidative Phosphorylation ◽  
Atp Synthase ◽  
Fungal Infections ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
F1fo Atp Synthase

Abstract Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of human mortality due in part to a very limited antifungal drug arsenal. The identification of fungal-specific pathogenic mechanisms is considered a crucial step to current antifungal drug development and represents a significant goal to increase the efficacy and reduce host toxicity. Although the overall architecture of F1FO-ATP synthase is largely conserved in both fungi and mammals, the subunit i/j (Su i/j, Atp18) and subunit k (Su k, Atp19) are proteins not found in mammals and specific to fungi. Here, the role of Su i/j and Su k in Candida albicans was characterized by an in vivo assessment of the virulence and in vitro growth and mitochondrial function. Strikingly, the atp18Δ/Δ mutant showed significantly reduced pathogenicity in systemic murine model. However, this substantial defect in infectivity exists without associated defects in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation or proliferation in vitro. Analysis of virulence-related traits reveals normal in both mutants, but shows cell wall defects in composition and architecture in the case of atp18Δ/Δ. We also find that the atp18Δ/Δ mutant is more susceptible to attack by macrophages than wild type, which may correlate well with the abnormal cell wall function and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in any of these studies for the atp19Δ/Δ. These results demonstrate that the fungal-specific Su i/j, but not Su k of F1FO-ATP synthase may play a critical role in C. albicans infectivity and represent another opportunity for new therapeutic target investigation. Lay Abstract This study aims to investigate biological functions of fungal-specific subunit i/j and subunit k of ATP synthase in C. albicans oxidative phosphorylation and virulence potential. Our results revealed that subunit i/j, and not subunit k, is critical for C. albicans pathogenicity.

scholarly journals Toll-Like Receptor 9 Modulates Macrophage Antifungal Effector Function during Innate Recognition of Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2011 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 4858-4867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia V. Kasperkovitz ◽  
Nida S. Khan ◽  
Jenny M. Tam ◽  
Michael K. Mansour ◽  
Peter J. Davids ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Toll Like Receptor ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Tlr9 Gene

ABSTRACTPhagocytic responses are critical for effective host defense against opportunistic fungal pathogens. Macrophages sample the phagosomal content and orchestrate the innate immune response. Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) recognizes unmethylated CpG DNA and is activated by fungal DNA. Here we demonstrate that specific triggering of TLR9 recruitment to the macrophage phagosomal membrane is a conserved feature of fungi of distinct phylogenetic origins, includingCandida albicans,Saccharomyces cerevisiae,Malassezia furfur, andCryptococcus neoformans. The capacity to trigger phagosomal TLR9 recruitment was not affected by a loss of fungal viability or cell wall integrity. TLR9 deficiency has been linked to increased resistance to murine candidiasis and to restriction of fungal growthin vivo. Macrophages lacking TLR9 demonstrate a comparable capacity for phagocytosis and normal phagosomal maturation compared to wild-type macrophages. We now show that TLR9 deficiency increases macrophage tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production in response toC. albicansandS. cerevisiae, independent of yeast viability. The increase in TNF-α production was reversible by functional complementation of the TLR9 gene, confirming that TLR9 was responsible for negative modulation of the cytokine response. Consistently, TLR9 deficiency enhanced the macrophage effector response by increasing macrophage nitric oxide production. Moreover, microbicidal activity againstC. albicansandS. cerevisiaewas more efficient in TLR9 knockout (TLR9KO) macrophages than in wild-type macrophages. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that TLR9 is compartmentalized selectively to fungal phagosomes and negatively modulates macrophage antifungal effector functions. Our data support a model in which orchestration of antifungal innate immunity involves a complex interplay of fungal ligand combinations, host cell machinery rearrangements, and TLR cooperation and antagonism.

scholarly journals Effects of Depleting the Essential Central Metabolic Enzyme Fructose-1,6-Bisphosphate Aldolase on the Growth and Viability of Candida albicans: Implications for Antifungal Drug Target Discovery

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 1371-1377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Rodaki ◽  
Tim Young ◽  
Alistair J. P. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Drug Target ◽  
Antifungal Drug ◽  
Metabolic Enzyme ◽  
Systemic Candidiasis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Drug Target Discovery ◽  
Conditional Mutant ◽  
Fructose 1,6 Bisphosphate

ABSTRACT The central metabolic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (Fba1p) catalyzes a reversible reaction required for both glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. Fba1p is a potential antifungal target because it is essential in yeast and because fungal and human aldolases differ significantly. To test the validity of Fba1p as an antifungal target, we have examined the effects of depleting this enzyme in the major fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Using a methionine/cysteine-conditional mutant (MET3-FBA1/fba1), we have shown that Fba1p is required for the growth of C. albicans. However, Fba1p must be depleted to below 5% of wild-type levels before growth is blocked. Furthermore, Fba1p depletion exerts static rather than cidal effects upon C. albicans. Fba1p is a relatively abundant and stable protein in C. albicans, and hence, Fba1p levels decay relatively slowly following MET3-FBA1 shutoff. Taken together, our observations can account for our observation that the virulence of MET3-FBA1/fba1 cells is only partially attenuated in the mouse model of systemic candidiasis. We conclude that an antifungal drug directed against Fba1p would have to be potent to be effective.

scholarly journals Aca1 and Aca2, ATF/CREB Activators in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Are Important for Carbon Source Utilization but Not the Response to Stress

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 4340-4349 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Adelaida Garcia-Gimeno ◽  
Kevin Struhl
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Carbon Source ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Carbon Source Utilization ◽  
The Family ◽  
Response To Stress

ABSTRACT In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the family of ATF/CREB transcriptional regulators consists of a repressor, Acr1 (Sko1), and two activators, Aca1 and Aca2. The AP-1 factor Gen4 does not activate transcription through ATF/CREB sites in vivo even though it binds these sites in vitro. Unlike ATF/CREB activators in other species, Aca1- and Aca2-dependent transcription is not affected by protein kinase A or by stress, and Aca1 and Aca2 are not required for Hog1-dependent salt induction of transcription through an optimal ATF/CREB site. Aca2 is important for a variety of biological functions including growth on nonoptimal carbon sources, and Aca2-dependent activation is modestly regulated by carbon source. Strains lacking Aca1 are phenotypically normal, but overexpression of Aca1 suppresses some defects associated with the loss of Aca2, indicating a functional overlap between Aca1 and Aca2. Acr1 represses transcription both by recruiting the Cyc8-Tup1 corepressor and by directly competing with Aca1 and Aca2 for target sites. Acr1 does not fully account for osmotic regulation through ATF/CREB sites, and a novel Hog1-dependent activator(s) that is not a bZIP protein is required for ATF/CREB site activation in response to high salt. In addition, Acr1 does not affect a number of phenotypes that arise from loss of Aca2. Thus, members of the S. cerevisiae ATF/CREB family have overlapping, but distinct, biological functions and target genes.

scholarly journals Plasmids for in vivo construction of integrative Candida albicans vectors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Yeast ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 933-939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neide Vieira ◽  
Filipa Pereira ◽  
Margarida Casal ◽  
Alistair J. P. Brown ◽  
Sandra Paiva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans

scholarly journals Effect of mutations in genes affecting homologous recombination on restriction enzyme-mediated and illegitimate recombination in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4493-4500
Author(s):  
R H Schiestl ◽  
J Zhu ◽  
T D Petes
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Homologous Recombination ◽  
Restriction Enzyme ◽  
Strand Break ◽  
Illegitimate Recombination ◽  
Dna Breaks ◽  
Homologous Integration ◽  
Double Stranded Dna ◽  
Fold Reduction

Restriction enzyme-mediated events (REM events; integration of transforming DNA catalyzed by in vivo action of a restriction enzyme) and illegitimate recombination events (IR events; integration of transforming DNA that shares no homology with the host genomic sequences) have been previously characterized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This study determines the effect of mutations in genes that are involved in homologous recombination and/or in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks on these recombination events. Surprisingly, REM events are completely independent of the double-strand-break repair functions encoded by the RAD51, RAD52, and RAD57 genes but require the RAD50 gene product. IR events are under different genetic control than homologous integration events. In the rad50 mutant, homologous integration occurred at wild-type frequency, whereas the frequency of IR events was 20- to 100-fold reduced. Conversely, the rad52 mutant was grossly deficient in homologous integration (at least 1,000-fold reduced) but showed only a 2- to 8-fold reduction in IR frequency.

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