scholarly journals Flavin Mononucleotide-Based Fluorescent Protein as an Oxygen-Independent Reporter in Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 913-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Tielker ◽  
I. Eichhof ◽  
K.-E. Jaeger ◽  
J. F. Ernst
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Flavin Mononucleotide ◽  
Gene Encoding

ABSTRACT Hypoxia is encountered frequently by pathogenic and apathogenic fungi. A codon-adapted gene encoding flavin mononucleotide-based fluorescent protein (CaFbFP) was expressed in Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Both species produced CaFbFP and fluoresced even during hypoxia, suggesting that oxygen-independent CaFbFP is a useful, novel tool for monitoring hypoxic gene expression in fungi.

scholarly journals Divergence of Eukaryotic Secretory Components: the Candida albicans Homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sec20 Protein Is N Terminally Truncated, and Its Levels Determine Antifungal Drug Resistance and Growth

2001 ◽  
Vol 183 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Weber ◽  
Uwe J. Santore ◽  
Joachim F. Ernst ◽  
Rolf K. Swoboda
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Transcriptional Control ◽  
Secretory Pathway ◽  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Vesicle Traffic ◽  
Antifungal Drug Resistance ◽  
And Function

ABSTRACT Sec20p is a component of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae secretory pathway that does not have a close homolog in higher eukaryotic cells. To verify the function of Sec20p in other fungal species, we characterized the gene encoding a Sec20p homolog in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. The deduced protein has 27% identity with, but is missing about 100 N-terminal residues compared to S. cerevisiae Sec20p, which is part of the cytoplasmic tail interacting with the cytoplasmic protein Tip20p. Because a strain lacking both C. albicans SEC20alleles could not be constructed, we placed SEC20 under transcriptional control of two regulatable promoters, MET3pand PCK1p. Repression of SEC20 expression in these strains prevented (MET3p-SEC20 allele) or retarded (PCK1p-SEC20 allele) growth and led to the appearance of extensive intracellular membranes, which frequently formed stacks. Reduced SEC20 expression in the PCK1p-SEC20strain did not affect morphogenesis but led to a series of hypersensitivity phenotypes including supersensitivity to aminoglycoside antibiotics, to nystatin, to sodium dodecyl sulfate, and to cell wall inhibitors. These results demonstrate the occurrence and function of Sec20p in a fungal species other than S. cerevisiae, but the lack of the N-terminal domain and the apparent absence of a close TIP20 homolog in the C. albicans genome also indicate a considerable diversity in mechanisms of retrograde vesicle traffic in eukaryotes.

scholarly journals Structural Insights into the Azole Resistance of the Candida albicans Darlington Strain Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lanosterol 14α-Demethylase as a Surrogate

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 897
Author(s):  
Danyon O. Graham ◽  
Rajni K. Wilson ◽  
Yasmeen N. Ruma ◽  
Mikhail V. Keniya ◽  
Joel D. A. Tyndall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Differential Susceptibility ◽  
Azole Resistance ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
High Level ◽  
Structural Insights ◽  
Level Resistance

Target-based azole resistance in Candida albicans involves overexpression of the ERG11 gene encoding lanosterol 14α-demethylase (LDM), and/or the presence of single or multiple mutations in this enzyme. Overexpression of Candida albicans LDM (CaLDM) Y132H I471T by the Darlington strain strongly increased resistance to the short-tailed azoles fluconazole and voriconazole, and weakly increased resistance to the longer-tailed azoles VT-1161, itraconazole and posaconazole. We have used, as surrogates, structurally aligned mutations in recombinant hexahistidine-tagged full-length Saccharomyces cerevisiae LDM6×His (ScLDM6×His) to elucidate how differential susceptibility to azole drugs is conferred by LDM of the C. albicans Darlington strain. The mutations Y140H and I471T were introduced, either alone or in combination, into ScLDM6×His via overexpression of the recombinant enzyme from the PDR5 locus of an azole hypersensitive strain of S. cerevisiae. Phenotypes and high-resolution X-ray crystal structures were determined for the surrogate enzymes in complex with representative short-tailed (voriconazole) and long-tailed (itraconazole) triazoles. The preferential high-level resistance to short-tailed azoles conferred by the ScLDM Y140H I471T mutant required both mutations, despite the I471T mutation conferring only a slight increase in resistance. Crystal structures did not detect changes in the position/tilt of the heme co-factor of wild-type ScLDM, I471T and Y140H single mutants, or the Y140H I471T double-mutant. The mutant threonine sidechain in the Darlington strain CaLDM perturbs the environment of the neighboring C-helix, affects the electronic environment of the heme, and may, via differences in closure of the neck of the substrate entry channel, increase preferential competition between lanosterol and short-tailed azole drugs.

scholarly journals High-Resolution Genome-Wide Occupancy in Candida spp. Using ChEC-seq

mSphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Tebbji ◽  
Inès Khemiri ◽  
Adnane Sellam
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Gene Expression ◽  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Candida Auris ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Genome Wide ◽  
Public Health Threat

ABSTRACT To persist in their dynamic human host environments, fungal pathogens must sense and adapt by modulating their gene expression to fulfill their cellular needs. Understanding transcriptional regulation on a global scale would uncover cellular processes linked to persistence and virulence mechanisms that could be targeted for antifungal therapeutics. Infections associated with the yeast Candida albicans, a highly prevalent fungal pathogen, and the multiresistant related species Candida auris are becoming a serious public health threat. To define the set of a gene regulated by a transcriptional regulator in C. albicans, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-based techniques, including ChIP with microarray technology (ChIP-chip) or ChIP-DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq), have been widely used. Here, we describe a new set of PCR-based micrococcal nuclease (MNase)-tagging plasmids for C. albicans and other Candida spp. to determine the genome-wide location of any transcriptional regulator of interest using chromatin endogenous cleavage (ChEC) coupled to high-throughput sequencing (ChEC-seq). The ChEC procedure does not require protein-DNA cross-linking or sonication, thus avoiding artifacts related to epitope masking or the hyper-ChIPable euchromatic phenomenon. In a proof-of-concept application of ChEC-seq, we provided a high-resolution binding map of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, a master regulator of fungal fitness in C. albicans, in addition to the transcription factor Nsi1 that is an ortholog of the DNA-binding protein Reb1 for which genome-wide occupancy was previously established in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ChEC-seq procedure described here will allow a high-resolution genomic location definition which will enable a better understanding of transcriptional regulatory circuits that govern fungal fitness and drug resistance in these medically important fungi. IMPORTANCE Systemic fungal infections caused by Candida albicans and the “superbug” Candida auris are becoming a serious public health threat. The ability of these yeasts to cause disease is linked to their faculty to modulate the expression of genes that mediate their escape from the immune surveillance and their persistence in the different unfavorable niches within the host. Comprehensive knowledge on gene expression control of fungal fitness is consequently an interesting framework for the identification of essential infection processes that could be hindered by chemicals as potential therapeutics. Here, we expanded the use of ChEC-seq, a technique that was initially developed in the yeast model Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify genes that are modulated by a transcriptional regulator, in pathogenic yeasts from the genus Candida. This robust technique will allow a better characterization of key gene expression regulators and their contribution to virulence and antifungal resistance in these pathogenic yeasts.

The Candida albicans PMM1 gene encoding phosphomannomutase complements a Saccharomyces cerevisiae sec 53-6 mutation

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 501-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Smith ◽  
Michelle Cooper ◽  
Mariastella DeTiani ◽  
Christophe Losberger ◽  
Mark A. Payton
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Gene Encoding

scholarly journals Deregulation of DSE1 Gene Expression Results in Aberrant Budding within the Birth Scar and Cell Wall Integrity Pathway Activation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 586-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivana Frýdlová ◽  
Ivana Malcová ◽  
Pavla Vašicová ◽  
Jiří Hašek
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Wall ◽  
Daughter Cell ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Gene Expression Profiles ◽  
Specific Protein ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity ◽  
Pathway Activation

ABSTRACT Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking Isw2, the catalytic subunit of the Isw2 chromatin remodeling complex, show the mating type-independent activation of the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway. Since the CWI pathway activation usually reflects cell wall defects, we searched for the cell wall-related genes changed in expression. The genes DSE1, CTS1, and CHS1 were upregulated as a result of the absence of Isw2, according to previously published gene expression profiles (I. Frydlova, M. Basler, P. Vasicova, I. Malcova, and J. Hasek, Curr. Genet. 52:87-95, 2007). Western blot analyses of double deletion mutants, however, did not indicate the contribution of the chitin metabolism-related genes CTS1 and CHS1 to the CWI pathway activation. Nevertheless, the deletion of the DSE1 gene encoding a daughter cell-specific protein with unknown function suppressed CWI pathway activation in isw2Δ cells. In addition, the deletion of DSE1 also abolished the budding-within-the-birth-scar phenotype of isw2Δ cells. The plasmid-driven overexpression proved that the deregulation of Dse1 synthesis was also responsible for CWI pathway activation and manifestation of the budding-within-the-birth-scar phenotype in wild-type cells. The overproduced Dse1-green fluorescent protein localized to both sides of the septum and persisted in unbudded cells. Although the exact cellular role of this daughter cell-specific protein has to be elucidated, our data point to the involvement of Dse1 in bud site selection in haploid cells.

scholarly journals Reconfiguration of Transcriptional Control of Lysine Biosynthesis in Candida albicans Involves a Central Role for the Gcn4 Transcriptional Activator

mSphere ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumnam Priyadarshini ◽  
Krishnamurthy Natarajan
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Biosynthetic Pathway ◽  
Transcriptional Regulator ◽  
Lysine Biosynthesis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Starvation Conditions

ABSTRACT Microbes evolve rapidly so as to reconfigure their gene expression to adapt to the metabolic demands in diverse environmental niches. Here, we explored how conditions of nutrient deprivation regulate lysine biosynthesis in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. We show that although both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. albicans respond to lysine deprivation by transcriptional upregulation of lysine biosynthesis, the regulatory factors required for this control have been reconfigured in these species. We found that Gcn4 is an essential and direct transcriptional regulator of the expression of lysine biosynthetic genes under lysine starvation conditions in C. albicans. Our results therefore suggest that the regulation of the lysine biosynthetic pathway in Candida clade genomes involves gain of function by the master transcriptional regulator Gcn4, coincident with the neofunctionalization of the S. cerevisiae pathway-specific regulator Lys14. Evolution of transcriptional control is essential for organisms to cope with diversification into a spectrum of environments, including environments with limited nutrients. Lysine biosynthesis in fungi occurs in eight enzymatic steps. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, amino acid starvation elicits the induction of LYS gene expression, mediated by the master regulator Gcn4 and the pathway-specific transcriptional regulator Lys14. Here, we have shown that the activation of LYS gene expression in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is predominantly controlled by Gcn4 under amino acid starvation conditions. Multiple lines of study showed that the four C. albicans LYS14-like genes have no role in the regulation of lysine biosynthesis. Whereas Gcn4 is dispensable for the growth of S. cerevisiae under lysine deprivation conditions, it is an essential regulator required for the growth of C. albicans under these conditions, as gcn4 deletion caused lysine auxotrophy. Gcn4 is required for the induction of increased LYS2 and LYS9 mRNA but not for the induction of increased LYS4 mRNA. Under lysine or isoleucine-valine deprivation conditions, Gcn4 recruitment to LYS2 and LYS9 promoters was induced in C. albicans. Indeed, in contrast to the S. cerevisiae LYS gene promoters, all LYS gene promoters in C. albicans harbored a Gcn4 binding site but not all harbored the S. cerevisiae Lys14 binding site, indicating the evolutionary divergence of cis-regulatory motifs. Thus, the transcriptional rewiring of the lysine biosynthetic pathway in C. albicans involves not only neofunctionalization of the four LYS14-like genes but the attendant strengthening of control by Gcn4, indicating a coordinated response with a much broader scope for control of amino acid biosynthesis in this human pathogen. IMPORTANCE Microbes evolve rapidly so as to reconfigure their gene expression to adapt to the metabolic demands in diverse environmental niches. Here, we explored how conditions of nutrient deprivation regulate lysine biosynthesis in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. We show that although both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. albicans respond to lysine deprivation by transcriptional upregulation of lysine biosynthesis, the regulatory factors required for this control have been reconfigured in these species. We found that Gcn4 is an essential and direct transcriptional regulator of the expression of lysine biosynthetic genes under lysine starvation conditions in C. albicans. Our results therefore suggest that the regulation of the lysine biosynthetic pathway in Candida clade genomes involves gain of function by the master transcriptional regulator Gcn4, coincident with the neofunctionalization of the S. cerevisiae pathway-specific regulator Lys14.

scholarly journals Aspergillus nigercitrate exporter revealed by comparison of two alternative citrate producing conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorett I Odoni ◽  
Thanaporn Laothanachareon ◽  
Marta Vazquez-Vilar ◽  
Merlijn P van Gaal ◽  
Tom Schonewille ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Aspergillus Niger ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Cell Factory ◽  
Complex Interplay ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Organic Acid Production ◽  
Combining Data ◽  
Citrate Accumulation

AbstractCurrently, there is no consensus regarding the mechanism underlyingAspergillus nigercitrate biosynthesis and secretion, although it is amongst the most studied biotechnological production processes. Carbon excess relative to various other medium constituents is key, but the complex interplay between the limiting factors required for extracellular citrate accumulation remains elusive. It is thought that one of the industrial bottlenecks for citrate production is citrate export, however, noA. nigercitrate exporter has yet been identified. Here, we show that the phenotype of increased extracellular citrate accumulation can have fundamentally different underlying mechanisms, depending on how this response is triggered, and that combining gene expression analyses of the different conditions can lead to the compilation of a shortlist of the most promising citrate exporter candidates. Specifically, we found that varying the amount and type of supplement of an arginine auxotrophicA. nigerstrain shows down-regulation of citrate metabolising enzymes in the condition in which more citrate is accumulated extracellularly. This contrasts with the transcriptional adaptations triggered by iron limitation, which also induces increasedA. nigercitrate production. By combining data obtained from these two manners of inducing comparatively high extracellular citrate accumulation, we were able to compile a shortlist of the most likely citrate transporter candidates. Two of the most promising candidates were tested in the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, one of which showed the ability to secrete citrate. Deletion of the endogenousA. nigergene encoding the corresponding transporter abolished the ability of this fungus to secrete citrate. Instead, under conditions that usually favourA. nigercitrate production, we found increased accumulation of extracellular oxalate. Our findings provide steps in untangling the complex interplay of different mechanisms underlyingA. nigercitrate accumulation, and we identify, for the first time, a fungal citrate exporter, offering a valuable tool for improvement ofA. nigeras biotechnological cell-factory for organic acid production.Author SummaryCitrate is widely applied as acidifier, flavouring and chelating agent. Industrial citrate production currently relies on the filamentous fungusAspergillus niger. Although the industrial production process usingA. niger has vastly improved since initiated almost 100 years ago, citrate export remains a bottleneck. Here, we studied the gene expression pattern ofA. nigerunder various citrate producing conditions. Using these expression patterns and different computational approaches, we compiled a shortlist of putative citrate exporter candidates. In this way, we were able to identify a gene encoding a transporter protein capable of citrate export. We show that the yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, normally a citrate non-producer, secretes detectable amounts of citrate when harbouring this gene. In addition, we verify the biological function of this gene inA. nigeritself, as removing this gene resulted in a citrate non-producing phenotype, which is atypical for this fungus. This finding is particularly exciting, as it is the first identification of a eukaryotic citrate exporter. With this, we not only provide a tool for improvement of industrial citrate production, but knowledge of this gene should help develop new methods for improvement ofA. nigeras biotechnological cell-factory for the production of other organic acids.

scholarly journals Product-Induced Gene Expression, a Product-Responsive Reporter Assay Used To Screen Metagenomic Libraries for Enzyme-Encoding Genes

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (21) ◽  
pp. 7029-7035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taku Uchiyama ◽  
Kentaro Miyazaki
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Metagenomic Library ◽  
Gene Cassette ◽  
Reporter Assay ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
Encoding Genes

ABSTRACT A reporter assay-based screening method for enzymes, which we named product-induced gene expression (PIGEX), was developed and used to screen a metagenomic library for amidases. A benzoate-responsive transcriptional activator, BenR, was placed upstream of the gene encoding green fluorescent protein and used as a sensor. Escherichia coli sensor cells carrying the benR-gfp gene cassette fluoresced in response to benzoate concentrations as low as 10 μM but were completely unresponsive to the substrate benzamide. An E. coli metagenomic library consisting of 96,000 clones was grown in 96-well format in LB medium containing benzamide. The library cells were then cocultivated with sensor cells. Eleven amidase genes were recovered from 143 fluorescent wells; eight of these genes were homologous to known bacterial amidase genes while three were novel genes. In addition to their activity toward benzamide, the enzymes were active toward various substrates, including d- and l-amino acid amides, and displayed enantioselectivity. Thus, we demonstrated that PIGEX is an effective approach for screening novel enzymes based on product detection.

scholarly journals Implementation of a CRISPR-Based System for Gene Regulation in Candida albicans

mSphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvira Román ◽  
Ioana Coman ◽  
Daniel Prieto ◽  
Rebeca Alonso-Monge ◽  
Jesús Pla
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Fungal Pathogen ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Regulatory Region ◽  
Nuclease Activity ◽  
Content Type

ABSTRACT Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) methodology is not only an efficient tool in gene editing but also an attractive platform to facilitate DNA, RNA, and protein interactions. We describe here the implementation of a CRISPR-based system to regulate expression in the clinically important yeast Candida albicans. By fusing an allele of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 devoid of nuclease activity to a transcriptional repressor (Nrg1) or activator (Gal4), we were able to show specific repression or activation of the tester gene CAT1, encoding the cytosolic catalase. We generated strains where a 1.6-kbp upstream regulatory region of CAT1 controls the expression of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and demonstrated the functionality of the constructs by quantitative PCR (qPCR), flow cytometry, and analysis of sensitivity/resistance to hydrogen peroxide. Activation and repression were strongly dependent on the position of the complex in this regulatory region. We also improved transcriptional activation using an RNA scaffolding strategy to allow interaction of inactive variants of Cas9 (dCas9) with the RNA binding protein MCP (monocyte chemoattractant protein) fused to the VP64 activator. The strategy shown here may facilitate the analysis of complex regulatory traits in this fungal pathogen. IMPORTANCE CRISPR technology is a new and efficient way to edit genomes, but it is also an appealing way to regulate gene expression. We have implemented CRISPR as a gene expression platform in Candida albicans using fusions between a Cas9 inactive enzyme and specific repressors or activators and demonstrated its functionality. This will allow future manipulation of complex virulence pathways in this important fungal pathogen.

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