Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>

ABSTRACT Candida albicans remains the most pervasive fungal pathogen colonizing humans. The majority of isolates from hosts are heterozygous at the mating type locus (MTLa/α), and a third of these have recently been shown to be capable of switching to the opaque phenotype. Here we have investigated...

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Autores principales:	Yang-Nim Park, Kayla Conway, Thomas P. Conway, Karla J. Daniels, David R. Soll
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	American Society for Microbiology 2019
Materias:	Candida albicans Efg1 Sfl2 white-opaque switching Microbiology QR1-502
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/58db01d522d64345ae0cc4e119aeeea8
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:58db01d522d64345ae0cc4e119aeeea82021-11-15T15:22:22ZRoles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>10.1128/mSphere.00703-182379-5042https://doaj.org/article/58db01d522d64345ae0cc4e119aeeea82019-04-01T00:00:00Zhttps://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00703-18https://doaj.org/toc/2379-5042ABSTRACT Candida albicans remains the most pervasive fungal pathogen colonizing humans. The majority of isolates from hosts are heterozygous at the mating type locus (MTLa/α), and a third of these have recently been shown to be capable of switching to the opaque phenotype. Here we have investigated the roles of two transcription factors (TFs) Sfl2 and Efg1, in repressing switching in a/α strains. Deleting either gene results in the capacity of a/α cells to switch to opaque en masse under facilitating environmental conditions, which include N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) as the carbon source, physiological temperature (37°C), and high CO2 (5%). These conditions are similar to those in the host. Our results further reveal that while glucose is a repressor of sfl2Δ and efg1Δ switching, GlcNAc is an inducer. Finally, we show that when GlcNAc is the carbon source, and the temperature is low (25°C), the efg1Δ mutants, but not the sfl2Δ mutants, form a tiny, elongate cell, which differentiates into an opaque cell when transferred to conditions optimal for a/α switching. These results demonstrate that at least two TFs, Sfl2 and Efg1, repress switching in a/α cells and that a/α strains with either an sfl2Δ or efg1Δ mutation can switch en masse but only under physiological conditions. The role of opaque a/α cells in commensalism and pathogenesis must, therefore, be investigated. IMPORTANCE More than 95% of Candida albicans strains isolated from humans are MTLa/α, and approximately a third of these can undergo the white-to-opaque transition. Therefore, besides being a requirement for MTL-homozygous strains to mate, the opaque phenotype very likely plays a role in the commensalism and pathogenesis of nonmating, a/α populations colonizing humans.Yang-Nim ParkKayla ConwayThomas P. ConwayKarla J. DanielsDavid R. SollAmerican Society for MicrobiologyarticleCandida albicansEfg1Sfl2white-opaque switchingMicrobiologyQR1-502ENmSphere, Vol 4, Iss 2 (2019)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Candida albicans Efg1 Sfl2 white-opaque switching Microbiology QR1-502
spellingShingle	Candida albicans Efg1 Sfl2 white-opaque switching Microbiology QR1-502 Yang-Nim Park Kayla Conway Thomas P. Conway Karla J. Daniels David R. Soll Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>
description	ABSTRACT Candida albicans remains the most pervasive fungal pathogen colonizing humans. The majority of isolates from hosts are heterozygous at the mating type locus (MTLa/α), and a third of these have recently been shown to be capable of switching to the opaque phenotype. Here we have investigated the roles of two transcription factors (TFs) Sfl2 and Efg1, in repressing switching in a/α strains. Deleting either gene results in the capacity of a/α cells to switch to opaque en masse under facilitating environmental conditions, which include N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) as the carbon source, physiological temperature (37°C), and high CO2 (5%). These conditions are similar to those in the host. Our results further reveal that while glucose is a repressor of sfl2Δ and efg1Δ switching, GlcNAc is an inducer. Finally, we show that when GlcNAc is the carbon source, and the temperature is low (25°C), the efg1Δ mutants, but not the sfl2Δ mutants, form a tiny, elongate cell, which differentiates into an opaque cell when transferred to conditions optimal for a/α switching. These results demonstrate that at least two TFs, Sfl2 and Efg1, repress switching in a/α cells and that a/α strains with either an sfl2Δ or efg1Δ mutation can switch en masse but only under physiological conditions. The role of opaque a/α cells in commensalism and pathogenesis must, therefore, be investigated. IMPORTANCE More than 95% of Candida albicans strains isolated from humans are MTLa/α, and approximately a third of these can undergo the white-to-opaque transition. Therefore, besides being a requirement for MTL-homozygous strains to mate, the opaque phenotype very likely plays a role in the commensalism and pathogenesis of nonmating, a/α populations colonizing humans.
format	article
author	Yang-Nim Park Kayla Conway Thomas P. Conway Karla J. Daniels David R. Soll
author_facet	Yang-Nim Park Kayla Conway Thomas P. Conway Karla J. Daniels David R. Soll
author_sort	Yang-Nim Park
title	Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>
title_short	Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>
title_full	Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>
title_fullStr	Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>
title_full_unstemmed	Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>
title_sort	roles of the transcription factors sfl2 and efg1 in white-opaque switching in a/α strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">candida albicans</named-content>
publisher	American Society for Microbiology
publishDate	2019
url	https://doaj.org/article/58db01d522d64345ae0cc4e119aeeea8
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Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of <named-content content-type="genus-species">Candida albicans</named-content>

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