The Candida albicans Pho4 Transcription Factor Mediates Susceptibility to Stress and Influences Fitness in a Mouse Commensalism Model.

Front Microbiol

Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid Madrid, Spain.

Published: July 2016

AI Article Synopsis

  • The Pho4 transcription factor is essential for growth and stress response in the fungus Candida albicans, particularly under low phosphate conditions.
  • Pho4 mutants showed increased susceptibility to osmotic and oxidative stress but maintained virulence comparable to wild type strains in infection models.
  • Although Pho4 did not affect gut colonization abilities, it significantly influenced competition and adherence, revealing its critical role in stress adaptation and overall fitness.

Article Abstract

The Pho4 transcription factor is required for growth under low environmental phosphate concentrations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A characterization of Candida albicans pho4 mutants revealed that these cells are more susceptible to both osmotic and oxidative stress and that this effect is diminished in the presence of 5% CO2 or anaerobiosis, reflecting the relevance of oxygen metabolism in the Pho4-mediated response. A pho4 mutant was as virulent as wild type strain when assayed in the Galleria mellonella infection model and was even more resistant to murine macrophages in ex vivo killing assays. The lack of Pho4 neither impairs the ability to colonize the murine gut nor alters the localization in the gastrointestinal tract. However, we found that Pho4 influenced the colonization of C. albicans in the mouse gut in competition assays; pho4 mutants were unable to attain high colonization levels when inoculated simultaneously with an isogenic wild type strain. Moreover, pho4 mutants displayed a reduced adherence to the intestinal mucosa in a competitive ex vivo assays with wild type cells. In vitro competitive assays also revealed defects in fitness for this mutant compared to the wild type strain. Thus, Pho4, a transcription factor involved in phosphate metabolism, is required for adaptation to stress and fitness in C. albicans.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4935684PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01062DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

wild type
16
pho4 transcription
12
transcription factor
12
pho4 mutants
12
type strain
12
pho4
9
candida albicans
8
albicans pho4
8
strain pho4
8
factor mediates
4

Similar Publications

Background: The upfront treatment of non-oncogene-addicted NSCLC relies on immunotherapy alone (ICI) or in combination with chemotherapy (CT-ICI). Genomic aberrations such as KRAS, TP53, KEAP1, SMARCA4, or STK11 may impact survival outcomes.

Methods: We performed an observational study of 145 patients treated with first-line IO or CT-ICI for advanced non-squamous (nsq) NSCLC at our institution tested with an extensive lab-developed NGS panel.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Exploring the Role of Ccn3 in Type III Cell of Mice Taste Buds.

J Neurochem

January 2025

Department of Oral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.

Different taste cells express unique cell-type markers, enabling researchers to distinguish them and study their functional differentiation. Using single-cell RNA-Seq of taste cells in mouse fungiform papillae, we found that Cellular Communication Network Factor 3 (Ccn3) was highly expressed in Type III taste cells but not in Type II taste cells. Ccn3 is a protein-coding gene involved in various biological processes, such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, and wound healing.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

RNA-protein interactions orchestrate hundreds of pathways in homeostatic and stressed cells. We applied an RNA-protein interactome capture method called protein cross-linked RNA extraction (XRNAX) to shed light on the RNA-bound proteome in dysmyelination. We found sets of canonical RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) regulating alternative splicing and engaged in the cytoplasmic granules to be perturbed at the level of their RNA interactome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

OsPAD1, encoding a non-specific lipid transfer protein, is required for rice pollen aperture formation.

Plant Mol Biol

December 2024

State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization, Zhongshan Biological Breeding laboratoryr, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.

Plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are distinguished by their capacity to facilitate lipid transport in vitro between membranes. This includes the transportation of lipid constituents from the tapetum to the microspore, thereby playing a pivotal role in the synthesis and construction of the pollen wall, encompassing the formation of the pollen aperture. However, our understanding of LTPs and their role in pollen aperture formation in rice remains limited.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The gene C9orf72 harbors a non-coding hexanucleotide repeat expansion known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. While previous studies have estimated the length of this repeat expansion in multiple tissues, technological limitations have impeded researchers from exploring additional features, such as methylation levels.

Methods: We aimed to characterize C9orf72 repeat expansions using a targeted, amplification-free long-read sequencing method.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!