Candida albicans
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyRegulation of the Candida albicans Hypha-Inducing Transcription Factor Ume6 by the CDK1 Cyclins Cln3 and Hgc1The yeast to hypha (mold) morphogenetic switch of Candida albicans plays a role in its virulence and constitutes a diagnostic trait for this organism, the most prevalent systemic fungal pathogen in industrialized countries. It has long been known that hyphae are most efficiently induced from stationary cultures. Here, a molecular basis for this observation is provided...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyStaurosporine Induces Filamentation in the Human Fungal Pathogen Candida albicans via Signaling through Cyr1 and Protein Kinase AThe impact of fungal pathogens on human health is devastating. One of the most pervasive fungal pathogens is Candida albicans, which kills ~40% of people suffering from bloodstream infections. Treatment of these infections is extremely difficult, as fungi are closely related to humans, and there are limited drugs that kill the fungus without host toxicity. The...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyCharacterization of the Candida albicans Amino Acid Permease Family: Gap2 Is the Only General Amino Acid Permease and Gap4 Is an S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) Transporter Required for SAM-Induced MorphogenesisCandida albicans is a commensal organism that can thrive in many niches in its human host. The environmental conditions at these different niches differ quite a bit, and this fungus must be able to sense these changes and adapt its metabolism to them. Apart from glucose and other sugars, the uptake of amino acids is very important. This is underscored by the fact...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyGlobal Role of Cyclic AMP Signaling in pH-Dependent Responses in Candida albicansCandida albicans is a human commensal and the causative agent of candidiasis, a potentially invasive and life-threatening infection. C. albicans experiences wide changes in pH during both benign commensalism (a common condition) and pathogenesis, and its morphology changes in response to this...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyInterspecies Interactions between Clostridium difficile and Candida albicansCandida albicans and Clostridium difficile are two opportunistic pathogens that reside in the human gut. A few studies have focused on the prevalence of C. albicans in...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyEnv7p Associates with the Golgin Protein Imh1 at the trans-Golgi Network in Candida albicansA multitier regulation exists at the trans-Golgi network in all higher organisms. We report a palmitoylated protein kinase, Env7, that functions at the TGN interface by interacting with two more TGN-resident proteins, namely, Imh1 and Arl1. Palmitoylation seems to be important for the specific localization. This study focuses on the involvement of a ubiquitous protein kinase, whose substrates had not yet been reported from any...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyCandida albicans Gene Deletion with a Transient CRISPR-Cas9 SystemThe fungus Candida albicans is a major pathogen. Genetic analysis of this organism has revealed determinants of pathogenicity, drug resistance, and other unique biological features, as well as the identities of prospective drug targets. The creation of targeted mutations has been greatly accelerated recently through the implementation of CRISPR genome-editing...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyThe Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondrion Tether ERMES Orchestrates Fungal Immune Evasion, Illuminating Inflammasome Responses to Hyphal SignalsThe yeast Candida albicans causes human infections that have mortality rates approaching 50%. The key to developing improved therapeutics is to understand the host-pathogen interface. A critical interaction is that with macrophages: intracellular Candida triggers the NLRP3/caspase-1 inflammasome for escape through lytic host cell death, but this also...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyReconfiguration of Transcriptional Control of Lysine Biosynthesis in Candida albicans Involves a Central Role for the Gcn4 Transcriptional ActivatorMicrobes 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...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyManipulation of Host Diet To Reduce Gastrointestinal Colonization by the Opportunistic Pathogen Candida albicansCandida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, can cause infections with a mortality rate of ~40%. C. albicans is part of the normal gut flora, but when a patient’s immune system is compromised, it can leave the gut and cause infections. By reducing the amount of...