title: A GAS-like gene family in the pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata.
abstract: In fungi, the cell wall plays a major role in host-pathogen interactions. Despite this, little is known about the molecular basis of cell wall assembly in Candida glabrata, which has emerged as the second most common cause of systemic candidosis. A C. glabrata gene family, CgGAS1-3, that shares significant homologies with both the GAS1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is necessary for cell wall assembly, and the pH-regulated genes PHR1 and PHR2 of Candida albicans, which are involved in cell wall assembly and required for virulence, has been cloned. Among the members of this family, CgGAS1-3 display a unique expression pattern. Both CgGAS1 and CgGAS2 are constitutively expressed. In contrast, CgGAS3 transcript was not detectable under any of the assayed conditions. The C. glabrata actin gene, CgACT1, has also been cloned to be used as a meaningful loading control in Northern blots. CgGAS1 and CgGAS2 were deleted by two different methodological approaches. A rapid PCR-based strategy by which gene disruption was achieved with short regions of homology (50 bp) was applied successfully to C. glabrata. DeltaCggas1 or DeltaCggas2 cells demonstrated similar aberrant morphologies, displaying an altered bud morphology and forming floccose aggregates. These phenotypes suggest a role for CgGAS1 and CgGAS2 in cell wall biosynthesis. Further evidence for this hypothesis was obtained by successful functional complementation of a gas1 null mutation in S. cerevisiae with the C. glabrata CgGAS1 or CgGAS2 gene.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany1.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weig
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK2.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK2.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany1.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kurzai
authors.affiliation: Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany1.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frosch
authors.affiliation: Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Universität Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany1.
authors.forename: Fritz A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Mühlschlegel
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001051:Apoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002175:Candida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D009154:Mutation; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D001051:Apoenzymes; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C438390:GAS1 protein, Candida glabrata; C066709:GAS1 protein, S cerevisiae; C438391:GAS2 protein, Candida glabrata; C438392:GAS3 protein, Candida glabrata; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C091515:PHR1 protein, Candida albicans; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D004255:Deoxyribodipyrimidine Photo-Lyase