Co-regulation of pathogenesis with dimorphism and phenotypic switching in Candida albicans, a commensal and a pathogen.
Candida albicans, a common fungal pathogen of humans, can colonize in many diverse environments of the host and convert between a harmless commensal and a pathogen. Recent advances indicate that C. albicans uses a common set of conserved pathways to regulate dimorphism, mating and phenotypic switching. Major pathways known to regulate dimorphism include a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway through Cph1, the cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathway via Efg1, and Tup1-mediated repression through Rfg1 and Nrg1. The Cph1-mediated MAP kinase pathway is critical for the mating process, while all three pathways are implicated in the regulation of white-opaque switching. All these developmental pathways regulate the expression of hypha-specific and/or phase-specific genes. A high proportion of hypha-specific genes and phase-specific genes encode proteins that contribute directly or indirectly to pathogenesis and virulence of C. albicans. Therefore, virulence genes are co-regulated with cell morphogenesis. This supports a previous notion that the unique aspects of C. albicans commensalism and pathogenesis may lie in the developmental programs of dimorphism and phenotypic switching.
Liu
Haoping
H
Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-1700, USA. H4LIU@UCI.EDU
D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002373:Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D005800:Genes, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D025301:Hyphae / Q000254:growth & development; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
C090837:CPH1 protein, Candida albicans; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002373:Cyclic AMP Receptor Protein; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C121438:EFG1 protein, Candida albicans; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C423363:RFG1 protein, Candida albicans; C489602:RIM101 protein, Candida albicans; C489601:RIM101 protein, S cerevisiae; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C077336:CZF1 protein, Candida albicans; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases