title: PGA4, a GAS homologue from Candida albicans, is up-regulated early in infection processes.
abstract: Transglucosidases play a significant role in fungal cell wall biosynthesis. We identified three as yet undescribed genes encoding beta-glucan transglucosidases, homologues of the pH-regulated PHR1 and PHR2, in the genome of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Transcript levels of the gene PGA4 encoding a putative GPI-anchored protein were elevated in C. albicans wild-type cells during infection of reconstituted human epithelial and mouse liver tissue, and transiently increased after induction of hyphal formation with serum. The serum-specific increase in PGA4 transcript was found to be dependent on the transcription factors Ras1p, Cyr1p, and Tec1p. The remaining C. albicans Phr homologues, PHR3 and PGA5, showed low expression levels. Unlike PHR1 and PHR2, the expression of PHR3, PGA4, and PGA5 was not dependent on the pH of the growth medium. Neither PHR3 deletion nor PGA4 disruption resulted in a distinct growth or morphology phenotype. A PGA4 disruption strain was found to have wild-type capacity of infecting reconstituted oral epithelial tissue. Our data suggest that PGA4, and potentially PHR3 and PGA5, are expressed under distinct conditions, which differ from those of PHR1 and PHR2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NY, UK.
authors.forename: Sabine E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: Werner J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Heinz
authors.forename: Katherina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zakikhany
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thewes
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hube
authors.forename: Fritz A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Mühlschlegel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009154:Mutation; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins