title: Role of transcription factor CaNdt80p in cell separation, hyphal growth, and virulence in Candida albicans.
abstract: The NDT80/PhoG transcription factor family includes ScNdt80p, a key modulator of the progression of meiotic division in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In Candida albicans, a member of this family, CaNdt80p, modulates azole sensitivity by controlling the expression of ergosterol biosynthesis genes. We previously demonstrated that CaNdt80p promoter targets, in addition to ERG genes, were significantly enriched in genes related to hyphal growth. Here, we report that CaNdt80p is indeed required for hyphal growth in response to different filament-inducing cues and for the proper expression of genes characterizing the filamentous transcriptional program. These include noteworthy genes encoding cell wall components, such as HWP1, ECE1, RBT4, and ALS3. We also show that CaNdt80p is essential for the completion of cell separation through the direct transcriptional regulation of genes encoding the chitinase Cht3p and the cell wall glucosidase Sun41p. Consistent with their hyphal defect, ndt80 mutants are avirulent in a mouse model of systemic candidiasis. Interestingly, based on functional-domain organization, CaNdt80p seems to be a unique regulator characterizing fungi from the CTG clade within the subphylum Saccharomycotina. Therefore, this study revealed a new role of the novel member of the fungal NDT80 transcription factor family as a regulator of cell separation, hyphal growth, and virulence.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Council of Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Adnane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sellam
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Askew
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Epp
authors.forename: Faiza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tebbji
authors.forename: Alaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mullick
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whiteway
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nantel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D006801:Humans; D025301:Hyphae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D010802:Phylogeny; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C495215:Ndt80 protein, Candida albicans; D014157:Transcription Factors