title: Nonsex genes in the mating type locus of Candida albicans play roles in a/α biofilm formation, including impermeability and fluconazole resistance.
abstract: The mating type locus (MTL) of Candida albicans contains the mating type genes and has, therefore, been assumed to play an exclusive role in the mating process. In mating-incompetent a/α cells, two of the mating type genes, MTLa1 and MTLα2, encode components of the a1-α2 corepressor that suppresses mating and switching. But the MTL locus of C. albicans also contains three apparently unrelated "nonsex" genes (NSGs), PIK, PAP and OBP, the first two essential for growth. Since it had been previously demonstrated that deleting either the a/α copy of the entire MTL locus, or either MTLa1 or MTLα2, affected virulence, we hypothesized that the NSGs in the MTL locus may also play a role in pathogenesis. Here by mutational analysis, it is demonstrated that both the mating type and nonsex genes in the MTL locus play roles in a/α biofilm formation, and that OBP is essential for impermeability and fluconazole resistance.
authors.affiliation: The Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank, Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thyagarajan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Srikantha
authors.forename: Karla J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pujol
authors.forename: Nidhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sahni
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Soll
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal / Q000235:genetics*; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000502:physiology; D005838:Genotype; D030781:Organisms, Genetically Modified; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual / Q000235:genetics*; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047071:beta-Glucans; D015725:Fluconazole