The 'obligate diploid' Candida albicans forms mating-competent haploids.
Candida albicans, the most prevalent human fungal pathogen, is considered to be an obligate diploid that carries recessive lethal mutations throughout the genome. Here we demonstrate that C. albicans has a viable haploid state that can be derived from diploid cells under in vitro and in vivo conditions, and that seems to arise through a concerted chromosome loss mechanism. Haploids undergo morphogenetic changes like those of diploids, including the yeast-hyphal transition, chlamydospore formation and a white-opaque switch that facilitates mating. Haploid opaque cells of opposite mating type mate efficiently to regenerate the diploid form, restoring heterozygosity and fitness. Homozygous diploids arise spontaneously by auto-diploidization, and both haploids and auto-diploids show a similar reduction in fitness, in vitro and in vivo, relative to heterozygous diploids, indicating that homozygous cell types are transient in mixed populations. Finally, we constructed stable haploid strains with multiple auxotrophies that will facilitate molecular and genetic analyses of this important pathogen.
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA.
Meleah A
MA
Hickman
Guisheng
G
Zeng
Anja
A
Forche
Matthew P
MP
Hirakawa
Darren
D
Abbey
Benjamin D
BD
Harrison
Yan-Ming
YM
Wang
Ching-hua
CH
Su
Richard J
RJ
Bennett
Yue
Y
Wang
Judith
J
Berman
D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002469:Cell Separation; D004171:Diploidy; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D017353:Gene Deletion; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D006238:Haploidy; D006239:Haplotypes; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012692:Serial Passage; D012723:Sex; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics