The role of phenotypic switching in the basic biology and pathogenesis of Candida albicans.
The "white-opaque" transition in Candida albicans was discovered in 1987. For the next fifteen years, a significant body of knowledge accumulated that included differences between the cell types in gene expression, cellular architecture and virulence in cutaneous and systemic mouse models. However, it was not until 2002 that we began to understand the role of switching in the life history of this pathogen, the role of the mating type locus and the molecular pathways that regulated it. Then in 2006, both the master switch locus WORI and the pheromone-induced white cell biofilm were discovered. Since that year, a number of new observations on the regulation and biology of switching have been made that have significantly increased the perceived complexity of this fascinating phenotypic transition.
Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank, Department of Biology and College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
David R
DR
Soll
WORI; interacting regulatory network; mating type locus; sexual biofilm; white-opaque transition