Essential functional modules for pathogenic and defensive mechanisms in Candida albicans infections.
The clinical and biological significance of the study of fungal pathogen Candida albicans (C. albicans) has markedly increased. However, the explicit pathogenic and invasive mechanisms of such host-pathogen interactions have not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, the essential functional modules involved in C. albicans-zebrafish interactions were investigated in this study. Adopting a systems biology approach, the early-stage and late-stage protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks for both C. albicans and zebrafish were constructed. By comparing PPI networks at the early and late stages of the infection process, several critical functional modules were identified in both pathogenic and defensive mechanisms. Functional modules in C. albicans, like those involved in hyphal morphogenesis, ion and small molecule transport, protein secretion, and shifts in carbon utilization, were seen to play important roles in pathogen invasion and damage caused to host cells. Moreover, the functional modules in zebrafish, such as those involved in immune response, apoptosis mechanisms, ion transport, protein secretion, and hemostasis-related processes, were found to be significant as defensive mechanisms during C. albicans infection. The essential functional modules thus determined could provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions during the infection process and thereby devise potential therapeutic strategies to treat C. albicans infection.
Institute of Biomedical Informatics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
Yu-Chao
0000-0002-1574-1691
YC
Wang
Laboratory of Control and Systems Biology, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
I-Chun
IC
Tsai
Institute of Communications Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Che
C
Lin
Institute of Statistics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Wen-Ping
0000-0003-0006-6635
WP
Hsieh
Department of Life Science and Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Chung-Yu
0000-0002-1533-3049
CY
Lan
Department of Medical Science and Institute of Bioinformatics and Structural Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Yung-Jen
YJ
Chuang
Laboratory of Control and Systems Biology, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
Bor-Sen
0000-0003-1644-6106
BS
Chen
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*
D001426:Bacterial Proteins