title: In Candida parapsilosis the ATC1 gene encodes for an acid trehalase involved in trehalose hydrolysis, stress resistance and virulence.
abstract: An ORF named CPAR2-208980 on contig 005809 was identified by screening a Candida parapsilosis genome data base. Its 67% identity with the acid trehalase sequence from C. albicans (ATC1) led us to designate it CpATC1. Homozygous mutants that lack acid trehalase activity were constructed by gene disruption at the two CpATC1 chromosomal alleles. Phenotypic characterization showed that atc1Δ null cells were unable to grow on exogenous trehalose as carbon source, and also displayed higher resistance to environmental challenges, such as saline exposure (1.2 M NaCl), heat shock (42°C) and both mild and severe oxidative stress (5 and 50 mM H2O2). Significant amounts of intracellular trehalose were specifically stored in response to the thermal upshift in both wild type and mutant strains. Analysis of their antioxidant activities revealed that catalase was only triggered in response to heat shock in atc1Δ cells, whereas glutathione reductase was activated upon mild oxidative stress in wild type and reintegrant strains, and in response to the whole set of stress treatments in the homozygous mutant. Furthermore, yeast cells with double CpATC1 deletion were significantly attenuated in non-mammalian infection models, suggesting that CpATC1 is required for the pathobiology of the fungus. Our results demonstrate the involvement of CpAtc1 protein in the physiological hydrolysis of external trehalose in C. parapsilosis, where it also plays a major role in stress resistance and virulence.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain; Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular (B) e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, and Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain; Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Fresneda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Biología Molecular (B) e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina, and Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Esparza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Sergi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maicas
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética y Microbiología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan-Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Argüelles
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Eulogio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Valentín
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002175:Candida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D018869:Heat-Shock Response / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D059748:Proteolysis; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000235:genetics*; D014198:Trehalase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014199:Trehalose / Q000378:metabolism; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D014199:Trehalose; D002374:Catalase; D014198:Trehalase