title: White cells facilitate opposite- and same-sex mating of opaque cells in Candida albicans.
abstract: Modes of sexual reproduction in eukaryotic organisms are extremely diverse. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a phenotypic switch from the white to the opaque phase in order to become mating-competent. In this study, we report that functionally- and morphologically-differentiated white and opaque cells show a coordinated behavior during mating. Although white cells are mating-incompetent, they can produce sexual pheromones when treated with pheromones of the opposite mating type or by physically interacting with opaque cells of the opposite mating type. In a co-culture system, pheromones released by white cells induce opaque cells to form mating projections, and facilitate both opposite- and same-sex mating of opaque cells. Deletion of genes encoding the pheromone precursor proteins and inactivation of the pheromone response signaling pathway (Ste2-MAPK-Cph1) impair the promoting role of white cells (MTLa) in the sexual mating of opaque cells. White and opaque cells communicate via a paracrine pheromone signaling system, creating an environment conducive to sexual mating. This coordination between the two different cell types may be a trade-off strategy between sexual and asexual lifestyles in C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chengjun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guobo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiuyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Clarissa J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Nobile
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guanghua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000473:pathology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010675:Pheromones / Q000378:metabolism*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C090837:CPH1 protein, Candida albicans; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010675:Pheromones; D014157:Transcription Factors