title: The actin-related protein Sac1 is required for morphogenesis and cell wall integrity in Candida albicans.
abstract: Candida albicans is a common pathogenic fungus and has aroused widespread attention recently. Actin cytoskeleton, an important player in polarized growth, protein secretion and organization of cell shape, displays irreplaceable role in hyphal development and cell integrity. In this study, we demonstrated a homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sac1, in C. albicans. It is a potential PIP phosphatase with Sac domain which is related to actin organization, hyphal development, biofilm formation and cell wall integrity. Deletion of SAC1 did not lead to insitiol-auxotroph phenotype in C. albicans, but this gene rescued the growth defect of S. cerevisiae sac1Δ in the insitiol-free medium. Hyphal induction further revealed the deficiency of sac1Δ/Δ in hyphal development and biofilm formation. Fluorescence observation and real time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis suggested both actin and the hyphal cell wall protein Hwp1 were overexpressed and mislocated in this mutant. Furthermore, cell wall integrity (CWI) was largely affected by deletion of SAC1, due to the hypersensitivity to cell wall stress, changed content and distribution of chitin in the mutant. As a result, the virulence of sac1Δ/Δ was seriously attenuated. Taken together, this study provides evidence that Sac1, as a potential PIP phosphatase, is essential for actin organization, hyphal development, CWI and pathogenicity in C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Qilin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Yuzhou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Chenpeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Yijie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China; Nankai University, TEDA, Sch Biol Sci & Biotechnol, Tianjin, PR China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, Nankai University, Tianjin, PR China. Electronic address: nklimingchun@163.com.
authors.forename: Mingchun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D025301:Hyphae / Q000254:growth & development*; D018129:Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D018129:Phosphatidylinositol Phosphates; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases
keywords: Actin organization; CWI; Candida albicans; Hyphal development; Phosphatase; Sac1