Last hope for the doomed? Thoughts on the importance of a parasexual cycle for the yeast Candida albicans.
The yeast Candida albicans, a commensal colonizer and occasional pathogen of humans, has a rudimentary mating ability. However, mating is a cumbersome process that has never been observed outside the laboratory, and the population structure of the species is predominantly clonal. Here we discuss recent findings that indicate that mating ability is under selection in C. albicans, i.e. that it is a biologically relevant process. C. albicans strains can only mate after they have sustained genetic damage. We propose that the rescue of such damaged strains by mating may be the primary reason why mating ability is under selection.
Institute of Fundamental Sciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Science Tower D, Riddet Road, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand. j.schmid@massey.ac.nz.
Jan
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8794-4175
J
Schmid
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Paul T
PT
Magee
School of Physical Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia.
Barbara R
BR
Holland
Institute of Fundamental Sciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Science Tower D, Riddet Road, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand.
Ningxin
N
Zhang
Department of Oral Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
Richard D
RD
Cannon
Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Beatrice B
BB
Magee
D002176:Candida albicans / Q000502:physiology*; D049770:Genes, Mating Type, Fungal; D012641:Selection, Genetic
Candida albicans; Clonality; Evolution; Mating; Parasexual cycle