title: The role of Alg13 N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase in the expression of pathogenic features of Candida albicans.
abstract: The pathogenic potential of Candida albicans depends on adhesion to the host cells mediated by highly glycosylated adhesins, hyphae formation and growth of biofilm. These factors require effective N-glycosylation of proteins. Here, we present consequences of up- and down-regulation of the newly identified ALG13 gene encoding N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase, a potential member of the Alg7p/Alg13p/Alg14p complex catalyzing the first two initial reactions in the N-glycosylation process.
  
  
  
  We constructed C. albicans strain alg13∆::hisG/TRp-ALG13 with one allele of ALG13 disrupted and the other under the control of a regulatable promoter, TRp. Gene expression and enzyme activity were measured using RT-qPCR and radioactive substrate. Cell wall composition was estimated by HPLC DIONEX. Protein glycosylation status was analyzed by electrophoresis of HexNAcase, a model N-glycosylated protein in C. albicans.
  
  
  
  Both decreased and elevated expression of ALG13 changed expression of all members of the complex and resulted in a decreased activity of Alg7p and Alg13p and under-glycosylation of HexNAcase. The alg13 strain was also defective in hyphae formation and growth of biofilm. These defects could result from altered expression of genes encoding adhesins and from changes in the carbohydrate content of the cell wall of the mutant.
  
  
  
  This work confirms the important role of protein N-glycosylation in the pathogenic potential of C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niewiadomska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Janik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Perlińska-Lenart
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piłsyk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Grażyna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palamarczyk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: jsk@ibb.waw.pl.
authors.forename: Joanna S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kruszewska
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000235:genetics; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006031:Glycosylation; D025301:Hyphae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases
keywords: Alg13 N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase; Candida albicans; Morphogenesis; N-glycosylation