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Lohse MB, Ziv N, Johnson AD. Variation in transcription regulator expression underlies differences in white-opaque switching between the SC5314 reference strain and the majority of Candida albicans clinical isolates. Genetics 2023; 225:iyad162. [PMID: 37811798 PMCID: PMC10627253 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, a normal member of the human microbiome and an opportunistic fungal pathogen, undergoes several morphological transitions. One of these transitions is white-opaque switching, where C. albicans alternates between 2 stable cell types with distinct cellular and colony morphologies, metabolic preferences, mating abilities, and interactions with the innate immune system. White-to-opaque switching is regulated by mating type; it is repressed by the a1/α2 heterodimer in a/α cells, but this repression is lifted in a/a and α/α mating type cells (each of which are missing half of the repressor). The widely used C. albicans reference strain, SC5314, is unusual in that white-opaque switching is completely blocked when the cells are a/α; in contrast, most other C. albicans a/α strains can undergo white-opaque switching at an observable level. In this paper, we uncover the reason for this difference. We show that, in addition to repression by the a1/α2 heterodimer, SC5314 contains a second block to white-opaque switching: 4 transcription regulators of filamentous growth are upregulated in this strain and collectively suppress white-opaque switching. This second block is missing in the majority of clinical strains, and, although they still contain the a1/α2 heterodimer repressor, they exhibit a/α white-opaque switching at an observable level. When both blocks are absent, white-opaque switching occurs at very high levels. This work shows that white-opaque switching remains intact across a broad group of clinical strains, but the precise way it is regulated and therefore the frequency at which it occurs varies from strain to strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Lohse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Naomi Ziv
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Alexander D Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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52
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Khan F, Jeong GJ, Javaid A, Thuy Nguyen Pham D, Tabassum N, Kim YM. Surface adherence and vacuolar internalization of bacterial pathogens to the Candida spp. cells: Mechanism of persistence and propagation. J Adv Res 2023; 53:115-136. [PMID: 36572338 PMCID: PMC10658324 DOI: 10.1016/j.jare.2022.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The co-existence of Candida albicans with the bacteria in the host tissues and organs displays interactions at competitive, antagonistic, and synergistic levels. Several pathogenic bacteria take advantage of such types of interaction for their survival and proliferation. The chemical interaction involves the signaling molecules produced by the bacteria or Candida spp., whereas the physical attachment occurs by involving the surface proteins of the bacteria and Candida. In addition, bacterial pathogens have emerged to internalize inside the C. albicans vacuole, which is one of the inherent properties of the endosymbiotic relationship between the bacteria and the eukaryotic host. AIM OF REVIEW The interaction occurring by the involvement of surface protein from diverse bacterial species with Candida species has been discussed in detail in this paper. An in silico molecular docking study was performed between the surface proteins of different bacterial species and Als3P of C. albicans to explain the molecular mechanism involved in the Als3P-dependent interaction. Furthermore, in order to understand the specificity of C. albicans interaction with Als3P, the evolutionary relatedness of several bacterial surface proteins has been investigated. Furthermore, the environmental factors that influence bacterial pathogen internalization into the Candida vacuole have been addressed. Moreover, the review presented future perspectives for disrupting the cross-kingdom interaction and eradicating the endosymbiotic bacterial pathogens. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF REVIEW With the involvement of cross-kingdom interactions and endosymbiotic relationships, the bacterial pathogens escape from the environmental stresses and the antimicrobial activity of the host immune system. Thus, the study of interactions between Candida and bacterial pathogens is of high clinical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazlurrahman Khan
- Marine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea; Research Center for Marine Integrated Bionics Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
| | - Geum-Jae Jeong
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Aqib Javaid
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Hyderabad, India
| | - Dung Thuy Nguyen Pham
- Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam
| | - Nazia Tabassum
- Marine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea; Research Center for Marine Integrated Bionics Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Mog Kim
- Marine Integrated Biomedical Technology Center, The National Key Research Institutes in Universities, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea; Research Center for Marine Integrated Bionics Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea; Department of Food Science and Technology, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea.
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53
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Giuraniuc CV, Parkin C, Almeida MC, Fricker M, Shadmani P, Nye S, Wehmeier S, Chawla S, Bedekovic T, Lehtovirta-Morley L, Richards DM, Gow NA, Brand AC. Dynamic calcium-mediated stress response and recovery signatures in the fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. mBio 2023; 14:e0115723. [PMID: 37750683 PMCID: PMC10653887 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01157-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Intracellular calcium signaling plays an important role in the resistance and adaptation to stresses encountered by fungal pathogens within the host. This study reports the optimization of the GCaMP fluorescent calcium reporter for live-cell imaging of dynamic calcium responses in single cells of the pathogen, Candida albicans, for the first time. Exposure to membrane, osmotic or oxidative stress generated both specific changes in single cell intracellular calcium spiking and longer calcium transients across the population. Repeated treatments showed that calcium dynamics become unaffected by some stresses but not others, consistent with known cell adaptation mechanisms. By expressing GCaMP in mutant strains and tracking the viability of individual cells over time, the relative contributions of key signaling pathways to calcium flux, stress adaptation, and cell death were demonstrated. This reporter, therefore, permits the study of calcium dynamics, homeostasis, and signaling in C. albicans at a previously unattainable level of detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. V. Giuraniuc
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - C. Parkin
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - M. C. Almeida
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - M. Fricker
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - P. Shadmani
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - S. Nye
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - S. Wehmeier
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - S. Chawla
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - T. Bedekovic
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - L. Lehtovirta-Morley
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - D. M. Richards
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - N. A. Gow
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - A. C. Brand
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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54
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Wu Y, Du S, Bimler LH, Mauk KE, Lortal L, Kichik N, Griffiths JS, Osicka R, Song L, Polsky K, Kasper L, Sebo P, Weatherhead J, Knight JM, Kheradmand F, Zheng H, Richardson JP, Hube B, Naglik JR, Corry DB. Toll-like receptor 4 and CD11b expressed on microglia coordinate eradication of Candida albicans cerebral mycosis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113240. [PMID: 37819761 PMCID: PMC10753853 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Candida albicans is linked to chronic brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the molecular basis of brain anti-Candida immunity remains unknown. We show that C. albicans enters the mouse brain from the blood and induces two neuroimmune sensing mechanisms involving secreted aspartic proteinases (Saps) and candidalysin. Saps disrupt tight junction proteins of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to permit fungal brain invasion. Saps also hydrolyze amyloid precursor protein (APP) into amyloid β (Aβ)-like peptides that bind to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and promote fungal killing in vitro while candidalysin engages the integrin CD11b (Mac-1) on microglia. Recognition of Aβ-like peptides and candidalysin promotes fungal clearance from the brain, and disruption of candidalysin recognition through CD11b markedly prolongs C. albicans cerebral mycosis. Thus, C. albicans is cleared from the brain through innate immune mechanisms involving Saps, Aβ, candidalysin, and CD11b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wu
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Shuqi Du
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lynn H Bimler
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Kelsey E Mauk
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Léa Lortal
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Nessim Kichik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - James S Griffiths
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Radim Osicka
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lizhen Song
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Katherine Polsky
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lydia Kasper
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute Jena (HKI), 07737 Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Sebo
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jill Weatherhead
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - J Morgan Knight
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Farrah Kheradmand
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Departments of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Biology of Inflammation Center, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Michael E. DeBakey VA Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hui Zheng
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Huffington Center on Aging, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jonathan P Richardson
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Bernhard Hube
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute Jena (HKI), 07737 Jena, Germany; Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University, 07737 Jena, Germany.
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.
| | - David B Corry
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Departments of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Biology of Inflammation Center, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Michael E. DeBakey VA Center for Translational Research on Inflammatory Diseases, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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55
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Shrivastava M, Kouyoumdjian GS, Kirbizakis E, Ruiz D, Henry M, Vincent AT, Sellam A, Whiteway M. The Adr1 transcription factor directs regulation of the ergosterol pathway and azole resistance in Candida albicans. mBio 2023; 14:e0180723. [PMID: 37791798 PMCID: PMC10653825 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01807-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Research often relies on well-studied orthologs within related species, with researchers using a well-studied gene or protein to allow prediction of the function of the ortholog. In the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans, orthologs are usually compared with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and this approach has been very fruitful. Many transcription factors (TFs) do similar jobs in the two species, but many do not, and typically changes in function are driven not by modifications in the structures of the TFs themselves but in the connections between the transcription factors and their regulated genes. This strategy of changing TF function has been termed transcription factor rewiring. In this study, we specifically looked for rewired transcription factors, or Candida-specific TFs, that might play a role in drug resistance. We investigated 30 transcription factors that were potentially rewired or were specific to the Candida clade. We found that the Adr1 transcription factor conferred resistance to drugs like fluconazole, amphotericin B, and terbinafine when activated. Adr1 is known for fatty acid and glycerol utilization in Saccharomyces, but our study reveals that it has been rewired and is connected to ergosterol biosynthesis in Candida albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjari Shrivastava
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Center for research, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | - Daniel Ruiz
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Manon Henry
- Center for research, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Antony T. Vincent
- Department of Animal Sciences, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Adnane Sellam
- Center for research, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Malcolm Whiteway
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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56
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Brahma P, Aggarwal R, Sanyal K. Biased eviction of variant histone H3 nucleosomes triggers biofilm growth in Candida albicans. mBio 2023; 14:e0206323. [PMID: 37768046 PMCID: PMC10653867 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02063-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Candida albicans lives as a commensal in most healthy humans but can cause superficial skin infections to life-threatening systemic infections. C. albicans also forms biofilms on biotic and abiotic surfaces. Biofilm cells are difficult to treat and highly resistant to antifungals. A specific set of genes is differentially regulated in biofilm cells as compared to free-floating planktonic cells of C. albicans. In this study, we addressed how a variant histone H3VCTG, a previously identified negative regulator of biofilm formation, modulates gene expression changes. By providing compelling evidence, we show that biased eviction of H3VCTG nucleosomes at the promoters of biofilm-relevant genes facilitates the accessibility of both transcription activators and repressors to modulate gene expression. Our study is a comprehensive investigation of genome-wide nucleosome occupancy in both planktonic and biofilm states, which reveals transition to an open chromatin landscape during biofilm mode of growth in C. albicans, a medically relevant pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya Brahma
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Rashi Aggarwal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - Kaustuv Sanyal
- Molecular Mycology Laboratory, Molecular Biology and Genetics Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
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57
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Yamada T, Nakashima T, Masuda T, Sakamoto S, Yamaguchi K, Horimasu Y, Miyamoto S, Iwamoto H, Fujitaka K, Hamada H, Kamada N, Hattori N. Intestinal overgrowth of Candida albicans exacerbates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice with dysbiosis. J Pathol 2023; 261:227-237. [PMID: 37565293 DOI: 10.1002/path.6169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates an interaction between the intestinal microbiota and diseases in distal organs. However, the relationship between pulmonary fibrosis and the intestinal microbiota, especially intestinal fungal microbiota, is poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effects of changes in the intestinal fungal microbiota on the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Mice with intestinal overgrowth of Candida albicans, which was established by oral administration of antibiotics plus C. albicans, showed accelerated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis relative to the control mice (i.e. without C. albicans treatment). In addition, the mice with intestinal overgrowth of C. albicans showed enhanced Th17-type immunity, and treatment with IL-17A-neutralizing antibody alleviated pulmonary fibrosis in these mice but not in the control mice. This result indicates that IL-17A is involved in the pathogenesis of C. albicans-exacerbated pulmonary fibrosis. Even before bleomycin treatment, the expression of Rorc, the master regulator of Th17, was already upregulated in the pulmonary lymphocytes of the mice with intestinal overgrowth of C. albicans. Subsequent administration of bleomycin triggered these Th17-skewed lymphocytes to produce IL-17A, which enhanced endothelial-mesenchymal transition. These results suggest that intestinal overgrowth of C. albicans exacerbates pulmonary fibrosis via IL-17A-mediated endothelial-mesenchymal transition. Thus, it might be a potential therapeutic target in pulmonary fibrosis. This study may serve as a basis for using intestinal fungal microbiota as novel therapeutic targets in pulmonary fibrosis. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Yamada
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Taku Nakashima
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Takeshi Masuda
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shinjiro Sakamoto
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kakuhiro Yamaguchi
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yasushi Horimasu
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shintaro Miyamoto
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Iwamoto
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazunori Fujitaka
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hironobu Hamada
- Department of Physical Analysis and Therapeutic Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Kamada
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Noboru Hattori
- Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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58
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Robbins N, Cowen LE. Roles of Hsp90 in Candida albicans morphogenesis and virulence. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 75:102351. [PMID: 37399670 PMCID: PMC11016340 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Hsp90 is a conserved molecular chaperone that facilitates the folding and function of hundreds of client proteins, many of which serve as core hubs of signal transduction networks. Hsp90 has a critical role in virulence of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which exists as a natural commensal of the human microbiota and is a leading cause of invasive fungal infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. The ability of C. albicans to cause disease is tightly coupled to its capacity to undergo a morphogenetic transition between yeast and filamentous forms. Here, we describe the complex mechanisms by which Hsp90 regulates C. albicans morphogenesis and virulence, and explore the potential of targeting fungal Hsp90 as a therapeutic strategy to combat fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Robbins
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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59
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Gutzmann DJ, Kramer JJ, Toomey BM, Boone CHT, Atkin AL, Nickerson KW. Transcriptional regulation of the synthesis and secretion of farnesol in the fungus Candida albicans: examination of the Homann transcription regulator knockout collection. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad172. [PMID: 37522561 PMCID: PMC10542173 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is an efficient colonizer of human gastrointestinal tracts and skin and is an opportunistic pathogen. C. albicans exhibits morphological plasticity, and the ability to switch between yeast and filamentous morphologies is associated with virulence. One regulator of this switch is the quorum sensing molecule farnesol that is produced by C. albicans throughout growth. However, the synthesis, secretion, regulation, and turnover of farnesol are not fully understood. To address this, we used our improved farnesol assay to screen a transcription regulator knockout library for differences in farnesol accumulation in whole cultures, pellets, and supernatants. All screened mutants produced farnesol and they averaged 9.2× more farnesol in the pellet than the supernatant. Nineteen mutants had significant differences with ten mutants producing more farnesol than their SN152+ wild-type control strain while nine produced less. Seven mutants exhibited greater secretion of farnesol while two exhibited less. We examined the time course for farnesol accumulation in six mutants with the greatest accumulation differences and found that those differences persisted throughout growth and they were not time dependent. Significantly, two high-accumulating mutants did not exhibit the decay in farnesol levels during stationary phase characteristic of wild-type C. albicans, suggesting that a farnesol modification/degradation mechanism is absent in these mutants. Identifying these transcriptional regulators provides new insight into farnesol's physiological functions regarding cell cycle progression, white-opaque switching, yeast-mycelial dimorphism, and response to cellular stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Gutzmann
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Jaxon J Kramer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Brigid M Toomey
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Cory H T Boone
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Audrey L Atkin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Kenneth W Nickerson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
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60
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Stuckey PV, Santiago-Tirado FH. Fungal mechanisms of intracellular survival: what can we learn from bacterial pathogens? Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0043422. [PMID: 37506189 PMCID: PMC10501222 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00434-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections represent a major, albeit neglected, public health threat with serious medical and economic burdens globally. With unacceptably high mortality rates, invasive fungal pathogens are responsible for millions of deaths each year, with a steadily increasing incidence primarily in immunocompromised individuals. The poor therapeutic options and rise of antifungal drug resistance pose further challenges in controlling these infections. These fungal pathogens have adapted to survive within mammalian hosts and can establish intracellular niches to promote survival within host immune cells. To do that, they have developed diverse methods to circumvent the innate immune system attack. This includes strategies such as altering their morphology, counteracting macrophage antimicrobial action, and metabolic adaptation. This is reminiscent of how bacterial pathogens have adapted to survive within host cells and cause disease. However, relative to the great deal of information available concerning intracellular bacterial pathogenesis, less is known about the mechanisms fungal pathogens employ. Therefore, here we review our current knowledge and recent advances in our understanding of how fungi can evade and persist within host immune cells. This review will focus on the major fungal pathogens, including Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus fumigatus, among others. As we discover and understand the strategies used by these fungi, similarities with their bacterial counterparts are becoming apparent, hence we can use the abundant information from bacteria to guide our studies in fungi. By understanding these strategies, new lines of research will open that can improve the treatments of these devastating fungal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V. Stuckey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Felipe H. Santiago-Tirado
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Eck Institute for Global Health, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
- Warren Center for Drug Discovery, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
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61
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O'Connor-Moneley J, Alaalm L, Moran GP, Sullivan DJ. The role of the Mediator complex in fungal pathogenesis and response to antifungal agents. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:843-851. [PMID: 37013399 PMCID: PMC10500203 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Mediator is a complex of polypeptides that plays a central role in the recruitment of RNA polymerase II to promoters and subsequent transcriptional activation in eukaryotic organisms. Studies have now shown that Mediator has a role in regulating expression of genes implicated in virulence and antifungal drug resistance in pathogenic fungi. The roles of specific Mediator subunits have been investigated in several species of pathogenic fungi, particularly in the most pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Uniquely, pathogenic yeast also present several interesting examples of divergence in Mediator structure and function, most notably in C. glabrata, which possesses two orthologues of Med15, and in C. albicans, which has a massively expanded family of Med2 orthologues known as the TLO gene family. This review highlights specific examples of recent progress in characterizing the role of Mediator in pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O'Connor-Moneley
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Leenah Alaalm
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gary P Moran
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Derek J Sullivan
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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62
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Sui X, Cheng X, Li Z, Wang Y, Zhang Z, Yan R, Chang L, Li Y, Xu P, Duan C. Quantitative proteomics revealed the transition of ergosterol biosynthesis and drug transporters processes during the development of fungal fluconazole resistance. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Regul Mech 2023; 1866:194953. [PMID: 37307946 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2023.194953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fungal infections and antifungal resistance are the increasing global public health concerns. Mechanisms of fungal resistance include alterations in drug-target interactions, detoxification by high expression of drug efflux transporters, and permeability barriers associated with biofilms. However, the systematic panorama and dynamic changes of the relevant biological processes of fungal drug resistance acquisition remain limited. In this study, we developed a yeast model of resistance to prolonged fluconazole treatment and utilized the isobaric labels TMT (tandem mass tag)-based quantitative proteomics to analyze the proteome composition and changes in native, short-time fluconazole stimulated and drug-resistant strains. The proteome exhibited significant dynamic range at the beginning of treatment but returned to normal condition upon acquisition drug resistance. The sterol pathway responded strongly under a short time of fluconazole treatment, with increased transcript levels of most enzymes facilitating greater protein expression. With the drug resistance acquisition, the sterol pathway returned to normal state, while the expression of efflux pump proteins increased obviously on the transcription level. Finally, multiple efflux pump proteins showed high expression in drug-resistant strain. Thus, families of sterol pathway and efflux pump proteins, which are closely associated with drug resistance mechanisms, may play different roles at different nodes in the process of drug resistance acquisition. Our findings uncover the relatively important role of efflux pump proteins in the acquisition of fluconazole resistance and highlight its potential as the vital antifungal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Sui
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xinyu Cheng
- Anhui Medical University School of Basic Medicine, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zhaodi Li
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China; State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yonghong Wang
- Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Zhenpeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Ruyue Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, PR China
| | - Lei Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yanchang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China; Anhui Medical University School of Basic Medicine, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
| | - Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Reesearch Center, National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing, Research Unit of Proteomics & Research and Development of New Drug of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China; Anhui Medical University School of Basic Medicine, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110122, PR China.
| | - Changzhu Duan
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.
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Langenhorst D, Fürst AL, Alberter K, Vilhena C, Dasari P, Daud M, Heilig L, Luther CH, Dittrich M, Reiher N, Wich M, Elmowafy M, Jacobsen ID, Jungnickel B, Zipfel PF, Beyersdorf N. Soluble Enolase 1 of Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus Stimulates Human and Mouse B Cells and Monocytes. J Immunol 2023; 211:804-815. [PMID: 37436030 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Because of the growing numbers of immunocompromised patients, the incidence of life-threatening fungal infections caused by Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus is increasing. We have recently identified enolase 1 (Eno1) from A. fumigatus as an immune evasion protein. Eno1 is a fungal moonlighting protein that mediates adhesion and invasion of human cells and also immune evasion through complement inactivation. We now show that soluble Eno1 has immunostimulatory activity. We observed that Eno1 from both C. albicans and A. fumigatus directly binds to the surface of lymphocytes, preferentially human and mouse B cells. Functionally, Eno1 upregulated CD86 expression on B cells and induced proliferation. Although the receptor for fungal Eno1 on B lymphocytes is still unknown, the comparison of B cells from wild-type and MyD88-deficient mice showed that B cell activation by Eno1 required MyD88 signaling. With respect to infection biology, we noted that mouse B cells stimulated by Eno1 secreted IgM and IgG2b. These Igs bound C. albicans hyphae in vitro, suggesting that Eno1-induced Ab secretion might contribute to protection from invasive fungal disease in vivo. Eno1 also triggered the release of proinflammatory cytokines from monocytes, particularly IL-6, which is a potent activator of B cells. Together, our data shed new light on the role of secreted Eno1 in infections with C. albicans and A. fumigatus. Eno1 secretion by these pathogenic microbes appears to be a double-edged sword by supporting fungal pathogenicity while triggering (antifungal) immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Langenhorst
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Lisa Fürst
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Karl Alberter
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cláudia Vilhena
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Prasad Dasari
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Muhammad Daud
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Linda Heilig
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Marcus Dittrich
- Chair of Bioinformatics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Reiher
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Mohammed Elmowafy
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Ilse D Jacobsen
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Peter F Zipfel
- Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans-Knöll-Institute, Jena, Germany
- Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Niklas Beyersdorf
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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64
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Sharma A, Mitchell AP. Strain variation in gene expression impact of hyphal cyclin Hgc1 in Candida albicans. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad151. [PMID: 37405402 PMCID: PMC10468301 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Formation of hyphae is a key virulence trait of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Hypha morphogenesis depends upon the cyclin Hgc1, which acts together with cyclin-dependent protein kinase Cdc28 to phosphorylate effectors that drive polarized growth. Hgc1 has also been implicated in gene regulation through its effects on 2 transcription factors, Efg1 and Ume6. Here, we report RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of 2 pairs of hgc1Δ/Δ mutants and their respective wild-type strains, which lie in 2 different genetic backgrounds. We find that hgc1Δ/Δ mutations alter expression of 271 genes in both genetic backgrounds and 266 of those genes respond consistently with regard to up- or down-regulation. Consistency is similar to what has been observed with efg1Δ/Δ mutations and greater than observed with nrg1Δ/Δ mutations in these 2 backgrounds. The gene expression response includes genes under Efg1 control, as expected from prior studies. Hgc1-responsive genes also include ergosterol biosynthetic genes and bud neck-related genes, which may reflect interactions between Hgc1 and additional transcription factors as well as effects of Hgc1 on cellular length-to-width ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam Sharma
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Aaron P Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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65
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Alings F, Scharmann K, Eggers C, Böttcher B, Sokołowski M, Shvetsova E, Sharma P, Roth J, Rashiti L, Glatt S, Brunke S, Leidel SA. Ncs2* mediates in vivo virulence of pathogenic yeast through sulphur modification of cytoplasmic transfer RNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8133-8149. [PMID: 37462076 PMCID: PMC10450187 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens threaten ecosystems and human health. Understanding the molecular basis of their virulence is key to develop new treatment strategies. Here, we characterize NCS2*, a point mutation identified in a clinical baker's yeast isolate. Ncs2 is essential for 2-thiolation of tRNA and the NCS2* mutation leads to increased thiolation at body temperature. NCS2* yeast exhibits enhanced fitness when grown at elevated temperatures or when exposed to oxidative stress, inhibition of nutrient signalling, and cell-wall stress. Importantly, Ncs2* alters the interaction and stability of the thiolase complex likely mediated by nucleotide binding. The absence of 2-thiolation abrogates the in vivo virulence of pathogenic baker's yeast in infected mice. Finally, hypomodification triggers changes in colony morphology and hyphae formation in the common commensal pathogen Candida albicans resulting in decreased virulence in a human cell culture model. These findings demonstrate that 2-thiolation of tRNA acts as a key mediator of fungal virulence and reveal new mechanistic insights into the function of the highly conserved tRNA-thiolase complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Alings
- Max Planck Research Group for RNA Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
| | - Karin Scharmann
- Max Planck Research Group for RNA Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
| | - Cristian Eggers
- Max Planck Research Group for RNA Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bettina Böttcher
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
- Septomics Research Center, Friedrich Schiller University and Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Mikołaj Sokołowski
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ekaterina Shvetsova
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Puneet Sharma
- Max Planck Research Group for RNA Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Joël Roth
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Leon Rashiti
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Max Planck Research Group at the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sascha Brunke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knoell Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Sebastian A Leidel
- Max Planck Research Group for RNA Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Muenster, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Multidisciplinary Center for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Ramírez-Zavala B, Krüger I, Wollner A, Schwanfelder S, Morschhäuser J. The Ypk1 protein kinase signaling pathway is rewired and not essential for viability in Candida albicans. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010890. [PMID: 37561787 PMCID: PMC10443862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are central components of almost all signaling pathways that control cellular activities. In the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the paralogous protein kinases Ypk1 and Ypk2, which control membrane lipid homeostasis, are essential for viability, and previous studies strongly indicated that this is also the case for their single ortholog Ypk1 in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Here, using FLP-mediated inducible gene deletion, we reveal that C. albicans ypk1Δ mutants are viable but slow-growing, explaining prior failures to obtain null mutants. Phenotypic analyses of the mutants showed that the functions of Ypk1 in regulating sphingolipid biosynthesis and cell membrane lipid asymmetry are conserved, but the consequences of YPK1 deletion are milder than in S. cerevisiae. Mutational studies demonstrated that the highly conserved PDK1 phosphorylation site T548 in its activation loop is essential for Ypk1 function, whereas the TORC2 phosphorylation sites S687 and T705 at the C-terminus are important for Ypk1-dependent resistance to membrane stress. Unexpectedly, Pkh1, the single C. albicans orthologue of Pkh1/Pkh2, which mediate Ypk1 phosphorylation at the PDK1 site in S. cerevisiae, was not required for normal growth of C. albicans under nonstressed conditions, and Ypk1 phosphorylation at T548 was only slightly reduced in pkh1Δ mutants. We found that another protein kinase, Pkh3, whose ortholog in S. cerevisiae cannot substitute Pkh1/2, acts redundantly with Pkh1 to activate Ypk1 in C. albicans. No phenotypic effects were observed in cells lacking Pkh3 alone, but pkh1Δ pkh3Δ double mutants had a severe growth defect and Ypk1 phosphorylation at T548 was completely abolished. These results establish that Ypk1 is not essential for viability in C. albicans and that, despite its generally conserved function, the Ypk1 signaling pathway is rewired in this pathogenic yeast and includes a novel upstream kinase to activate Ypk1 by phosphorylation at the PDK1 site.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ines Krüger
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Wollner
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Schwanfelder
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Joachim Morschhäuser
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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67
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Metzner K, O’Meara MJ, Halligan B, Wotring JW, Sexton JZ, O’Meara TR. Imaging-Based Screening Identifies Modulators of the eIF3 Translation Initiation Factor Complex in Candida albicans. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0050323. [PMID: 37382550 PMCID: PMC10353439 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00503-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal pathogens like Candida albicans can cause devastating human disease. Treatment of candidemia is complicated by the high rate of resistance to common antifungal therapies. Additionally, there is host toxicity associated with many antifungal compounds due to the conservation between essential mammalian and fungal proteins. An attractive new approach for antimicrobial development is to target virulence factors: non-essential processes that are required for the organism to cause disease in human hosts. This approach expands the potential target space while reducing the selective pressure toward resistance, as these targets are not essential for viability. In C. albicans, a key virulence factor is the ability to transition to hyphal morphology. We developed a high-throughput image analysis pipeline to distinguish between yeast and filamentous growth in C. albicans at the single cell level. Based on this phenotypic assay, we screened the FDA drug repurposing library of 2,017 compounds for their ability to inhibit filamentation and identified 33 compounds that block the hyphal transition in C. albicans with IC50 values ranging from 0.2 to 150 μM. Multiple compounds showed a phenyl sulfone chemotype, prompting further analysis. Of these phenyl sulfones, NSC 697923 displayed the most efficacy, and by selecting for resistant mutants, we identified eIF3 as the target of NSC 697923 in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katura Metzner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Matthew J. O’Meara
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Benjamin Halligan
- University of Michigan Center for Drug Repurposing, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jesse W. Wotring
- University of Michigan Center for Drug Repurposing, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jonathan Z. Sexton
- University of Michigan Center for Drug Repurposing, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Teresa R. O’Meara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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68
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Schena NC, Baker KM, Stark AA, Thomas DP, Cleary IA. Constitutive ALS3 expression in Candida albicans enhances adhesion and biofilm formation of efg1, but not cph1 mutant strains. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286547. [PMID: 37440498 PMCID: PMC10343153 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Adhesion to living and non-living surfaces is an important virulence trait of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Biofilm formation in this organism depends on the expression of a number of cell surface proteins including the hypha-specific protein Als3p. Loss of ALS3 impairs biofilm formation and decreases cell-cell adhesion. We wanted to test whether constitutively expressing ALS3 could compensate for defects in adhesion and biofilm formation observed in mutant strains that lack key transcriptional regulators of biofilm formation Efg1p and Cph1p. We found that ALS3 improved adhesion and biofilm formation in the efg1Δ and efg1Δ cph1Δ mutant strains, but had less effect on the cph1Δ strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C. Schena
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Kassandra M. Baker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Anna A. Stark
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Derek P. Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Ian A. Cleary
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, United States of America
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69
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Tarrés-Solé A, Battistini F, Gerhold JM, Piétrement O, Martínez-García B, Ruiz-López E, Lyonnais S, Bernadó P, Roca J, Orozco M, Le Cam E, Sedman J, Solà M. Structural analysis of the Candida albicans mitochondrial DNA maintenance factor Gcf1p reveals a dynamic DNA-bridging mechanism. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5864-5882. [PMID: 37207342 PMCID: PMC10287934 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The compaction of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is regulated by architectural HMG-box proteins whose limited cross-species similarity suggests diverse underlying mechanisms. Viability of Candida albicans, a human antibiotic-resistant mucosal pathogen, is compromised by altering mtDNA regulators. Among them, there is the mtDNA maintenance factor Gcf1p, which differs in sequence and structure from its human and Saccharomyces cerevisiae counterparts, TFAM and Abf2p. Our crystallographic, biophysical, biochemical and computational analysis showed that Gcf1p forms dynamic protein/DNA multimers by a combined action of an N-terminal unstructured tail and a long helix. Furthermore, an HMG-box domain canonically binds the minor groove and dramatically bends the DNA while, unprecedentedly, a second HMG-box binds the major groove without imposing distortions. This architectural protein thus uses its multiple domains to bridge co-aligned DNA segments without altering the DNA topology, revealing a new mechanism of mtDNA condensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleix Tarrés-Solé
- Structural MitoLab, Molecular Biology Institute Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Federica Battistini
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Joachim M Gerhold
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | - Olivier Piétrement
- Genome Integrity and Cancer UMR 9019 CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Gustave Roussy Campus, 114 rue Edouard Vaillant 94805VillejuifCedex, France
| | | | - Elena Ruiz-López
- Structural MitoLab, Molecular Biology Institute Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Sébastien Lyonnais
- Structural MitoLab, Molecular Biology Institute Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Pau Bernadó
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), Inserm, CNRS and Université de Montpellier, France, Sébastien Lyonnais, UAR 3725 CNRS, Université de Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Joaquim Roca
- Molecular Biology Institute Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Modesto Orozco
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Eric Le Cam
- Genome Integrity and Cancer UMR 9019 CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Gustave Roussy Campus, 114 rue Edouard Vaillant 94805VillejuifCedex, France
| | - Juhan Sedman
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu 51010, Estonia
| | - Maria Solà
- Structural MitoLab, Molecular Biology Institute Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, Barcelona 08028, Spain
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70
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Wangsanut T, Arnold SJY, Jilani SZ, Marzec S, Monsour RC, Rolfes RJ. Grf10 regulates the response to copper, iron, and phosphate in Candida albicans. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkad070. [PMID: 36966423 PMCID: PMC10234403 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
The pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans, and other microbes must be able to handle drastic changes in nutrient availability within the human host. Copper, iron, and phosphate are essential micronutrients for microbes that are sequestered by the human host as nutritional immunity; yet high copper levels are employed by macrophages to induce toxic oxidative stress. Grf10 is a transcription factor important for regulating genes involved in morphogenesis (filamentation, chlamydospore formation) and metabolism (adenylate biosynthesis, 1-carbon metabolism). The grf10Δ mutant exhibited resistance to excess copper in a gene dosage-dependent manner but grew the same as the wild type in response to other metals (calcium, cobalt, iron, manganese, and zinc). Point mutations in the conserved residues D302 and E305, within a protein interaction region, conferred resistance to high copper and induced hyphal formation similar to strains with the null allele. The grf10Δ mutant misregulated genes involved with copper, iron, and phosphate uptake in YPD medium and mounted a normal transcriptional response to high copper. The mutant accumulated lower levels of magnesium and phosphorus, suggesting that copper resistance is linked to phosphate metabolism. Our results highlight new roles for Grf10 in copper and phosphate homeostasis in C. albicans and underscore the fundamental role of Grf10 in connecting these with cell survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanaporn Wangsanut
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Sylvia J Y Arnold
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Safia Z Jilani
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sarah Marzec
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Robert C Monsour
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33602, USA
| | - Ronda J Rolfes
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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71
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Wildeman AS, Patel NK, Cormack BP, Culotta VC. The role of manganese in morphogenesis and pathogenesis of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011478. [PMID: 37363924 PMCID: PMC10328360 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Metals such as Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn are essential trace nutrients for all kingdoms of life, including microbial pathogens and their hosts. During infection, the mammalian host attempts to starve invading microbes of these micronutrients through responses collectively known as nutritional immunity. Nutritional immunity for Zn, Fe and Cu has been well documented for fungal infections; however Mn handling at the host-fungal pathogen interface remains largely unexplored. This work establishes the foundation of fungal resistance against Mn associated nutritional immunity through the characterization of NRAMP divalent metal transporters in the opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Here, we identify C. albicans Smf12 and Smf13 as two NRAMP transporters required for cellular Mn accumulation. Single or combined smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ mutations result in a 10-80 fold reduction in cellular Mn with an additive effect of double mutations and no losses in cellular Cu, Fe or Zn. As a result of low cellular Mn, the mutants exhibit impaired activity of mitochondrial Mn-superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) and cytosolic Mn-Sod3 but no defects in cytosolic Cu/Zn-Sod1 activity. Mn is also required for activity of Golgi mannosyltransferases, and smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ mutants show a dramatic loss in cell surface phosphomannan and in glycosylation of proteins, including an intracellular acid phosphatase and a cell wall Cu-only Sod5 that is key for oxidative stress resistance. Importantly, smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ mutants are defective in formation of hyphal filaments, a deficiency rescuable by supplemental Mn. In a disseminated mouse model for candidiasis where kidney is the primary target tissue, we find a marked loss in total kidney Mn during fungal invasion, implying host restriction of Mn. In this model, smf12Δ/Δ and smf13Δ/Δ C. albicans mutants displayed a significant loss in virulence. These studies establish a role for Mn in Candida pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asia S Wildeman
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Naisargi K Patel
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brendan P Cormack
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Valeria C Culotta
- The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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72
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Feng W, Yang J, Ma Y, Zhang L, Yin R, Qiao Z, Ji Y, Zhou Y. Relationships between Secreted Aspartyl Proteinase 2 and General Control Nonderepressible 4 gene in the Candida albicans resistant to itraconazole under planktonic and biofilm conditions. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:619-627. [PMID: 37087512 PMCID: PMC10235319 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00961-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the roles of SAP2 and GCN4 in itraconazole (ITR) resistance of C. albicans under different conditions, and their correlations. A total of 20 clinical strains of C. albicans, including 10 ITR resistant strains and 10 sensitive strains, were used. Then, SAP2 sequencing and GCN4 sequencing were performed, and the biofilm formation ability of different C. albicans strains was determined. Finally, real-time quantitative PCR was used to measure the expression of SAP2 and GCN4 in C. albicans under planktonic and biofilm conditions, as well as their correlation was also analyzed. No missense mutations and three synonymous mutation sites, including T276A, G543A, and A675C, were found in SAP2 sequencing. GCN4 sequencing showed one missense mutation site (A106T (T36S)) and six synonymous mutation sites (A147C, C426T, T513C, T576A, G624A and C732T). The biofilm formation ability of drug-resistant C. albicans strains was significantly higher than that of sensitive strains (P < 0.05). Additionally, SAP2 and GCN4 were up-regulated in the ITR-resistant strains, and were both significantly higher in C. albicans under biofilm condition. The mRNA expression levels of SAP2 and GCN4 had significantly positive correlation. The higher expression levels of SAP2 and GCN4 were observed in the ITR-resistant strains of C. albicans under planktonic and biofilm conditions, as well as there was a positive correlation between SAP2 and GCN4 mRNA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Feng
- The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, NO.382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
| | - Jing Yang
- The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, NO.382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China.
| | - Yan Ma
- The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, NO.382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Luwen Zhang
- The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, NO.382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Rong Yin
- The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, NO.382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Zusha Qiao
- The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, NO.382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Ying Ji
- The Department of Bluttranfusion, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Yong'an Zhou
- The Department of Bluttranfusion, The Second Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
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73
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Wilson HB, Lorenz MC. Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis within Macrophages Does Not Require Carbon Dioxide or pH-Sensing Pathways. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0008723. [PMID: 37078861 PMCID: PMC10187119 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00087-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans has evolved a variety of mechanisms for surviving inside and escaping macrophages, including the initiation of filamentous growth. Although several distinct models have been proposed to explain this process at the molecular level, the signals driving hyphal morphogenesis in this context have yet to be clarified. Here, we evaluate the following three molecular signals as potential hyphal inducers within macrophage phagosomes: CO2, intracellular pH, and extracellular pH. Additionally, we revisit previous work suggesting that the intracellular pH of C. albicans fluctuates in tandem with morphological changes in vitro. Using time-lapse microscopy, we observed that C. albicans mutants lacking components of the CO2-sensing pathway were able to undergo hyphal morphogenesis within macrophages. Similarly, a rim101Δ strain was competent in hyphal induction, suggesting that neutral/alkaline pH sensing is not necessary for the initiation of morphogenesis within phagosomes either. Contrary to previous findings, single-cell pH-tracking experiments revealed that the cytosolic pH of C. albicans remains tightly regulated both within macrophage phagosomes and under a variety of in vitro conditions throughout the process of morphogenesis. This finding suggests that intracellular pH is not a signal contributing to morphological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B. Wilson
- Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael C. Lorenz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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Iqbal A, Khan A, Ahmedi S, Manzoor N, Siddiqui T. Synthesis, antifungal evaluation, and molecular docking studies of steroidal thiazolopyrimidines. Steroids 2023; 193:109186. [PMID: 36736803 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2023.109186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A series of steroidal thiazolopyrimidine derivatives were developed and evaluated for their antifungal properties against Candida species using steroid as the basic skeletonand a thiazolopyrimidine heterocycle as a pharmacophore in the D-ring. Dehydroepiandrosterone, aromatic aldehydes, and 2-aminothiazole were used in a one-pot multicomponent reaction with silica sulphuric acid to generate the target molecules. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted to determine how synthesized steroidal derivatives interacted with the amino acid residues of CYP51 ofCandida albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arfeen Iqbal
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202 002, UP, India
| | - Asna Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202 002, UP, India
| | - Saiema Ahmedi
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Nikhat Manzoor
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Tabassum Siddiqui
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202 002, UP, India.
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75
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Solis NV, Wakade RS, Filler SG, Krysan DJ. Candida albicans Oropharyngeal Infection Is an Exception to Iron-Based Nutritional Immunity. mBio 2023; 14:e0009523. [PMID: 36912640 PMCID: PMC10128012 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00095-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a commensal of the human gastrointestinal tract and a common cause of human fungal disease, including mucosal infections, such as oropharyngeal candidiasis and disseminated infections of the bloodstream and deep organs. We directly compared the in vivo transcriptional profile of C. albicans during oral infection and disseminated infection of the kidney to identify niche specific features. Overall, 97 genes were differentially expressed between the 2 infection sites. Virulence-associated genes, such as hyphae-specific transcripts, were expressed similarly in the 2 sites. Genes expressed during growth in a poor carbon source (ACS1 and PCK1) were upregulated in oral tissue relative to kidney. Most strikingly, C. albicans in oral tissue shows the transcriptional hallmarks of an iron replete state while in the kidney it is in the expected iron starved state. Interestingly, C. albicans expresses genes associated with a low zinc environment in both niches. Consistent with these expression data, strains lacking transcription factors that regulate iron responsive genes (SEF1, HAP5) have no effect on virulence in a mouse model of oral candidiasis. During microbial infection, the host sequesters iron, zinc, and other metal nutrients to suppress growth of the pathogen in a process called nutritional immunity. Our results indicate that C. albicans is subject to iron and zinc nutritional immunity during disseminated infection but not to iron nutritional immunity during oral infection. IMPORTANCE Nutritional immunity is a response by which infected host tissue sequesters nutrients, such as iron, to prevent the microbe from efficiently replicating. Microbial pathogens subjected to iron nutritional immunity express specific genes to compensate for low iron availability. By comparing the gene expression profiles of the common human fungal pathogen Candida albicans in 2 infection sites, we found that C. albicans infecting the kidney has the transcriptional profile of iron starvation. By contrast, the C. albicans expression profile during oropharyngeal infection indicates the fungus is not iron starved. Two transcription factors that activate the transcriptional response to iron starvation are not required for C. albicans virulence during oral infection but are required for disseminated infection of the kidney. Thus, our results indicate that C. albicans is subject to nutritional iron immunity during disseminated infection but not during oropharyngeal infection, and highlight niche specific differences in the host-Candida albicans interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma V. Solis
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
| | - Rohan S. Wakade
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA
| | - Scott G. Filler
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angles, CA
| | - Damian J. Krysan
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Caver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA
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76
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Smoak RA, Snyder LF, Fassler JS, He BZ. Parallel expansion and divergence of an adhesin family in pathogenic yeasts. Genetics 2023; 223:iyad024. [PMID: 36794645 PMCID: PMC10319987 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Opportunistic yeast pathogens arose multiple times in the Saccharomycetes class, including the recently emerged, multidrug-resistant (MDR) Candida auris. We show that homologs of a known yeast adhesin family in Candida albicans, the Hyr/Iff-like (Hil) family, are enriched in distinct clades of Candida species as a result of multiple, independent expansions. Following gene duplication, the tandem repeat-rich region in these proteins diverged extremely rapidly and generated large variations in length and β-aggregation potential, both of which are known to directly affect adhesion. The conserved N-terminal effector domain was predicted to adopt a β-helical fold followed by an α-crystallin domain, making it structurally similar to a group of unrelated bacterial adhesins. Evolutionary analyses of the effector domain in C. auris revealed relaxed selective constraint combined with signatures of positive selection, suggesting functional diversification after gene duplication. Lastly, we found the Hil family genes to be enriched at chromosomal ends, which likely contributed to their expansion via ectopic recombination and break-induced replication. Combined, these results suggest that the expansion and diversification of adhesin families generate variation in adhesion and virulence within and between species and are a key step toward the emergence of fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Smoak
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Lindsey F Snyder
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Jan S Fassler
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Bin Z He
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Department of Biology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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77
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Kulkarni R, Kasani SK, Tsai CY, Tung SY, Yeh KH, Yu CHA, Chang W. FAM21 is critical for TLR2/CLEC4E-mediated dendritic cell function against Candida albicans. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201414. [PMID: 36717248 PMCID: PMC9888482 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
FAM21 (family with sequence similarity 21) is a component of the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and SCAR homologue (WASH) protein complex that mediates actin polymerization at endosomal membranes to facilitate sorting of cargo-containing vesicles out of endosomes. To study the function of FAM21 in vivo, we generated conditional knockout (cKO) mice in the C57BL/6 background in which FAM21 was specifically knocked out of CD11c-positive dendritic cells. BMDCs from those mice displayed enlarged early endosomes, and altered cell migration and morphology relative to WT cells. FAM21-cKO cells were less competent in phagocytosis and protein antigen presentation in vitro, though peptide antigen presentation was not affected. More importantly, we identified the TLR2/CLEC4E signaling pathway as being down-regulated in FAM21-cKO BMDCs when challenged with its specific ligand Candida albicans Moreover, FAM21-cKO mice were more susceptible to C. albicans infection than WT mice. Reconstitution of WT BMDCs in FAM21-cKO mice rescued them from lethal C. albicans infection. Thus, our study highlights the importance of FAM21 in a host immune response against a significant pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kulkarni
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Siti Khadijah Kasani
- Molecular and Cell Biology, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica and Graduate Institute of Life Science, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Yen Tsai
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Yun Tung
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Hai Yeh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Wen Chang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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78
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Kim S, Kim SH, Kweon E, Kim J. Apoptotic Factors, CaNma111 and CaYbh3, Function in Candida albicans Filamentation by Regulating the Hyphal Suppressors, Nrg1 and Tup1. J Microbiol 2023; 61:403-409. [PMID: 36972003 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-023-00034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The morphological switch from the yeast to hyphal form is a key virulence attribute of the opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. Our recent report showed that deletion of the newly identified apoptotic factor, CaNma111 or CaYbh3, leads to hyperfilamentation and increased virulence in a mouse infection model. CaNma111 and CaYbh3 are homologs of the pro-apoptotic protease, HtrA2/Omi, and BH3-only protein, respectively. In this study, we examined the effects of CaNMA111 and CaYBH3 deletion mutations on the expression levels of the hypha-specific transcription factors, Cph1 (a hyphal activator), Nrg1 (a hyphal repressor), and Tup1 (a hyphal repressor). The protein levels of Nrg1 were decreased in Caybh3/Caybh3 cells while those of Tup1 were decreased in both Canma111/Canma111 and Caybh3/Caybh3 cells. These effects on Nrg1 and Tup1 proteins were retained during serum-induced filamentation and appear to explain the hyperfilamentation phenotypes of the CaNMA111 and CaYBH3 deletion mutants. Treatment with the apoptosis-inducing dose of farnesol decreased the Nrg1 protein levels in the wild-type strain and more evidently in Canma111/Canma111 and Caybh3/Caybh3 mutant strains. Together, our results suggest that CaNma111 and CaYbh3 are key regulators of Nrg1 and Tup1 protein levels in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyoung Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hyeon Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjoong Kweon
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinmi Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea.
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79
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Kakade P, Sircaik S, Maufrais C, Ene IV, Bennett RJ. Aneuploidy and gene dosage regulate filamentation and host colonization by Candida albicans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218163120. [PMID: 36893271 PMCID: PMC10089209 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218163120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Aneuploidy is a frequent occurrence in fungal species where it can alter gene expression and promote adaptation to a variety of environmental cues. Multiple forms of aneuploidy have been observed in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans, which is a common component of the human gut mycobiome but can escape this niche and cause life-threatening systemic disease. Using a barcode sequencing (Bar-seq) approach, we evaluated a set of diploid C. albicans strains and found that a strain carrying a third copy of chromosome (Chr) 7 was associated with increased fitness during both gastrointestinal (GI) colonization and systemic infection. Our analysis revealed that the presence of a Chr 7 trisomy resulted in decreased filamentation, both in vitro and during GI colonization, relative to isogenic euploid controls. A target gene approach demonstrated that NRG1, encoding a negative regulator of filamentation located on Chr 7, contributes to increased fitness of the aneuploid strain due to inhibition of filamentation in a gene dosage-dependent fashion. Together, these experiments establish how aneuploidy enables the reversible adaptation of C. albicans to its host via gene dosage-dependent regulation of morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Kakade
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Shabnam Sircaik
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
| | - Corinne Maufrais
- Institut Pasteur Bioinformatic Hub, Université Paris Cité, Paris75015, France
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fungal Heterogeneity Lab, Paris75015, France
| | - Iuliana V. Ene
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Fungal Heterogeneity Lab, Paris75015, France
| | - Richard J. Bennett
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, Brown University, Providence, RI02912
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80
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Gervais NC, La Bella AA, Wensing LF, Sharma J, Acquaviva V, Best M, Cadena López RO, Fogal M, Uthayakumar D, Chavez A, Santiago-Tirado F, Flores-Mireles AL, Shapiro RS. Development and applications of a CRISPR activation system for facile genetic overexpression in Candida albicans. G3 (Bethesda) 2023; 13:jkac301. [PMID: 36450451 PMCID: PMC9911074 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
For the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, genetic overexpression readily occurs via a diversity of genomic alterations, such as aneuploidy and gain-of-function mutations, with important consequences for host adaptation, virulence, and evolution of antifungal drug resistance. Given the important role of overexpression on C. albicans biology, it is critical to develop and harness tools that enable the analysis of genes expressed at high levels in the fungal cell. Here, we describe the development, optimization, and application of a novel, single-plasmid-based CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) platform for targeted genetic overexpression in C. albicans, which employs a guide RNA to target an activator complex to the promoter region of a gene of interest, thus driving transcriptional expression of that gene. Using this system, we demonstrate the ability of CRISPRa to drive high levels of gene expression in C. albicans, and we assess optimal guide RNA targeting for robust and constitutive overexpression. We further demonstrate the specificity of the system via RNA sequencing. We highlight the application of CRISPR activation to overexpress genes involved in pathogenesis and drug susceptibility, and contribute toward the identification of novel phenotypes. Consequently, this tool will facilitate a broad range of applications for the study of C. albicans genetic overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Gervais
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Alyssa A La Bella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Lauren F Wensing
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Jehoshua Sharma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Victoria Acquaviva
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Madison Best
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | | | - Meea Fogal
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Deeva Uthayakumar
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
- Present address: Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alejandro Chavez
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | - Ana L Flores-Mireles
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1H 5N4, Canada
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81
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Nishikawa Y, Tomotake Y, Kawano H, Naruishi K, Kido JI, Hiroshima Y, Murakami A, Ichikawa T, Yumoto H. Effects of Candidalysin Derived from Candida albicans on the Expression of Pro-Inflammatory Mediators in Human Gingival Fibroblasts. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043256. [PMID: 36834667 PMCID: PMC9963793 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans (Ca) is frequently detected in the peri-implant sulcus with peri-implantitis, a major postoperative complication after oral implant therapy. However, the involvement of Ca in the pathogenesis of peri-implantitis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to clarify Ca prevalence in the peri-implant sulcus and investigated the effects of candidalysin (Clys), a toxin produced by Ca, on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) was cultured using CHROMagar and Ca colonization rate and colony numbers were calculated. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) in PICF were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pro-inflammatory mediator production and intracellular signaling pathway (MAPK) activation in HGFs were measured by ELISA and Western blotting, respectively. The Ca colonization rate and the average number of colonies in the peri-implantitis group tended to be higher than those in the healthy group. IL-1β and sIL-6R levels in the PICF were significantly higher in the peri-implantitis group than in the healthy group. Clys significantly induced IL-6 and pro-matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 productions in HGFs, and co-stimulation with Clys and sIL-6R increased IL-6, pro-MMP-1, and IL-8 production levels in HGFs compared with Clys stimulation alone. These findings suggest that Clys from Ca plays a role in the pathogenesis of peri-implantitis by inducing pro-inflammatory mediators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasufumi Nishikawa
- Oral Implant Center, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Yoritoki Tomotake
- Oral Implant Center, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Kawano
- Oral Implant Center, Tokushima University Hospital, 2-50-1 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
| | - Koji Naruishi
- Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Jun-ichi Kido
- Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Yuka Hiroshima
- Department of Oral Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Akikazu Murakami
- Department of Oral Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Tetsuo Ichikawa
- Department of Prosthodontics and Oral Rehabilitation, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
| | - Hiromichi Yumoto
- Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8504, Japan
- Correspondence:
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82
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Cravener MV, Do E, May G, Zarnowski R, Andes DR, McManus CJ, Mitchell AP. Reinforcement amid genetic diversity in the Candida albicans biofilm regulatory network. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011109. [PMID: 36696432 PMCID: PMC9901766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilms of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans include abundant long filaments called hyphae. These cells express hypha-associated genes, which specify diverse virulence functions including surface adhesins that ensure biofilm integrity. Biofilm formation, virulence, and hypha-associated gene expression all depend upon the transcription factor Efg1. This transcription factor has been characterized extensively in the C. albicans type strain SC5314 and derivatives, but only recently has its function been explored in other clinical isolates. Here we define a principal set of Efg1-responsive genes whose expression is significantly altered by an efg1Δ/Δ mutation across 17 clinical isolates. This principal gene set includes 68 direct Efg1 targets, whose 5' regions are bound by Efg1 in five clinical isolates, and 42 indirect Efg1 targets, whose 5' regions are not detectably bound by Efg1. Three direct Efg1 target genes encode transcription factors-BRG1, UME6, and WOR3 -whose increased expression in an efg1Δ/Δ mutant restores expression of multiple indirect and direct principal targets, as well as biofilm formation ability. Although BRG1 and UME6 are well known positive regulators of hypha-associated genes and biofilm formation, WOR3 is best known as an antagonist of Efg1 in the sexual mating pathway. We confirm the positive role of WOR3 in biofilm formation with the finding that a wor3Δ/Δ mutation impairs biofilm formation in vitro and in an in vivo biofilm model. Positive control of Efg1 direct target genes by other Efg1 direct target genes-BRG1, UME6, and WOR3 -may buffer principal Efg1-responsive gene expression against the impact of genetic variation in the C. albicans species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max V. Cravener
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Eunsoo Do
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Gemma May
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Robert Zarnowski
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - David R. Andes
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - C. Joel McManus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Aaron P. Mitchell
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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83
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Brenes LR, Johnson AD, Lohse MB. Farnesol and phosphorylation of the transcriptional regulator Efg1 affect Candida albicans white-opaque switching rates. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280233. [PMID: 36662710 PMCID: PMC9858334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a normal member of the human microbiome and an opportunistic fungal pathogen. This species undergoes several morphological transitions, and here we consider white-opaque switching. In this switching program, C. albicans reversibly alternates between two cell types, named "white" and "opaque," each of which is normally stable across thousands of cell divisions. Although switching under most conditions is stochastic and rare, certain environmental signals or genetic manipulations can dramatically increase the rate of switching. Here, we report the identification of two new inputs which affect white-to-opaque switching rates. The first, exposure to sub-micromolar concentrations of (E,E)-farnesol, reduces white-to-opaque switching by ten-fold or more. The second input, an inferred PKA phosphorylation of residue T208 on the transcriptional regulator Efg1, increases white-to-opaque switching ten-fold. Combining these and other environmental inputs results in a variety of different switching rates, indicating that a given rate represents the integration of multiple inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas R. Brenes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Alexander D. Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew B. Lohse
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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84
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Wang WH, Lai TX, Wu YC, Chen ZT, Tseng KY, Lan CY. Associations of Rap1 with Cell Wall Integrity, Biofilm Formation, and Virulence in Candida albicans. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0328522. [PMID: 36416583 PMCID: PMC9769648 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03285-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Rap1 (repressor activator protein 1) is a multifunctional protein, playing important roles in telomeric and nontelomeric functions in many eukaryotes. Candida albicans Rap1 has been previously shown to be involved in telomeric regulation, but its other functions are still mostly unknown. In this study, we found that the deletion of the RAP1 gene altered cell wall properties, composition, and gene expression. In addition, deletion of RAP1 affected C. albicans biofilm formation and modulated phagocytosis and cytokine release by host immune cells. Finally, the RAP1 gene deletion mutant showed attenuation of C. albicans virulence in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Therefore, these findings provide new insights into Rap1 functions that are particularly relevant to pathogenesis and virulence of C. albicans. IMPORTANCE C. albicans is an important fungal pathogen of humans. The cell wall is the outermost layer of C. albicans and is important for commensalism and infection by this pathogen. Moreover, the cell wall is also an important target for antifungals. Studies of how C. albicans maintains its cell wall integrity are critical for a better understanding of fungal pathogenesis and virulence. This work focuses on exploring unknown functions of C. albicans Rap1 and reveals its contribution to cell wall integrity, biofilm formation, and virulence. Notably, these findings will also improve our general understanding of complex machinery to control pathogenesis and virulence of fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Han Wang
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Xiu Lai
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chia Wu
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Zzu-Ting Chen
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Yun Tseng
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Taiwan Mycology Reference Center, National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Yu Lan
- Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Life Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
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85
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Yang L, Zhu H, Li M, Yu Q. The Tricalbin-Family Endoplasmic Reticulum-Plasma Membrane Tethering Proteins Attenuate ROS-Involved Caspofungin Sensitivity in Candida albicans. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0207922. [PMID: 36445092 PMCID: PMC9769562 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02079-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane (ER-PM) contacts are one kind of important membrane contact structures in eukaryotic cells, which mediate material and message exchange between the ER and the PM. However, the specific types and functions of ER-PM tethering proteins are poorly understood in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. In this study, we observed that the two tricalbin-family proteins, i.e., Tcb1 and Tcb3, were colocalized with the ER-PM contacts in C. albicans. Deletion of the tricalbin-encoding genes TCB1 and TCB3 remarkably reduced ER-PM contacts, suggesting that tricalbins are ER-PM tethering proteins of C. albicans. Stress sensitivity assays showed that the TCB-deleted strains, including tcb1Δ/Δ, tcb3Δ/Δ, and tcb1Δ/Δ tcb3Δ/Δ, exhibited hypersensitivity to cell wall stress induced by caspofungin. Further investigation revealed that caspofungin induced drastic reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the mutants, which was attributed to enhanced oxidation of Ero1 in the ER lumen. Removal of intracellular ROS by the ROS scavenger vitamin C rescued the growth of the mutants under caspofungin treatment, indicating that Ero1 oxidation-related ROS accumulation was involved in caspofungin hypersensitivity of the mutants. Moreover, deletion of the TCB genes decreased secretion of extracellular aspartyl proteinases, reduced transport of the cell wall protein Hwp1 from the cytoplasm to the cell wall, and attenuated virulence of the fungal pathogen. This study sheds a light on the role of ER-PM tethering proteins in maintenance of cell wall integrity and virulence in fungal pathogens. IMPORTANCE The endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contacts are important membrane contact structures in eukaryotic cells, functioning in material and message exchange between the ER and the PM. We observed that the two tricalbin-family endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact proteins are required for tolerance to caspofungin-induced cell wall stress in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. The tricalbin mutants exhibited hypersensitivity to cell wall stress induced by caspofungin. Further investigation revealed that Ero1 oxidation-related reactive species oxygen accumulation was involved in caspofungin hypersensitivity of the tricalbin mutants. Moreover, loss of tricalbins reduced secretion of extracellular aspartyl proteinases, decreased transport of the cell wall proteins from the cytoplasm to the cell wall, and attenuated virulence of the fungal pathogen. This study uncovers the role of ER-PM tethering proteins in sustaining protein secretion, maintenance of cell wall integrity and virulence in fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hangqi Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mingchun Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qilin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, Ministry of Education, Department of Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
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86
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Basante-Bedoya MA, Bogliolo S, Garcia-Rodas R, Zaragoza O, Arkowitz RA, Bassilana M. Two distinct lipid transporters together regulate invasive filamentous growth in the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010549. [PMID: 36516161 PMCID: PMC9797089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Flippases transport lipids across the membrane bilayer to generate and maintain asymmetry. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans has 5 flippases, including Drs2, which is critical for filamentous growth and phosphatidylserine (PS) distribution. Furthermore, a drs2 deletion mutant is hypersensitive to the antifungal drug fluconazole and copper ions. We show here that such a flippase mutant also has an altered distribution of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P] and ergosterol. Analyses of additional lipid transporters, i.e. the flippases Dnf1-3, and all the oxysterol binding protein (Osh) family lipid transfer proteins, i.e. Osh2-4 and Osh7, indicate that they are not critical for filamentous growth. However, deletion of Osh4 alone, which exchanges PI(4)P for sterol, in a drs2 mutant can bypass the requirement for this flippase in invasive filamentous growth. In addition, deletion of the lipid phosphatase Sac1, which dephosphorylates PI(4)P, in a drs2 mutant results in a synthetic growth defect, suggesting that Drs2 and Sac1 function in parallel pathways. Together, our results indicate that a balance between the activities of two putative lipid transporters regulates invasive filamentous growth, via PI(4)P. In contrast, deletion of OSH4 in drs2 does not restore growth on fluconazole, nor on papuamide A, a toxin that binds PS in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, suggesting that Drs2 has additional role(s) in plasma membrane organization, independent of Osh4. As we show that C. albicans Drs2 localizes to different structures, including the Spitzenkörper, we investigated if a specific localization of Drs2 is critical for different functions, using a synthetic physical interaction approach to restrict/stabilize Drs2 at the Spitzenkörper. Our results suggest that the localization of Drs2 at the plasma membrane is critical for C. albicans growth on fluconazole and papuamide A, but not for invasive filamentous growth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rocio Garcia-Rodas
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, Parc Valrose, Nice, FRANCE
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar Zaragoza
- Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research in Network in Infectious Diseases (CIBERINFEC-CB21/13/00105), Health Institute Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Martine Bassilana
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, Parc Valrose, Nice, FRANCE
- * E-mail:
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87
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Hossain S, Robbins N, Cowen LE. The GARP complex is required for filamentation in Candida albicans. Genetics 2022; 222:iyac152. [PMID: 36226807 PMCID: PMC9713427 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes superficial infections in immunocompetent individuals, as well as life-threatening systemic disease in immunocompromised patients. A key virulence trait of this pathogen is its ability to transition between yeast and filamentous morphologies. A functional genomic screen to identify novel regulators of filamentation previously revealed VPS53 as being important for morphogenesis. Vps53 belongs to the Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex, which mediates retrograde trafficking from the endosome to the trans-Golgi network. Here, we explored the role of the entire GARP complex in regulating morphogenesis. Deletion of any of the four genes encoding GARP complex subunits severely impaired filamentation in response to diverse filament-inducing cues, including upon internalization by macrophages. Genetic pathway analysis revealed that while hyperactivation of protein kinase A (PKA) signaling is insufficient to drive filamentation in GARP complex mutants, these strains are capable of filamentation upon overexpression of transcriptional activators or upon deletion of transcriptional repressors of hyphal morphogenesis. Finally, compromise of the GARP complex induced lipotoxicity, and pharmacological inhibition of sphingolipid biosynthesis phenocopied genetic compromise of the GARP complex by impairing filamentation. Together, this work identifies the GARP complex as an important mediator of filamentation in response to multiple inducing cues, maps genetic circuitry important for filamentation upon compromise of GARP function, and supports a model whereby GARP deficiency impairs lipid homeostasis, which is important for supporting filamentous growth in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saif Hossain
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Robbins
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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88
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Ponde NO, Lortal L, Tsavou A, Hepworth OW, Wickramasinghe DN, Ho J, Richardson JP, Moyes DL, Gaffen SL, Naglik JR. Receptor-kinase EGFR-MAPK adaptor proteins mediate the epithelial response to Candida albicans via the cytolytic peptide toxin, candidalysin. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102419. [PMID: 36037968 PMCID: PMC9530844 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a dimorphic commensal human fungal pathogen that can cause severe oropharyngeal candidiasis (oral thrush) in susceptible hosts. During invasive infection, C. albicans hyphae invade oral epithelial cells (OECs) and secrete candidalysin, a pore-forming cytolytic peptide that is required for C. albicans pathogenesis at mucosal surfaces. Candidalysin is produced in the hyphal invasion pocket and triggers cell damage responses in OECs. Candidalysin also activates multiple MAPK-based signaling events that collectively drive the production of downstream inflammatory mediators that coordinate downstream innate and adaptive immune responses. The activities of candidalysin are dependent on signaling through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Here, we interrogated known EGFR-MAPK signaling intermediates for their roles mediating the OEC response to C. albicans infection. Using RNA silencing and pharmacological inhibition, we identified five key adaptors, including growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (Grb2), Grb2-associated binding protein 1 (Gab1), Src homology and collagen (Shc), SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (Shp2), and casitas B-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl). We determined that all of these signaling effectors were inducibly phosphorylated in response to C. albicans. These phosphorylation events occurred in a candidalysin-dependent manner and additionally required EGFR phosphorylation, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and cellular calcium flux to activate a complete OEC response to fungal infection. Of these, Gab1, Grb2, and Shp2 were the dominant drivers of ERK1/2 activation and the subsequent production of downstream innate-acting cytokines. Together, these results identify the key adaptor proteins that drive the EGFR signaling mechanisms that underlie oral epithelial responses to C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole O Ponde
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Léa Lortal
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Antzela Tsavou
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Olivia W Hepworth
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Don N Wickramasinghe
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jemima Ho
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan P Richardson
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David L Moyes
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah L Gaffen
- Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Julian R Naglik
- Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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89
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Wu H, Yin X, Zhao X, Wu Z, Xiao Y, Di Q, Sun P, Tang H, Quan J, Chen W. HDAC11 negatively regulates antifungal immunity by inhibiting Nos2 expression via binding with transcriptional repressor STAT3. Redox Biol 2022; 56:102461. [PMID: 36087429 PMCID: PMC9465110 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Han Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaofan Yin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xibao Zhao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zherui Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yue Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qianqian Di
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haimei Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiazheng Quan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weilin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Regional Immunity and Diseases, Institute of Biological Therapy, Department of Immunology, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen, China.
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90
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Lee YS, Chen X, Widiyanto TW, Orihara K, Shibata H, Kajiwara S. Curcumin affects function of Hsp90 and drug efflux pump of Candida albicans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:944611. [PMID: 36237434 PMCID: PMC9551236 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.944611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a pathogenic yeast that causes candidiasis in immunocompromised patients. The overuse of antifungal drugs has led to the development of resistance to such drugs by this fungus, which is a major challenge in antifungal chemotherapy. One approach to this problem involves the utilization of new natural products as an alternative source of antifungals. Curcumin, one such natural product, has been widely studied as a drug candidate and is reported to exhibit antifungal activity against C. albicans. Although studies of the mechanism of curcumin against human cancer cells have shown that it inhibits heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), little is known about its function against C. albicans. In this paper, using a doxycycline-mediated HSP90 strain and an HSP90-overexpressing strain of C. albicans, we demonstrated that the curcumin triggered a decrease in Hsp90 by affecting it at the post-transcriptional level. This also led to the downregulation of HOG1 and CDR1, resulting in a reduction of the stress response and efflux pump activity of C. albicans. However, the inhibition of HSP90 by curcumin was not due to the inhibition of transcription factors HSF1 or AHR1. We also found that curcumin can not only decrease the transcriptional expression of CDR1, but also inhibit the efflux pump activity of Cdr1. Hence, we conclude that disruption of HSP90 by curcumin could impair cell growth, stress responses and efflux pump activity of C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yean Sheng Lee
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Xinyue Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | - Kanami Orihara
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | | | - Susumu Kajiwara
- School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Japan
- *Correspondence: Susumu Kajiwara,
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91
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Wagner AS, Lumsdaine SW, Mangrum MM, King AE, Hancock TJ, Sparer TE, Reynolds TB. Cek1 regulates ß(1,3)-glucan exposure through calcineurin effectors in Candida albicans. PLoS Genet 2022; 18:e1010405. [PMID: 36121853 PMCID: PMC9521907 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to successfully induce disease, the fungal pathogen Candida albicans regulates exposure of antigens like the cell wall polysaccharide ß(1,3)-glucan to the host immune system. C. albicans covers (masks) ß(1,3)-glucan with a layer of mannosylated glycoproteins, which aids in immune system evasion by acting as a barrier to recognition by host pattern recognition receptors. Consequently, enhanced ß(1,3)-glucan exposure (unmasking) makes fungal cells more visible to host immune cells and facilitates more robust fungal clearance. However, an understanding of how C. albicans regulates its exposure levels of ß(1,3)-glucan is needed to leverage this phenotype. Signal transduction pathways and their corresponding effector genes mediating these changes are only beginning to be defined. Here, we report that the phosphatase calcineurin mediates unmasking of ß(1,3)-glucan in response to inputs from the Cek1 MAPK pathway and in response to caspofungin exposure. In contrast, calcineurin reduces ß-glucan exposure in response to high levels of extracellular calcium. Thus, depending on the input, calcineurin acts as a switchboard to regulate ß(1,3)-glucan exposure levels. By leveraging these differential ß(1,3)-glucan exposure phenotypes, we identified two novel effector genes in the calcineurin regulon, FGR41 and C1_11990W_A, that encode putative cell wall proteins and mediate masking/unmasking. Loss of either effector caused unmasking and attenuated virulence during systemic infection in mice. Furthermore, immunosuppression restored the colonization decrease seen in mice infected with the fgr41Δ/Δ mutant to wild-type levels, demonstrating a reliance on the host immune system for virulence attenuation. Thus, calcineurin and its downstream regulon are general regulators of unmasking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Wagner
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Stephen W. Lumsdaine
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Mikayla M. Mangrum
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Ainsley E. King
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Trevor J. Hancock
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Timothy E. Sparer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Todd B. Reynolds
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
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92
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Ojima Y, Yokota N, Tanibata Y, Nerome S, Azuma M. Concentrative Nucleoside Transporter, CNT, Results in Selective Toxicity of Toyocamycin against Candida albicans. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0113822. [PMID: 35913167 PMCID: PMC9431476 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01138-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Toyocamycin (TM) is an adenosine-analog antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces toyocaensis. It inhibits Candida albicans, several plant fungal pathogens, and human cells, but many fungi, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are much less susceptible to TM. Aiming to clarify why TM and its analogs tubercidin and 5-iodotubercidin are active against C. albicans but not S. cerevisiae, this study focused on the absence of purine nucleoside transport activity from S. cerevisiae. When the concentrative nucleoside transporter (CNT) of C. albicans was expressed in S. cerevisiae, the recombinant strain became sensitive to TM and its analogs. The expression of C. albicans purine nucleoside permease in S. cerevisiae did not result in sensitivity to TM. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat-mediated disruption of CNT was performed in C. albicans. The CNTΔ strain of C. albicans became insensitive to TM and its analogs. These data suggest that the toxicity of TM and its analogs toward C. albicans results from their transport via CNT. Interestingly, S. cerevisiae also became sensitive to TM and its analogs if human CNT3 was introduced into cells. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of action of adenosine analogs toward Candida pathogens and human cells. IMPORTANCE We investigated the mechanism of toxicity of TM and its analogs to C. albicans. Inspired by the effect of the copresence of TM and purine nucleosides on cell growth of C. albicans, we investigated the involvement of CNT in the toxicity mechanism by expressing CNT of C. albicans (CaCNT) in S. cerevisiae and deleting CaCNT in C. albicans. Our examinations clearly demonstrated that CaCNT is responsible for the toxicity of TM to C. albicans. S. cerevisiae expressing the human ortholog of CaCNT also became sensitive to TM and its analogs, and the order of effects of the TM analogs was a little different between CaCNT- and hCNT3-expressing S. cerevisiae. These findings are beneficial for an understanding of the mechanisms of action of adenosine analogs toward Candida pathogens and human cells and also the development of new antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Ojima
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoki Yokota
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Tanibata
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Nerome
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Azuma
- Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan
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93
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Miškovská A, Rabochová M, Michailidu J, Masák J, Čejková A, Lorinčík J, Maťátková O. Antibiofilm activity of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized using viticultural waste. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272844. [PMID: 35947573 PMCID: PMC9365141 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Green methods have become vital for sustainable development of the scientific and commercial sphere; however, they can bring new challenges, including the need for detailed characterization and elucidation of efficacy of their products. In this study, green method of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) production was employed using an extract from grapevine canes. The aim of the study was to contribute to the knowledge about biosynthesized AgNPs by focusing on elucidation of their antifungal efficiency based on their size and/or hypothesized synergy with bioactive substances from Vitis vinifera cane extract. The antifungal activity of AgNPs capped and stabilized with bioactive compounds was tested against the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Two dispersions of nanoparticles with different morphology (characterized by SEM-in-STEM, DLS, UV-Vis, XRD, and AAS) were prepared by modification of reaction conditions suitable for economical production and their long-term stability monitored for six months was confirmed. The aims of the study included the comparison of the antifungal effect against suspension cells and biofilm of small monodisperse AgNPs with narrow size distribution and large polydisperse AgNPs. The hypothesis of synergistic interaction of biologically active molecules from V. vinifera extracts and AgNPs against both cell forms were tested. The interactions of all AgNPs dispersions with the cell surface and changes in cell morphology were imaged using SEM. All variants of AgNPs dispersions were found to be active against suspension and biofilm cells of C. albicans; nevertheless, surprisingly, larger polydisperse AgNPs were found to be more effective. Synergistic action of nanoparticles with biologically active extract compounds was proven for biofilm cells (MBIC80 20 mg/L of polydisperse AgNPs in extract), while isolated nanoparticles suspended in water were more active against suspension cells (MIC 20 mg/L of polydisperse AgNPs dispersed in water). Our results bring new insight into the economical production of AgNPs with defined characteristics, which were proven to target a specific mode of growth of significant pathogen C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Miškovská
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Michaela Rabochová
- Research Centre Řež, Husinec, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Kladno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Michailidu
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Masák
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Čejková
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Olga Maťátková
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Czech Republic
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94
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Zhang X, Dong S, Huang Y, Shi H, Chen X, Wang Y, Li Y, Cao D, Wang L. A scFv phage targeting the C. albicans cell wall screened from a bacteriophage-based library of induced immune protection in mice. Infect Genet Evol 2022; 102:105303. [PMID: 35577227 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
C. albicans is the most prevalent opportunistic fungal and can cause life-threatening systemic infections under certain circumstances. The inefficiency and resistance of traditional therapy make the development of novel techniques indispensable. The main components, proteins and glycoproteins, of the C. albicans cell wall are highly immunogenic and very different from those of the host, making it an ideal source of targets for antifungal drug development. This study aimed to screen and identify specific peptides that bind to the C. albicans cell wall using a phage-display peptide library, and to develop a peptide-based therapy targeted to C. albicans. After four rounds of screening, JC-1 ScFv was found to bind to the C. albicans cell wall specifically, inhibit C. albicans growth and viability in vitro, and protect mice from C. albicans infection in vivo. Further study showed that JC-1 could provoke an immune response in C. albicans-infected mice. These results indicated that JC-1 ScFv screened from a phage-display peptide library had the potential to be developed as a vector for targeting C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintong Zhang
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China.; The Bethune Institute of Epigenetic Medicine, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130021, PR China
| | - Shuai Dong
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China.; Department of obstetrics and gynecology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130021, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Huang
- Department of pediatric outpatient, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130021, PR China
| | - Hongxi Shi
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China
| | - Xi Chen
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China
| | - Yicun Wang
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China
| | - Yan Li
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China
| | - Donghui Cao
- Division of Clinical Research, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130021, PR China..
| | - Li Wang
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun City, Jilin Province 130024, PR China..
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95
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Feng Y, Zhang Y, Li J, Omran RP, Whiteway M, Feng J. Transcriptional Profiling of the Candida albicans Response to the DNA Damage Agent Methyl Methanesulfonate. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147555. [PMID: 35886903 PMCID: PMC9317300 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The infection of a mammalian host by the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans involves fungal resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS)—induced DNA damage stress generated by the defending macrophages or neutrophils. Thus, the DNA damage response in C. albicans may contribute to its pathogenicity. Uncovering the transcriptional changes triggered by the DNA damage—inducing agent MMS in many model organisms has enhanced the understanding of their DNA damage response processes. However, the transcriptional regulation triggered by MMS remains unclear in C. albicans. Here, we explored the global transcription profile in response to MMS in C. albicans and identified 306 defined genes whose transcription was significantly affected by MMS. Only a few MMS-responsive genes, such as MGT1, DDR48, MAG1, and RAD7, showed potential roles in DNA repair. GO term analysis revealed that a large number of induced genes were involved in antioxidation responses, and some downregulated genes were involved in nucleosome packing and IMP biosynthesis. Nevertheless, phenotypic assays revealed that MMS-induced antioxidation gene CAP1 and glutathione metabolism genes GST2 and GST3 showed no direct roles in MMS resistance. Furthermore, the altered transcription of several MMS—responsive genes exhibited RAD53—related regulation. Intriguingly, the transcription profile in response to MMS in C. albicans shared a limited similarity with the pattern in S. cerevisiae, including COX17, PRI2, and MGT1. Overall, C. albicans cells exhibit global transcriptional changes to the DNA damage agent MMS; these findings improve our understanding of this pathogen’s DNA damage response pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226007, China; (Y.F.); (Y.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226007, China; (Y.F.); (Y.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226007, China; (Y.F.); (Y.Z.); (J.L.)
| | - Raha Parvizi Omran
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada; (R.P.O.); (M.W.)
| | - Malcolm Whiteway
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada; (R.P.O.); (M.W.)
| | - Jinrong Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226007, China; (Y.F.); (Y.Z.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-513-85051746
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96
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Yamanaka-Takaichi M, Ghanian S, Katzka DA, Torgerson RR, Alavi A. Candida Infection Associated with Anti-IL-17 Medication: A Systematic Analysis and Review of the Literature. Am J Clin Dermatol 2022; 23:469-480. [PMID: 35428934 DOI: 10.1007/s40257-022-00686-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Anti-interleukin (IL)-17 agents have shown excellent therapeutic efficacy in patients with psoriasis and are expected to be expanded to other chronic inflammatory diseases. However, patients receiving anti-IL-17 agents are at an increased risk of developing Candida infection, with some agents reported to increase the incidence in a dose-dependent manner. Interleukin-17 is secreted by the Th17 subset of CD4+ lymphocytes, CD8+ T cells, and innate cells, including natural killer T cells, lymphoid tissue inducer cells, innate lymphoid cells, and γδ-T cells, and plays an important role in antifungal defense. Genetic defects in the IL-17-signaling pathway in both humans and animal models render susceptibility to candidiasis caused by Candida albicans. The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate the literature on the role of IL-17 in protection against candidiasis, the prevalence of candidiasis in anti-IL-17 agent use, and to offer clinical recommendations on the diagnosis and management of anti-IL-17 medication-associated candidiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Soha Ghanian
- Department of Dermatology, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David A Katzka
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Afsaneh Alavi
- Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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97
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Lachat J, Pascault A, Thibaut D, Le Borgne R, Verbavatz JM, Weiner A. Trans-cellular tunnels induced by the fungal pathogen Candida albicans facilitate invasion through successive epithelial cells without host damage. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3781. [PMID: 35773250 PMCID: PMC9246882 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31237-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans is normally commensal, residing in the mucosa of most healthy individuals. In susceptible hosts, its filamentous hyphal form can invade epithelial layers leading to superficial or severe systemic infection. Although invasion is mainly intracellular, it causes no apparent damage to host cells at early stages of infection. Here, we investigate C. albicans invasion in vitro using live-cell imaging and the damage-sensitive reporter galectin-3. Quantitative single cell analysis shows that invasion can result in host membrane breaching at different stages and host cell death, or in traversal of host cells without membrane breaching. Membrane labelling and three-dimensional 'volume' electron microscopy reveal that hyphae can traverse several host cells within trans-cellular tunnels that are progressively remodelled and may undergo 'inflations' linked to host glycogen stores. Thus, C. albicans early invasion of epithelial tissues can lead to either host membrane breaching or trans-cellular tunnelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Lachat
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Cimi-Paris, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Alice Pascault
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Cimi-Paris, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Thibaut
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Cimi-Paris, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Rémi Le Borgne
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013, Paris, France
| | | | - Allon Weiner
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Cimi-Paris, 75013, Paris, France.
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98
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Martínez-López R, Hernáez ML, Redondo E, Calvo G, Radau S, Pardo M, Gil C, Monteoliva L. Candida albicans Hyphal Extracellular Vesicles Are Different from Yeast Ones, Carrying an Active Proteasome Complex and Showing a Different Role in Host Immune Response. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0069822. [PMID: 35604172 PMCID: PMC9241596 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00698-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is the principal causative agent of lethal fungal infections, predominantly in immunocompromised hosts. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been described as crucial in the interaction of microorganisms with their host. Since the yeast-to-hypha transition is an important virulence trait with great impact in invasive candidiasis (IC), we have addressed the characterization of EVs secreted by hyphal cells (HEVs) from C. albicans, comparing them to yeast EVs (YEVs). YEVs comprised a larger population of bigger EVs with mainly cell wall proteins, while HEVs were smaller, in general, and had a much higher protein diversity. YEVs were able to rescue the sensitivity of a cell wall mutant against calcofluor white, presumably due to the larger amount of cell wall proteins they contained. On the other hand, HEVs also contained many cytoplasmic proteins related to protein metabolism and intracellular protein transport and the endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway related to exosome biogenesis, pointing to an intracellular origin of HEVs. Interestingly, an active 20S proteasome complex was secreted exclusively in HEVs. Moreover, HEVs contained a greater number of virulence-related proteins. As for their immunogenic role, both types of EV presented immune reactivity with human sera from patients suffering invasive candidiasis; however, under our conditions, only HEVs showed a cytotoxic effect on human macrophages and could elicit the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by these macrophages. IMPORTANCE This first analysis of HEVs of C. albicans has shown clear differences between them and the YEVs of C. albicans, showing their relevance and possible use in the discovery of new diagnostic markers and treatment targets against C. albicans infections. The data obtained point to different mechanisms of biogenesis of YEVs and HEVs, as well as different involvements in cell biology and host interaction. YEVs played a more relevant role in cell wall maintenance, while HEVs were more closely related to virulence, as they had greater effects on human immune cells. Importantly, an active 20S proteosome complex was described as a fungal-EV cargo. A deeper study of its role and those of many other proteins exclusively detected in HEVs and involved in different relevant biological processes of this fungus could open up interesting new areas of research in the battle against C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Martínez-López
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- Ramon y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Esther Redondo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Calvo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonja Radau
- Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Dreieich, Germany
| | - Mercedes Pardo
- Functional Proteomics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Concha Gil
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- Ramon y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Proteomics Unit, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Monteoliva
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
- Ramon y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
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99
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Ye J, Wang Y, Li X, Wan Q, Zhang Y, Lu L. Synergistic Antifungal Effect of a Combination of Iron Deficiency and Calcium Supplementation. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0112122. [PMID: 35674440 PMCID: PMC9241635 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01121-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal diseases have become a major public health issue worldwide. Increasing drug resistance and the limited number of available antifungals result in high morbidity and mortality. Metal-based drugs have been reported to be therapeutic agents against major protozoan diseases, but knowledge of their ability to function as antifungals is limited. In this study, we found that calcium supplementation combined with iron deficiency causes dramatic growth inhibition of the human fungal pathogens Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Calcium induces the downregulation of iron uptake-related genes and, in particular, causes a decrease in the expression of the transcription factor HapX, which tends to transcriptionally activate siderophore-mediated iron acquisition under iron-deficient conditions. Iron deficiency causes calcium overload and the overproduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and perturbed ion homeostasis suppresses fungal growth. These phenomena are consistently identified in azole-resistant A. fumigatus isolates. The findings here imply that low iron availability lets cells mistakenly absorb calcium as a substitute, causing calcium abnormalities. Thus, there is a mutual effect between iron and calcium in fungal pathogens, and the combination of calcium with an iron chelator could serve to improve antifungal therapy. IMPORTANCE Millions of immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing different types of severe fungal diseases. The limited number of antifungals and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance highlight an urgent need for new strategies against invasive fungal infections. Here, we report that calcium can interfere with iron absorption of fungal pathogens, especially in iron-limited environments. Thus, a combination of calcium supplementation with an iron chelator inhibits the growth of human fungal pathogens, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. Moreover, we demonstrate that iron deficiency induces a nonspecific calcium uptake response, which results in toxic levels of metal. Findings in this study suggest that a microenvironment with excess calcium and limited iron is an efficient strategy to curb the growth of fungal pathogens, especially for drug-resistant isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Ye
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yamei Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinyu Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qinyi Wan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanwei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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García-Gamboa R, Domínguez-Simi MÁ, Gradilla-Hernández MS, Bravo-Madrigal J, Moya A, González-Avila M. Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Effect of Inulin-Type Fructans, Used in Synbiotic Combination with Lactobacillus spp. Against Candida albicans. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2022; 77:212-219. [PMID: 35461373 DOI: 10.1007/s11130-022-00966-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There is great interest in the search for new alternatives to antimicrobial drugs, and the use of prebiotics and probiotics is a promising approach to this problem. This study aimed to assess the effect of inulin-type fructans, used in synbiotic combinations with Lactobacillus paracasei or Lactobacillus plantarum, on the production of short-chain fatty acids and antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans. The inhibition assay using the L. paracasei and L. plantarum supernatants resulting from the metabolization of inulin-type fructans displayed growth inhibition and antibiofilm formation against C. albicans. Inhibition occurred at concentrations of 12.5, 25, and 50% of the L. paracasei supernatant and at a concentration of 50% of the L. plantarum supernatant. The analysis of short-chain fatty acids by gas chromatography showed that lactic acid was the dominating produced metabolite. However, acetic, propionic, and butyric acids were also detected in supernatants from both probiotics. Therefore, the synbiotic formulation of L. paracasei or L. plantarum in the presence of inulin-type fructans constitutes with anticandidal effect is a possible option to produce antifungal drugs or antimicrobial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo García-Gamboa
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas No. 800, col Colinas de la Normal, C.P. 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramón Corona No. 2514, Col. Nuevo México, Jalisco, C.P. 45138, Zapopan, Mexico
| | - Miguel Ángel Domínguez-Simi
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas No. 800, col Colinas de la Normal, C.P. 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Misael Sebastián Gradilla-Hernández
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramón Corona No. 2514, Col. Nuevo México, Jalisco, C.P. 45138, Zapopan, Mexico
| | - Jorge Bravo-Madrigal
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas No. 800, col Colinas de la Normal, C.P. 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Andrés Moya
- Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), Av. de Cataluña 21, 46020, València, Spain
| | - Marisela González-Avila
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Av. Normalistas No. 800, col Colinas de la Normal, C.P. 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
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