Cdc42p GTPase regulates the budded-to-hyphal-form transition and expression of hypha-specific transcripts in Candida albicans

The Small GTPases in Fungal Signaling Conservation and Function

Monomeric GTPases, which belong to the Ras superfamily, are small proteins involved in many biological processes. They are fine-tuned regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Several families have been identified in organisms from different kingdoms. Overall, the most studied families are Ras, Rho, Rab, Ran, Arf, and Miro. Recently, a new family named Big Ras GTPases was reported. As a general rule, the proteins of all families have five characteristic motifs (G1–G5), and some specific features for each family have been described. Here, we present an exhaustive analysis of these small GTPase families in fungi, using 56 different genomes belonging to different phyla. For this purpose, we used distinct approaches such as phylogenetics and sequences analysis. The main functions described for monomeric GTPases in fungi include morphogenesis, secondary metabolism, vesicle trafficking, and virulence, which are discussed here. Their participation during fungus–plant interactions is reviewed as well.

Secretory Vesicle Clustering in Fungal Filamentous Cells Does Not Require Directional Growth

During symmetry breaking, the highly conserved Rho GTPase Cdc42 becomes stabilized at a defined site via an amplification process. However, little is known about how a new polarity site is established in an already asymmetric cell-a critical process in a changing environment. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans switches from budding to filamentous growth in response to external cues, a transition controlled by Cdc42. Here, we have used optogenetic manipulation of cell polarity to reset growth in asymmetric filamentous C. albicans cells. We show that increasing the level of active Cdc42 on the plasma membrane results in disruption of the exocyst subunit Sec3 localization and a striking de novo clustering of secretory vesicles. This new cluster of secretory vesicles is highly dynamic, moving by hops and jumps, until a new growth site is established. Our results reveal that secretory vesicle clustering can occur in the absence of directional growth.

The Role of Secretory Pathways in Candida albicans Pathogenesis

Candida albicans is a fungus that is a commensal organism and a member of the normal human microbiota. It has the ability to transition into an opportunistic invasive pathogen. Attributes that support pathogenesis include secretion of virulence-associated proteins, hyphal formation, and biofilm formation. These processes are supported by secretion, as defined in the broad context of membrane trafficking. In this review, we examine the role of secretory pathways in Candida virulence, with a focus on the model opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans.

The Ras1-Cdc42 pathway is involved in hyphal development of Schizosaccharomyces japonicus

Dimorphic yeasts transform into filamentous cells or hyphae in response to environmental cues. The mechanisms for the hyphal transition of dimorphic yeasts have mainly been studied in Candida albicans, an opportunistic human fungal pathogen. The Ras1-MAPK pathway is a major signal transduction pathway for hyphal transition in C. albicans. Recently, the non-pathogenic dimorphic yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus has also been used for genetic analyses of hyphal induction. We confirmed that Ras1-MAPK and other MAPK pathways exist in Sz. japonicus. To examine how hyphal transition is induced by environmental stress-triggered signal transduction, we studied the hyphal transition of deletion mutants of MAPK pathways in Sz. japonicus. We found that the MAPK pathways are not involved in hyphal induction, although the mating response is dependent on these pathways. However, only Ras1 deletion caused a severe defect in hyphal development via both DNA damage and environmental stressors. In fact, genes on the Cdc42 branch of the Ras1 (Ras1-Cdc42) pathway, efc25Sj, scd1Sj and scd2Sj, are required for hyphal development. Cell morphology analysis indicated that the apical growth of hyphal cells was inhibited in Ras1-Cdc42-pathway deletion mutants. Thus, the control of cell polarity by the Ras1-Cdc42 pathway is crucial for hyphal development.

Regulation of Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis by Endogenous Signals

Candida albicans is a human commensal fungus that is able to assume several morphologies, including yeast, hyphal, and pseudohyphal. Under a range of conditions, C. albicans performs a regulated switch to the filamentous morphology, characterized by the emergence of a germ tube from the yeast cell, followed by a mold-like growth of branching hyphae. This transition from yeast to hyphal growth has attracted particular attention, as it has been linked to the virulence of C. albicans as an opportunistic human pathogen. Signal transduction pathways that mediate the induction of the hyphal transcription program upon the imposition of external stimuli have been extensively investigated. However, the hyphal morphogenesis transcription program can also be induced by internal cellular signals, such as inhibition of cell cycle progression, and conversely, the inhibition of hyphal extension can repress hyphal-specific gene expression, suggesting that endogenous cellular signals are able to modulate hyphal gene expression as well. Here we review recent developments in the regulation of the hyphal morphogenesis of C. albicans, with emphasis on endogenous morphogenetic signals.

RacA and Cdc42 regulate polarized growth and microsclerotium formation in the dimorphic fungus Nomuraea rileyi

Small GTPases, RacA and Cdc42, act as molecular switches in fungi, regulating cell signaling, cytoskeletal organization, polar growth and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the latter by influencing the activity of the NADPH oxidase complex. In this study, the racA and cdc42 genes from Nomuraea rileyi were cloned and shown to encode 218 and 184 amino acid proteins, respectively. To determine the functions of racA and cdc42, gene-silencing mutants (racARM, cdc42RM and racA&cdc42RM, respectively) were generated using RNA silencing technology. In racARM and cdc42RM, the conidial and microsclerotium (MS) yields, ROS production and virulence were reduced, the hyphal extension rate was decreased and the dimorphic switch was delayed. On the other hand, the double-silencing mutants showed growth retardation and virtually no conidia, MS or ROS production. The transcription levels of the noxA and noxR genes that regulate ROS generation were reduced in the three RNAi-silenced strains. Interestingly, when compared with the controls, racARM exhibited thicker hyphae and bigger conidia; moreover, the MS produced by racARM were bigger than those of the control and smaller than those of cdc42RM. Thus RacA and Cdc42 appear to share some essential functions in N. rileyi, including hyphal growth, conidiation, MS formation, ROS generation and virulence. Yet RacA appears to play a more pivotal role in the polar growth of N. rileyi.

Ras1 acts through duplicated Cdc42 and Rac proteins to regulate morphogenesis and pathogenesis in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Proliferation and morphogenesis in eukaryotic cells depend on the concerted activity of Rho-type GTPases, including Ras, Cdc42, and Rac. The sexually dimorphic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans, which encodes paralogous, non-essential copies of all three, provides a unique model in which to examine the interactions of these conserved proteins. Previously, we demonstrated that RAS1 mediates C. neoformans virulence by acting as a central regulator of both thermotolerance and mating. We report here that ras1Δ mutants accumulate defects in polarized growth, cytokinesis, and cell cycle progression. We demonstrate that the ras1Δ defects in thermotolerance and mating can be largely explained by the compromised activity of four downstream Rho-GTPases: the Cdc42 paralogs, Cdc42 and Cdc420; and the Rac paralogs, Rac1 and Rac2. Further, we demonstrate that the separate GTPase classes play distinct Ras-dependent roles in C. neoformans morphogenesis and pathogenesis. Cdc42 paralogs primarily control septin localization and cytokinesis, while Rac paralogs play a primary role in polarized cell growth. Together, these duplicate, related signaling proteins provide a robust system to allow microbial proliferation in the presence of host-derived cell stresses.

Rsr1 focuses Cdc42 activity at hyphal tips and promotes maintenance of hyphal development in Candida albicans

The extremely elongated morphology of fungal hyphae is dependent on the cell's ability to assemble and maintain polarized growth machinery over multiple cell cycles. The different morphologies of the fungus Candida albicans make it an excellent model organism in which to study the spatiotemporal requirements for constitutive polarized growth and the generation of different cell shapes. In C. albicans, deletion of the landmark protein Rsr1 causes defects in morphogenesis that are not predicted from study of the orthologous protein in the related yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, thus suggesting that Rsr1 has expanded functions during polarized growth in C. albicans. Here, we show that Rsr1 activity localizes to hyphal tips by the differential localization of the Rsr1 GTPase-activating protein (GAP), Bud2, and guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), Bud5. In addition, we find that Rsr1 is needed to maintain the focused localization of hyphal polarity structures and proteins, including Bem1, a marker of the active GTP-bound form of the Rho GTPase, Cdc42. Further, our results indicate that tip-localized Cdc42 clusters are associated with the cell's ability to express a hyphal transcriptional program and that the ability to generate a focused Cdc42 cluster in early hyphae (germ tubes) is needed to maintain hyphal morphogenesis over time. We propose that in C. albicans, Rsr1 "fine-tunes" the distribution of Cdc42 activity and that self-organizing (Rsr1-independent) mechanisms of polarized growth are not sufficient to generate narrow cell shapes or to provide feedback to the transcriptional program during hyphal morphogenesis.

Ras-Mediated Signal Transduction and Virulence in Human Pathogenic Fungi

Signal transduction pathways regulating growth and stress responses are areas of significant study in the effort to delineate pathogenic mechanisms of fungi. In-depth knowledge of signal transduction events deepens our understanding of how a fungal pathogen is able to sense changes in the environment and respond accordingly by modulation of gene expression and re-organization of cellular activities to optimize fitness. Members of the Ras protein family are important regulators of growth and differentiation in eukaryotic organisms, and have been the focus of numerous studies exploring fungal pathogenesis. Here, the current data regarding Ras signal transduction are reviewed for three major pathogenic fungi: Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Particular emphasis is placed on Ras-protein interactions during control of morphogenesis, stress response and virulence.

Polarized growth in fungi: symmetry breaking and hyphal formation

Cell shape is a critical determinant for function. The baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae changes shape in response to its environment, growing by budding in rich nutrients, forming invasive pseudohyphal filaments in nutrient poor conditions and pear shaped shmoos for growth towards a partner during mating. The human opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans can switch from budding to hyphal growth, in response to numerous environmental stimuli to colonize and invade its host. Hyphal growth, typical of filamentous fungi, is not observed in S. cerevisiae. A number of internal cues regulate when and where yeast cells break symmetry leading to polarized growth and ultimately distinct cell shapes. This review discusses how cells break symmetry using the yeast S. cerevisiae paradigm and how polarized growth is initiated and maintained to result in dramatic morphological changes during C. albicans hyphal growth.

Killing of Candida albicans filaments by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is mediated by sopB effectors, parts of a type III secretion system

Although bacterial-fungal interactions shape microbial virulence during polymicrobial infections, only a limited number of studies have evaluated this interaction on a genetic level. We report here that one interaction is mediated by sopB, an effector of a type III secretion system (TTSS) of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. In these studies, we screened 10 TTSS effector-related mutants and determined their role in the killing of C. albicans filaments in vitro during coinfection in planktonic environments. We found that deleting the sopB gene (which encodes inositol phosphatase) was associated with a significant decrease in C. albicans killing at 25°C after 5 days, similar to that caused by the deletion of sipB (which encodes TTSS translocation machinery components). The sopB deletion dramatically influenced the killing of C. albicans filaments. It was associated with repressed filamentation in the Caenorhabditis elegans model of C. albicans-S. Typhimurium coinfection, as well as with biofilm formation by C. albicans. We confirmed that SopB translocated to fungal filaments through SipB during coinfection. Using quantitative real-time PCR assays, we found that the Candida supernatant upregulated the S. Typhimurium genes associated with C. albicans killing (sopB and sipB). Interestingly, the sopB effector negatively regulated the transcription of CDC42, which is involved in fungal viability. Taken together, these results indicate that specific TTSS effectors, including SopB, play a critical role in bacterial-fungal interactions and are important to S. Typhimurium in order to selectively compete with fungal pathogens. These findings highlight a new role for TTSS of S. Typhimurium in the intestinal tract and may further explain the evolution and maintenance of these traits.

Candida albicans Ume6, a filament-specific transcriptional regulator, directs hyphal growth via a pathway involving Hgc1 cyclin-related protein

The ability of Candida albicans, the most common human fungal pathogen, to transition from yeast to hyphae is essential for pathogenicity. While a variety of transcription factors important for filamentation have been identified and characterized, links between transcriptional regulators of C. albicans morphogenesis and molecular mechanisms that drive hyphal growth are not well defined. We have previously observed that constitutive expression of UME6, which encodes a filament-specific transcriptional regulator, is sufficient to direct hyphal growth in the absence of filament-inducing conditions. Here we show that HGC1, encoding a cyclin-related protein necessary for hyphal growth under filament-inducing conditions, is specifically important for agar invasion, hyphal extension, and formation of true septa in response to constitutive UME6 expression under non-filament-inducing conditions. HGC1-dependent inactivation of Rga2, a Cdc42 GTPase activating protein (GAP), also appears to be important for these processes. In response to filament-inducing conditions, HGC1 is induced prior to UME6 although UME6 controls the level and duration of HGC1 expression, which are likely to be important for hyphal extension. Interestingly, an epistasis analysis suggests that UME6 and HGC1 play distinct roles during early filament formation. These findings establish a link between a key regulator of filamentation and a downstream mechanism important for hyphal formation. In addition, this study demonstrates that a strain expressing constitutive high levels of UME6 provides a powerful strategy to specifically dissect downstream mechanisms important for hyphal development in the absence of complex filament-inducing conditions.

Two CDC42 paralogues modulate Cryptococcus neoformans thermotolerance and morphogenesis under host physiological conditions

The precise regulation of morphogenesis is a key mechanism by which cells respond to a variety of stresses, including those encountered by microbial pathogens in the host. The polarity protein Cdc42 regulates cellular morphogenesis throughout eukaryotes, and we explore the role of Cdc42 proteins in the host survival of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Uniquely, C. neoformans has two functional Cdc42 paralogues, Cdc42 and Cdc420. Here we investigate the contribution of each paralogue to resistance to host stress. In contrast to non-pathogenic model organisms, C. neoformans Cdc42 proteins are not required for viability under non-stress conditions but are required for resistance to high temperature. The paralogues play differential roles in actin and septin organization and act downstream of C. neoformans Ras1 to regulate its morphogenesis sub-pathway, but not its effects on mating. Cdc42, and not Cdc420, is upregulated in response to temperature stress and is required for virulence in a murine model of cryptococcosis. The C. neoformans Cdc42 proteins likely perform complementary functions with other Rho-like GTPases to control cell polarity, septin organization and hyphal transitions that allow survival in the environment and in the host.

Depletion of the cullin Cdc53p induces morphogenetic changes in Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an important opportunistic human fungal pathogen that can cause both mucosal and systemic infections in immunocompromised patients. Critical for the virulence of C. albicans is its ability to undergo a morphological transition from yeast to hyphal growth mode. Proper induction of filamentation is dependent on the ubiquitination pathway, which targets proteins for proteasome-mediated protein degradation or activates them for signaling events. In the present study, we evaluated the role of ubiquitination in C. albicans by impairing the function of the major ubiquitin-ligase complex SCF. This was done by depleting its backbone, the cullin Cdc53p (orf19.1674), using a tetracycline downregulatable promoter system. Cdc53p-depleted cells displayed an invasive phenotype and constitutive filamentation under conditions favoring yeast growth mode, both on solid and in liquid media. In addition, these cells exhibited an early onset of cell death, as judged from propidium iodide staining, suggesting that CDC53 is an essential gene in C. albicans. To identify Cdc53p-dependent pathways in C. albicans, a genome-wide expression analysis was carried out that revealed a total of 425 differentially expressed genes (fold change, >or=2; P <or= 0.05) with 192 up- and 233 downregulated genes in the CDC53-repressed mutant compared to the control strain. GO term analysis identified biological processes significantly affected by Cdc53p depletion, including amino acid starvation response, with 14 genes being targets of the transcriptional regulator Gcn4p, and reductive iron transport. These results indicate that Cdc53p enables C. albicans to adequately respond to environmental signals.

DNA microarray analysis of fluconazole resistance in a laboratory Candida albicans strain

Several mechanisms are responsible for the acquired fluconazole (FLC) resistance in Candida albicans. In this study, we developed a FLC-resistant C. albicans strain through serial cultures of a FLC-susceptible C. albicans strain with inhibitory concentrations of FLC. Complimentary DNA microarray analysis and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to investigate gene expression changes during the acquisition of azole resistance in the susceptible parental strain and the resistant daughter strain. The differentially expressed genes represented functions as diverse as transporters (e.g. CDR1, PDR17), ergosterol biosynthesis (e.g. ERG2, ERG9), sterol metabolism (e.g. ARE2, IPF6464), energy metabolism (e.g. ADH3, AOX2) and transcription factors (e.g. FCR1, ECM22). Functional analysis revealed that energy-dependent efflux activity of membrane transporters increased and that ergosterol content decreased with the accumulation of sterol intermediates in the resistant strain as compared with the susceptible strain. We found that a point mutation (N977K) in transcription factor TAC1 that resulted in hyperactivity of Tac1 could be the reason for overexpression of CDR1, CDR2, and PDR17 in the resistant strain. Furthermore, a single amino acid difference (D19E) in ERG3 that led to the inactivation of Erg3 could account for both sterol precursor accumulation and the changes in the expression of ergosterol biosynthesis genes in this resistant strain. These findings expand the understanding of potential novel molecular targets of FLC resistance in clinical C. albicans isolates.

Activation of Rac1 by the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Dck1 is required for invasive filamentous growth in the pathogen Candida albicans

Rho G proteins and their regulators are critical for cytoskeleton organization and cell morphology in all eukaryotes. In the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans, the Rho G proteins Cdc42 and Rac1 are required for the switch from budding to filamentous growth in response to different stimuli. We show that Dck1, a protein with homology to the Ced-5, Dock180, myoblast city family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors, is necessary for filamentous growth in solid media, similar to Rac1. Our results indicate that Dck1 and Rac1 do not function in the same pathway as the transcription factor Czf1, which is also required for embedded filamentous growth. The conserved catalytic region of Dck1 is required for such filamentous growth, and in vitro this region directly binds a Rac1 mutant, which mimics the nucleotide-free state. In vivo overexpression of a constitutively active Rac1 mutant, but not wild-type Rac1, in a dck1 deletion mutant restores filamentous growth. These results indicate that the Dock180 guanine nucleotide exchange factor homologue, Dck1 activates Rac1 during invasive filamentous growth. We conclude that specific exchange factors, together with the G proteins they activate, are required for morphological changes in response to different stimuli.

Environmental sensing and signal transduction pathways regulating morphopathogenic determinants of Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that is found in the normal gastrointestinal flora of most healthy humans. However, under certain environmental conditions, it can become a life-threatening pathogen. The shift from commensal organism to pathogen is often correlated with the capacity to undergo morphogenesis. Indeed, under certain conditions, including growth at ambient temperature, the presence of serum or N-acetylglucosamine, neutral pH, and nutrient starvation, C. albicans can undergo reversible transitions from the yeast form to the mycelial form. This morphological plasticity reflects the interplay of various signal transduction pathways, either stimulating or repressing hyphal formation. In this review, we provide an overview of the different sensing and signaling pathways involved in the morphogenesis and pathogenesis of C. albicans. Where appropriate, we compare the analogous pathways/genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in an attempt to highlight the evolution of the different components of the two organisms. The downstream components of these pathways, some of which may be interesting antifungal targets, are also discussed.

Role of actin cytoskeletal dynamics in activation of the cyclic AMP pathway and HWP1 gene expression in Candida albicans

Changes in gene expression during reversible bud-hypha transitions of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans permit adaptation to environmental conditions that are critical for proliferation in host tissues. Our previous work has shown that the hypha-specific adhesin gene HWP1 is up-regulated by the cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling pathway. However, little is known about the potential influences of determinants of cell morphology on HWP1 gene expression. We found that blocking hypha formation with cytochalasin A, which destabilizes actin filaments, and with latrunculin A, which sequesters actin monomers, led to a loss of HWP1 gene expression. In contrast, high levels of HWP1 gene expression were observed when the F-actin stabilizer jasplakinolide was used to block hypha formation, suggesting that HWP1 expression could be regulated by actin structures. Mutants defective in formin-mediated nucleation of F-actin were reduced in HWP1 gene expression, providing genetic support for the importance of actin structures. Kinetic experiments with wild-type and actin-deficient cells revealed two distinct phases of HWP1 gene expression, with a slow, actin-independent phase preceding a fast, actin-dependent phase. Low levels of HWP1 gene expression that appeared to be independent of stabilized actin and cAMP signaling were detected using indirect immunofluorescence. A connection between actin structures and the cAMP signaling pathway was shown using hyper- and hypomorphic cAMP mutants, providing a possible mechanism for up-regulation of HWP1 gene expression by stabilized actin. The results reveal a new role for F-actin as a regulatory agent of hypha-specific gene expression at the bud-hypha transition.

A Ras1-Cdc24 signal transduction pathway mediates thermotolerance in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans

Pathogenic microorganisms must precisely regulate morphogenesis to survive and proliferate within an infected host. This regulation is often controlled by conserved signal transduction pathways that direct morphological changes in varied species. One such pathway, whose components include Ras proteins and the PAK kinase Ste20, allows the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans to grow at high temperature. Previously, we found that Ras1 signalling is required for differentiation, thermotolerance and pathogenesis in C. neoformans. We show here that the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Cdc24 is a Ras1 effector in C. neoformans to mediate the ability of this fungus to grow at high temperature and to cause disease. In addition, we provide evidence that the Ras1-Cdc24 signalling cascade functions specifically through one of the three Cdc42/Rac1 homologues in C. neoformans. In conclusion, our studies illustrate how components of conserved signalling cascades can be specialized for different downstream functions, such as pathogenesis.

Flumorph Is a Novel Fungicide That Disrupts Microfilament Organization in Phytophthora melonis

ABSTRACT The mechanism of the effects of flumorph (a novel fungicide) was investigated by analyzing alterations of hyphal morphology, cell wall deposition patterns, F-actin organization, and other organelles in Phytophthora melonis. Calcofluor white staining suggested that flumorph did not inhibit the synthesis of cell wall materials, but disturbed the polar deposition of newly synthesized cell wall materials during cystospore germination and hyphal growth. After exposure to flumorph, zoospores were able to switch into cystospores accompanied with the formation of a cell wall, whereas cystospores failed to induce the isotropic-polar switch and did not produce germ tubes but continued the isotropic growth phase. In flumorph-treated hyphae, the most characteristic change was the development of periodic swelling ("beaded" morphology) and the disruption of tip growth. Newly synthesized cell wall materials were deposited uniformly throughout the diffuse expanded region of hyphae, in contrast to their normal polarized patterns of deposition. These alterations were the result of F-actin disruption, identified with the fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC)-phalloidin staining. The disruption of F-actin also was accompanied by disorganized organelles: each swelling of subapical hyphae was associated with a nucleus. Vesicles did not undergo polarized secretion to the apical hyphae, but diffused around nuclei for the subapical growth; thus, the cell wall was thickened with periodic expansion along the hyphae. Upon removing flumorph, normal tip growth and organized F-actin were observed again. These data, as well as data published earlier, suggest that flumorph may be involved in the impairment of cell polar growth through directly or indirectly disrupting the organization of F-actin. The primary site of action by flumorph in the disruption of the F-actin organization is under investigation.

MAP kinase pathways as regulators of fungal virulence

MAP kinases are dual phosphorylated protein kinases, present in eukaryotes, which mediate differentiation programs and immune responses in mammalian cells. In pathogenic fungi, MAP kinases are key elements that control adaptation to environmental stress. Recent studies have shown that these pathways have an essential role in the control of essential virulence factors such as capsule biogenesis in Cryptococcus neoformans or morphogenesis, invasion and oxidative stress in Candida albicans. Although MAP kinases sense different activating signals, there is a considerable degree of crosstalk and/or overlap, which enables them to integrate, amplify and modulate the appropriate protective and adaptive response. MAP kinases behave as a 'functional nervous system' that controls virulence and influences the progression of the disease.

Candida albicans Rho-type GTPase-encoding genes required for polarized cell growth and cell separation

Rho proteins are essential regulators of morphogenesis in eukaryotic cells. In this report, we investigate the role of two previously uncharacterized Rho proteins, encoded by the Candida albicans RHO3 (CaRHO3) and CaCRL1/CaRHO4 genes. The CaRHO3 gene was found to contain one intron. Promoter shutdown experiments using a MET3 promoter-controlled RHO3 revealed a strong cell polarity defect and a partially depolarized actin cytoskeleton. Hyphal growth after promoter shutdown was abolished in rho3 mutants even in the presence of a constitutively active ras1(G13V) allele, and existing germ tubes became swollen. Deletion of C. albicans RHO4 indicated that it is a nonessential gene and that rho4 mutants were phenotypically different from rho3. Two distinct phenotypes of rho4 cells were elongated cell morphology and an unexpected cell separation defect generating chains of cells. Colony morphology of crl1/rho4 resulted in a growth-dependent smooth (long cell cycle length) or wrinkled (short cell cycle length) phenotype. This phenotype was additionally dependent on the rho4 cell separation defect and was also found in a Cacht3 chitinase mutant that shows a strong cytokinesis defect. The overexpression of the endoglucanase encoding the ENG1 gene, but not CHT3, suppressed the cell separation defect of crl1/rho4 but could not suppress the cell elongation phenotype. C. albicans Crl1/Rho4 and Bnr1 both localize to septal sites in yeast and hyphal cells but not to the hyphal tip. Deletion of RHO4 and BNR1 produced similar morphological phenotypes. Based on the localization of Rho4 and on the rho4 mutant phenotype, we propose a model in which Rho4p may function as a regulator of cell polarity, breaking the initial axis of polarity found during early bud growth to promote the construction of a septum.

Regulation of Cdc42 GTPase activity in the formation of hyphae in Candida albicans

The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans can switch between yeast, pseudohyphal, and hyphal morphologies. To investigate whether the distinctive characteristics of hyphae are due to increased activity of the Cdc42 GTPase, strains lacking negative regulators of Cdc42 were constructed. Unexpectedly, the deletion of the Cdc42 Rho guanine dissociation inhibitor RDI1 resulted in reduced rather than enhanced polarized growth. However, when cells lacking both Cdc42 GTPase-activating proteins, encoded by RGA2 and BEM3, were grown under pseudohyphal-promoting conditions the bud was highly elongated and lacked a constriction at its base, so that its shape resembled a hyphal germ tube. Moreover, a Spitzenkörper was present at the bud tip, a band of disorganized septin was present at bud base, true septin rings formed within the bud, and nuclei migrated out of the mother cell before the first mitosis. These are all characteristic features of a hyphal germ tube. Intriguingly, we observed hyphal-specific phosphorylation of Rga2, suggesting a possible mechanism for Cdc42 activation during normal hyphal development. In contrast, expression of Cdc42(G12V), which is constitutively GTP bound because it lacks GTPase activity, resulted in swollen cells with prominent and stable septin bars. These results suggest the development of hyphal-specific characteristics is promoted by Cdc42-GTP in a process that also requires the intrinsic GTPase activity of Cdc42.

Effects of low-shear modeled microgravity on cell function, gene expression, and phenotype in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Only limited information is available concerning the effects of low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) on cell function and morphology. We examined the behavior of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown in a high-aspect-ratio vessel, which simulates the low-shear and microgravity conditions encountered in spaceflight. With the exception of a shortened lag phase (90 min less than controls; P < 0.05), yeast cells grown under LSMMG conditions did not differ in growth rate, size, shape, or viability from the controls but did differ in the establishment of polarity as exhibited by aberrant (random) budding compared to the usual bipolar pattern of controls. The aberrant budding was accompanied by an increased tendency of cells to clump, as indicated by aggregates containing five or more cells. We also found significant changes (greater than or equal to twofold) in the expression of genes associated with the establishment of polarity (BUD5), bipolar budding (RAX1, RAX2, and BUD25), and cell separation (DSE1, DSE2, and EGT2). Thus, low-shear environments may significantly alter yeast gene expression and phenotype as well as evolutionary conserved cellular functions such as polarization. The results provide a paradigm for understanding polarity-dependent cell responses to microgravity ranging from pathogenesis in fungi to the immune response in mammals.

Rac1 and Cdc42 have different roles in Candida albicans development

We investigated the role of the highly conserved G protein Rac1 in the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans. We identified and disrupted RAC1 and show here that, in contrast to CDC42, it is not necessary for viability or serum-induced hyphal growth but is essential for filamentous growth when cells are embedded in a matrix. Rac1 is localized to the plasma membrane, yet its distribution is more homogenous than that of Cdc42, with no enrichment at the tips of either buds or hyphae. In addition, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching results indicate that Rac1 and Cdc42 have different dynamics at the membrane. Furthermore, overexpression of Rac1 does not complement Cdc42 function, and conversely, overexpression of Cdc42 does not complement Rac1 function. Thus, Rac1 and Cdc42, although highly similar to one another, have different roles in C. albicans development.

Hyphal guidance and invasive growth in Candida albicans require the Ras-like GTPase Rsr1p and its GTPase-activating protein Bud2p

Candida albicans, the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans, causes superficial mycoses, invasive mucosal infections, and disseminated systemic disease. Many studies have shown an intriguing association between C. albicans morphogenesis and the pathogenesis process. For example, hyphal cells have been observed to penetrate host epithelial cells at sites of wounds and between cell junctions. Ras- and Rho-type GTPases regulate many morphogenetic processes in eukaryotes, including polarity establishment, cell proliferation, and directed growth in response to extracellular stimuli. We found that the C. albicans Ras-like GTPase Rsr1p and its predicted GTPase-activating protein Bud2p localized to the cell cortex, at sites of incipient daughter cell growth, and provided landmarks for the positioning of daughter yeast cells and hyphal cell branches, similar to the paradigm in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, in contrast to S. cerevisiae, CaRsr1p and CaBud2p were important for morphogenesis: C. albicans strains lacking Rsr1p or Bud2p had abnormal yeast and hyphal cell shapes and frequent bends and promiscuous branching along the hypha and were unable to invade agar. These defects were associated with abnormal actin patch polarization, unstable polarisome localization at hyphal tips, and mislocalized septin rings, consistent with the idea that GTP cycling of Rsr1p stabilizes the axis of polarity primarily to a single focus, thus ensuring normal cell shape and a focused direction of polarized growth. We conclude that the Rsr1p GTPase functions as a polarity landmark for hyphal guidance and may be an important mediator of extracellular signals during processes such as host invasion.

Regulation of the Cdc42/Cdc24 GTPase module during Candida albicans hyphal growth

The Rho G protein Cdc42 and its exchange factor Cdc24 are required for hyphal growth of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Previously, we reported that strains ectopically expressing Cdc24 or Cdc42 are unable to form hyphae in response to serum. Here we investigated the role of these two proteins in hyphal growth, using quantitative real-time PCR to measure induction of hypha-specific genes together with time lapse microscopy. Expression of the hypha-specific genes examined depends on the cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A pathway culminating in the Efg1 and Tec1 transcription factors. We show that strains with reduced levels of CDC24 or CDC42 transcripts induce hypha-specific genes yet cannot maintain their expression in response to serum. Furthermore, in serum these mutants form elongated buds compared to the wild type and mutant budding cells, as observed by time lapse microscopy. Using Cdc24 fused to green fluorescent protein, we also show that Cdc24 is recruited to and persists at the germ tube tip during hyphal growth. Altogether these data demonstrate that the Cdc24/Cdc42 GTPase module is required for maintenance of hyphal growth. In addition, overexpression studies indicate that specific levels of Cdc24 and Cdc42 are important for invasive hyphal growth. In response to serum, CDC24 transcript levels increase transiently in a Tec1-dependent fashion, as do the G-protein RHO3 and the Rho1 GTPase activating protein BEM2 transcript levels. These results suggest that a positive feedback loop between Cdc24 and Tec1 contributes to an increase in active Cdc42 at the tip of the germ tube which is important for hypha formation.

cDNA array analysis of the differential expression change in virulence-related genes during the development of resistance in Candida albicans

Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated fungus in immunocompromised patients associated with mucosal and deep-tissue infections. To investigate the correlation between virulence and resistance on a gene expression profile in C. albicans, we examined the changes in virulence-related genes during the development of resistance in C. albicans from bone marrow transplant patients using a constructed cDNA array representing 3096 unigenes. In addition to the genes known to be associated with azole resistance, 16 virulence-related genes were identified, whose differential expressions were newly found to be associated with the resistant phenotype. Differential expressions for these genes were confirmed by RT-PCR independently. Furthermore, the up-regulation of EFG1, CPH2, TEC1, CDC24, SAP10, ALS9, SNF1, SPO72 and BDF1, and the down-regulation of RAD32, IPF3636 and UBI4 resulted in stronger virulence and invasiveness in the resistant isolates compared with susceptible ones. These findings provide a link between the expression of virulence genes and development of resistance during C. albicans infection in bone marrow transplant (BMT) patients, where C. albicans induces hyphal formation and expression change in multiple virulence factors.

Small-molecule inhibitors of the budded-to-hyphal-form transition in the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans

The pathogenic yeast Candida albicans can exist in multiple morphological states, including budded, pseudohyphal, and true hyphal forms. The ability to convert between the budded and hyphal forms, termed the budded-to-hyphal-form transition, is important for virulence and is regulated by multiple environmental and cellular signals. To identify inhibitors of this morphological transition, a microplate-based morphological assay was developed. With this assay, the known actin-inhibiting drugs latrunculin-A and jasplakinolide were shown to inhibit the transition in a dose-dependent and reversible manner. Five novel small molecules that reversibly inhibited the transition and hyphal elongation without affecting budded growth were identified. These molecules inhibited hyphal growth induced by Spider, Lee's, M199 pH 8, and 10% serum-containing media, with two molecules having a synergistic effect. The molecules also differentially affected the hyphal form-specific gene expression of HWP1 and endocytosis without disrupting the actin cytoskeleton or septin organization. Structural derivatives of one of the molecules were more effective inhibiters than the original molecule, while other derivatives had decreased efficacies. Several of the small molecules were able to reduce C. albicans-dependent damage to endothelial cells by inhibiting the budded-to-hyphal-form transition. These studies substantiated the effectiveness of the morphological assay and identified several novel molecules that, by virtue of their ability to inhibit the budded-to-hyphal-form transition, may be exploited as starting points for effective antifungal therapeutics in the future.