Open AccessRegulation of the Hypoxic Response in Candida albicans
Author(s) -
John M. Synnott,
Alessandro Guida,
Siobhan Mulhern-Haughey,
Desmond G. Higgins,
Géraldine Butler
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
eukaryotic cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1535-9778
pISSN - 1535-9786
DOI - 10.1128/ec.00159-10
Subject(s) - candida albicans , biology , ergosterol , transcription factor , microbiology and biotechnology , gene expression , corpus albicans , regulation of gene expression , transcriptional regulation , hypoxia (environmental) , gene , glycolysis , biochemistry , metabolism , chemistry , oxygen , organic chemistry
The regulation of the response ofCandida albicans to hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions is poorly understood. We used microarray and other transcriptional analyses to investigate the role of the Upc2 and Bcr1 transcription factors in controlling expression of genes involved in cell wall metabolism, ergosterol synthesis, and glycolysis during adaptation to hypoxia. Hypoxic induction of the ergosterol pathway is mimicked by treatment with sterol-lowering drugs (ketoconazole) and requiresUPC2 . Expression of three members of the family CFEM (c ommon in severalf ungale xtracellularm embranes) of cell wall genes (RBT5 ,PGA7 , andPGA10 ) is also induced by hypoxia and ketoconazole and requires bothUPC2 andBCR1 . Expression of glycolytic genes is induced by hypoxia but not by treatment with sterol-lowering drugs, whereas expression of respiratory pathway genes is repressed. However, Upc2 does not play a major role in regulating expression of genes required for central carbon metabolism. Our results indicate that regulation of gene expression in response to hypoxia inC. albicans is complex and is signaled both via lowered sterol levels and other unstudied mechanisms. We also show that induction of filamentation under hypoxic conditions requires the Ras1- and Cdc35-dependent pathway.