English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Candida albicans remains the most pervasive fungal pathogen colonizing humans. The majority of isolates from hosts are heterozygous at the mating type locus ( MTL  a /α), and a third of these have recently been shown to be capable of switching to the opaque phenotype. Here we have investigated the roles of two transcription factors (TFs) Sfl2 and Efg1, in repressing switching in a /α strains. Deleting either gene results in the capacity of a /α cells to switch to opaque en masse under facilitating environmental conditions, which include N -acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) as the carbon source, physiological temperature (37°C), and high CO 2 (5%). These conditions are similar to those in the host. Our results further reveal that while glucose is a repressor of sfl2 Δ and efg1 Δ switching, GlcNAc is an inducer. Finally, we show that when GlcNAc is the carbon source, and the temperature is low (25°C), the efg1 Δ mutants, but not the sfl2 Δ mutants, form a tiny, elongate cell, which differentiates into an opaque cell when transferred to conditions optimal for a /α switching. These results demonstrate that at least two TFs, Sfl2 and Efg1, repress switching in a /α cells and that a /α strains with either an sfl2 Δ or efg1 Δ mutation can switch en masse but only under physiological conditions. The role of opaque a /α cells in commensalism and pathogenesis must, therefore, be investigated. IMPORTANCE More than 95% of Candida albicans strains isolated from humans are MTL  a /α, and approximately a third of these can undergo the white-to-opaque transition. Therefore, besides being a requirement for MTL -homozygous strains to mate, the opaque phenotype very likely plays a role in the commensalism and pathogenesis of nonmating, a /α populations colonizing humans.

Roles of the Transcription Factors Sfl2 and Efg1 in White-Opaque Switching in a/α Strains of Candida albicans