Pseudohyphal Regulation by the Transcription Factor Rfg1p in Candida albicans
ABSTRACT The opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is a major cause of nosocomial infections. One of the fundamental features of C. albicans pathogenesis is the yeast-to-hypha transition. Hypha formation is controlled positively by transcription factors such as Efg1p and Cph1p, which are required for hyphal growth, and negatively by Tup1p, Rfg1p, and Nrg1p. Previous work by our group has shown that modulating NRG1 gene expression, hence altering morphology, is intimately linked to the capacity of C. albicans to cause disease. To further dissect these virulence mechanisms, we employed the same strategy to analyze the role of Rfg1p in filamentation and virulence. Studies using …
Candida albicans adhesin Als3p is dispensable for virulence in the mouse model of disseminated candidiasis
The presence of specific proteins, including Ece1p, Hwp1p and Als3p, distinguishes theCandida albicanshyphal cell wall from that of yeast-form cells. These proteins are thought to be important for the ability ofC. albicanscells to adhere to living and non-living surfaces and for the cell-to-cell adhesion necessary for biofilm formation, and also to be pivotal in mediatingC. albicansinteractions with endothelial cells. Using anin vitroflow adhesion assay, we previously observed that yeast cells bind in greater numbers to human microvascular endothelial cells than do hyphal or pseudohyphal cells. This is consistent with previous observations that, in a murine model of disseminated candidiasis…