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1.
PLoS Pathog ; 20(7): e1012362, 2024 Jul 08.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38976759

RESUMO

Filamentous cell growth is a vital property of fungal pathogens. The mechanisms of filamentation in the emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris are poorly understood. Here, we show that exposure of C. auris to glycerol triggers a rod-like filamentation-competent (RL-FC) phenotype, which forms elongated filamentous cells after a prolonged culture period. Whole-genome sequencing analysis reveals that all RL-FC isolates harbor a mutation in the C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor-encoding gene GFC1 (Gfc1 variants). Deletion of GFC1 leads to an RL-FC phenotype similar to that observed in Gfc1 variants. We further demonstrate that GFC1 mutation causes enhanced fatty acid ß-oxidation metabolism and thereby promotes RL-FC/filamentous growth. This regulation is achieved through a Multiple Carbon source Utilizer (Mcu1)-dependent mechanism. Interestingly, both the evolved RL-FC isolates and the gfc1Δ mutant exhibit an enhanced ability to colonize the skin. Our results reveal that glycerol-mediated GFC1 mutations are beneficial during C. auris skin colonization and infection.

2.
PLoS Pathog ; 19(3): e1011239, 2023 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36913408

RESUMO

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen and a new global threat to human health. A unique morphological feature of this fungus is its multicellular aggregating phenotype, which has been thought to be associated with defects in cell division. In this study, we report a new aggregating form of two clinical C. auris isolates with increased biofilm forming capacity due to enhanced adherence of adjacent cells and surfaces. Unlike the previously reported aggregating morphology, this new aggregating multicellular form of C. auris can become unicellular after treatment with proteinase K or trypsin. Genomic analysis demonstrated that amplification of the subtelomeric adhesin gene ALS4 is the reason behind the strain's enhanced adherence and biofilm forming capacities. Many clinical isolates of C. auris have variable copy numbers of ALS4, suggesting that this subtelomeric region exhibits instability. Global transcriptional profiling and quantitative real-time PCR assays indicated that genomic amplification of ALS4 results in a dramatic increase in overall levels of transcription. Compared to the previously characterized nonaggregative/yeast-form and aggregative-form strains of C. auris, this new Als4-mediated aggregative-form strain of C. auris displays several unique characteristics in terms of its biofilm formation, surface colonization, and virulence.


Assuntos
Antifúngicos , Candida , Humanos , Candida/genética , Candida auris , Biofilmes , Genômica , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana
3.
Cancer Immunol Immunother ; 73(6): 111, 2024 Apr 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38668781

RESUMO

The increase in the detection rate of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) has posed remarkable clinical challenges due to the limited understanding of its pathogenesis and molecular features. Here, comprehensive comparisons of genomic and immunologic features between MPLC and solitary lung cancer nodule (SN), as well as different lesions of the same patient, were performed. Compared with SN, MPLC displayed a lower rate of EGFR mutation but higher rates of BRAF, MAP2K1, and MTOR mutation, which function exactly in the upstream and downstream of the same signaling pathway. Considerable heterogeneity in T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire exists among not only different patients but also among different lesions of the same patient. Invasive lesions of MPLC exhibited significantly higher TCR diversity and lower TCR expansion than those of SN. Intriguingly, different lesions of the same patient always shared a certain proportion of TCR clonotypes. Significant clonal expansion could be observed in shared TCR clonotypes, particularly in those existing in all lesions of the same patient. In conclusion, this study provided evidences of the distinctive mutational landscape, activation of oncogenic signaling pathways, and TCR repertoire in MPLC as compared with SN. The significant clonal expansion of shared TCR clonotypes demonstrated the existence of immune commonality among different lesions of the same patient and shed new light on the individually tailored precision therapy for MPLC.


Assuntos
Neoplasias Pulmonares , Mutação , Neoplasias Primárias Múltiplas , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/imunologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/genética , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/imunologia , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfócitos T/metabolismo , Neoplasias Primárias Múltiplas/imunologia , Neoplasias Primárias Múltiplas/genética , Neoplasias Primárias Múltiplas/patologia , Masculino , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso
4.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 29(7): 1425-1428, 2023 07.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37347816

RESUMO

Candida vulturna belongs to the Candida haemulonii species complex and is phylogenetically related to C. auris. We report a C. vulturna outbreak among persons in Shanxi Province, China, during 2019-2022. Isolates were resistant to multiple antifungal drugs and exhibited enhanced adhesion and biofilm formation properties.


Assuntos
Candida , Candidíase , Candidíase/epidemiologia , Candidíase/microbiologia , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Antifúngicos/uso terapêutico , China/epidemiologia , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana
5.
Fungal Genet Biol ; 159: 103664, 2022 04.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35026387

RESUMO

The diploid fungal pathogen Candida albicans has three configurations at the mating type locus (MTL): heterozygous (a/α) and homozygous (a/a or α/α). C. albicans MTL locus encodes four transcriptional regulators (MTLa1, a2, α1, and α2). The conserved a1/α2 heterodimer controls not only mating competency but also white-opaque heritable phenotypic switching. However, the regulatory roles of MTLa2 and α1 are more complex and remain to be investigated. MTLa/a cells often express a cell type-specific genes and mate as the a-type partner, whereas MTLα/α cells express α-specific genes and mate as the α-type partner. In this study, we report that the MTLa2 regulator controls the formation of mating projections through both the a- and α-pheromone-sensing pathways and thus results in the bi-mater feature of "α cells" of C. albicans. Ectopic expression of MTLa2 in opaque α cells activates the expression of not only MFA1 and STE3 (a-pheromone receptor) but also MFα1 and STE2 (α-pheromone receptor). Inactivation of either the MFa-Ste3 or MFα-Ste2 pheromone-sensing pathway cannot block the MTLa2-induced development of mating projections. However, the case is different in MTLα1-ectopically expressed opaque a cells. Inactivation of the MFα-Ste2 but not the MFa-Ste3 pheromone-sensing pathway blocks MTLα1-induced development of mating projections. Therefore, MTLa2 and MTLα1 exhibit distinct regulatory features that control the mating response in C. albicans. These findings shed new light on the regulatory mechanism of bi-mating behaviors and sexual reproduction in C. albicans.


Assuntos
Candida albicans , Genes Fúngicos Tipo Acasalamento , Candida albicans/metabolismo , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica/genética , Genes Fúngicos Tipo Acasalamento/genética , Feromônios/genética , Receptores de Feromônios/genética , Receptores de Feromônios/metabolismo , Reprodução
6.
PLoS Pathog ; 16(10): e1008921, 2020 10.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33091071

RESUMO

First described in 2009 in Japan, the emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen Candida auris is becoming a worldwide public health threat that has been attracting considerable attention due to its rapid and widespread emergence over the past decade. The reasons behind the recent emergence of this fungus remain a mystery to date. Genetic analyses indicate that this fungal pathogen emerged simultaneously in several different continents, where 5 genetically distinct clades of C. auris were isolated from distinct geographical locations. Although C. auris belongs to the CTG clade (its constituent species translate the CTG codon as serine instead of leucine, as in the standard code), C. auris is a haploid fungal species that is more closely related to the haploid and often multidrug-resistant species Candida haemulonii and Candida lusitaniae and is distantly related to the diploid and clinically common fungal pathogens Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. Infections and outbreaks caused by C. auris in hospitals settings have been rising over the past several years. Difficulty in its identification, multidrug resistance properties, evolution of virulence factors, associated high mortality rates in patients, and long-term survival on surfaces in the environment make C. auris particularly problematic in clinical settings. Here, we review progress made over the past decade on the biological and clinical aspects of C. auris. Future efforts should be directed toward understanding the mechanistic details of its biology, epidemiology, antifungal resistance, and pathogenesis with a goal of developing novel tools and methods for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of C. auris infections.


Assuntos
Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Candidíase/epidemiologia , Farmacorresistência Fúngica/efeitos dos fármacos , Saccharomycetales/patogenicidade , Candida/genética , Candida/patogenicidade , Candidíase/microbiologia , Humanos , Saccharomycetales/efeitos dos fármacos , Virulência/genética
7.
PLoS Biol ; 17(3): e2006966, 2019 03.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30865631

RESUMO

While sexual reproduction is pervasive in eukaryotic cells, the strategies employed by fungal species to achieve and complete sexual cycles is highly diverse and complex. Many fungi, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe, are homothallic (able to mate with their own mitotic descendants) because of homothallic switching (HO) endonuclease-mediated mating-type switching. Under laboratory conditions, the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans can undergo both heterothallic and homothallic (opposite- and same-sex) mating. However, both mating modes require the presence of cells with two opposite mating types (MTLa/a and α/α) in close proximity. Given the predominant clonal feature of this yeast in the human host, both opposite- and same-sex mating would be rare in nature. In this study, we report that glucose starvation and oxidative stress, common environmental stresses encountered by the pathogen, induce the development of mating projections and efficiently permit same-sex mating in C. albicans with an "a" mating type (MTLa/a). This induction bypasses the requirement for the presence of cells with an opposite mating type and allows efficient sexual mating between cells derived from a single progenitor. Glucose starvation causes an increase in intracellular oxidative species, overwhelming the Heat Shock transcription Factor 1 (Hsf1)- and Heat shock protein (Hsp)90-mediated stress-response pathway. We further demonstrate that Candida TransActivating protein 4 (Cta4) and Cell Wall Transcription factor 1 (Cwt1), downstream effectors of the Hsf1-Hsp90 pathway, regulate same-sex mating in C. albicans through the transcriptional control of the master regulator of a-type mating, MTLa2, and the pheromone precursor-encoding gene Mating α factor precursor (MFα). Our results suggest that mating could occur much more frequently in nature than was originally appreciated and that same-sex mating could be an important mode of sexual reproduction in C. albicans.


Assuntos
Candida albicans/metabolismo , Candida albicans/fisiologia , Proteínas Fúngicas/metabolismo , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição de Choque Térmico/metabolismo , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Genes Fúngicos Tipo Acasalamento/genética , Genes Fúngicos Tipo Acasalamento/fisiologia , Proteínas de Choque Térmico HSP90/genética , Fatores de Transcrição de Choque Térmico/genética , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia
8.
Neurosurg Rev ; 45(3): 2407-2415, 2022 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35247129

RESUMO

Cystatin C (CysC) has been found to be associated with hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke in many studies. However, the association between CysC level and the risk of delayed cerebral ischemia after endovascular treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage has been reported rarely. Our study was proposed to explore this association. Consecutive patients from June 2015 to February 2021 in this single-center retrospective study were selected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify potential prognostic risk factors for delayed cerebral ischemia, and the stability of the association was demonstrated by several statistical methods, such as subgroup analysis, interaction testing, generalized linear models, and propensity score matching. A total of 424 patients were included in the analysis. Cystatin C was independently associated with delayed cerebral ischemia. The independent effects of CysC on delayed cerebral ischemia were shown in generalized linear models with a logit link, and the results were relatively stable in crude, partial, and full models with ORs (95% CIs) for delayed cerebral ischemia. Subgroup analysis showed no significant subgroup differences in the effect of CysC on delayed cerebral ischemia. There was also no interaction effect between CysC and other confounders. Patients in the high CysC group had a higher risk of delayed cerebral ischemia than those in the low CysC group before and after propensity score matching. CysC level could be an independent predictor for the risk of delayed cerebral ischemia after endovascular treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.


Assuntos
Isquemia Encefálica , Cistatina C , Hemorragia Subaracnóidea , Isquemia Encefálica/metabolismo , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Infarto Cerebral , Cistatina C/metabolismo , Humanos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Hemorragia Subaracnóidea/metabolismo
9.
Genomics ; 113(1 Pt 2): 654-663, 2021 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33011328

RESUMO

Intermuscular bone (IB) is a hard-boned spicule exist in lower teleost, which brings a lot of detrimental effects on palatability and economic value of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). Masson trichrome staining for ossific IB indicated that some osteoblasts appeared at the edge of the bone matrix and a few osteocytes are present in the center of the mineralized bone matrix. By comparing the orthologous gene families of fish with IBs and without IBs, we screened the key signaling pathways associated with IB formation. Furthermore, the transcriptomic data demonstrated the functional importance of these gene families. The candidate genes involved in chondrocyte development were highly expressed in stage 1 compared with stage 2 and stage 3, suggesting that the development process of IB might mainly involve in intramembranous ossification. Our research reveals the molecular mechanism of IBs formation, and provides molecular evidence for the further study on intermuscular boneless stains.


Assuntos
Desenvolvimento Ósseo , Cyprinidae/genética , Transcriptoma , Animais , Condrócitos/metabolismo , Cyprinidae/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas de Peixes/genética , Proteínas de Peixes/metabolismo , Osteoblastos/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais
10.
Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao ; 44(5): 768-772, 2022 Oct.
Artigo em Zh | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36325772

RESUMO

Objective To explore the feasibility and efficacy of the training program for aromatherapy in palliative care. Methods Data from four aromatherapy training programs held at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2016 to 2019 was collected.The feasibility and efficacy of the training were measured based on the self-reported questionnaires from 120 trainees. Results A total of 56 valid questionnaires were collected.The total score of the programs was 8.09.Trainees reported that the program enriched theoretical knowledge and enhanced practical confidence.After the training,79.6% of the trainees carried out aromatherapy in practice,while those who failed to practice were mainly due to the lack of appropriate opportunities.Some trainees suggested adding more practice hours and hoped to get follow-up guidance on a case-by-case basis. Conclusions It is feasible to carry out the short-term training program of aromatherapy in palliative care,which can enrich trainees' theoretical knowledge and enhance the practical confidence.It is necessary to provide continuous guidance after training to increase the proportion of trainees adopting aromatherapy in palliative care practice.


Assuntos
Aromaterapia , Cuidados Paliativos , Humanos , Estudos de Viabilidade , Inquéritos e Questionários
11.
Med Mycol ; 59(7): 734-740, 2021 Jul 06.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33485272

RESUMO

A striking feature of pathogenic Candida species is morphological plasticity that facilitates environmental adaptation and host infection. Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen first described in Japan in 2009. In this study, we demonstrate that clinical isolates of C. auris have multiple colony and cellular morphologies including the yeast, filamentous, aggregated, and elongated forms. This phenotypic diversity has been observed in eight clinical isolates of C. auris representing four major genetic clades, suggesting that it could be a general characteristic. We further demonstrate that different cell types of C. auris exhibit distinct antifungal resistance and virulence properties in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Our findings imply that morphological diversity is an important biological feature of C. auris and could be a contributor to its emergence and rapid prevalence worldwide. LAY SUMMARY: Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen. Morphological analyses indicate that filamentation is a general feature of clinical isolates of C. auris. This ability is associated with antifungal resistance and virulence.


Assuntos
Candida/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Candidíase/microbiologia , Animais , Candida/genética , Candida/patogenicidade , Farmacorresistência Fúngica , Humanos , Larva/microbiologia , Camundongos , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Mariposas/microbiologia , Fenótipo , Virulência
12.
Mar Drugs ; 19(4)2021 Mar 30.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33808126

RESUMO

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global health problem. It is therefore imperative to develop drugs for anti-hepatitis B with high-efficiency and low toxicity. Attracted by the observations and evidence that the symptoms of some patients from the Southern Fujian, China, suffering from hepatitis B were alleviated after daily eating an edible marine mollusk, Thais clavigera (Küster 1860) (TCK). Water-soluble polysaccharide from TCK (TCKP1) was isolated and characterized. The anti-HBV activity of TCKP1 and its regulatory pathway were investigated on both HepG2.2.15 cell line and HBV transgenic mice. The data obtained from in vitro studies showed that TCKP1 significantly enhanced the production of IFN-α, and reduced the level of HBV antigens and HBV DNA in the supernatants of HepG2.2.15 cells in a dose-dependent manner with low cytotoxicity. The result of the study on the HBV transgenic mice further revealed that TCKP1 significantly decreased the level of transaminases, HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA in the serum, as well as HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV DNA, and HBV RNA in the liver of HBV transgenic (HBV-Tg) mice. Furthermore, TCKP1 exhibited equivalent inhibitory effect with the positive control tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) on the markers above except for HBV DNA even in low dosage in a mouse model. However, the TCKP1 high-dose group displayed stronger inhibition of transaminases and liver HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV RNA when compared with those of TAF. Meanwhile, inflammation of the liver was, by pathological observation, relieved in a dose-dependent manner after being treated with TCKP1. In addition, elevated levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon γ (IFN-γ), and reduced level of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the serum were observed, indicating that the anti-HBV effect of TCKP1 was achieved by potentiating immunocyte function and regulating the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines.


Assuntos
Antivirais/farmacologia , Vírus da Hepatite B/efeitos dos fármacos , Hepatite B/tratamento farmacológico , Moluscos/metabolismo , Polissacarídeos/farmacologia , Animais , Antivirais/isolamento & purificação , Citocinas/metabolismo , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Células Hep G2 , Hepatite B/imunologia , Hepatite B/metabolismo , Hepatite B/virologia , Vírus da Hepatite B/genética , Vírus da Hepatite B/imunologia , Interações Hospedeiro-Patógeno , Humanos , Mediadores da Inflamação/metabolismo , Camundongos Transgênicos , Polissacarídeos/isolamento & purificação , Equilíbrio Th1-Th2/efeitos dos fármacos , Carga Viral
13.
PLoS Genet ; 14(5): e1007377, 2018 05.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29734333

RESUMO

Sexual reproduction is a universal mechanism for generating genetic diversity in eukaryotes. Fungi exhibit diverse strategies for sexual reproduction both in nature and in the laboratory. In this study, we report the discovery of same-sex (homothallic) mating in the human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis. We show that same-sex mating occurs between two cells carrying the same mating type (MTLa/a or α/α) and requires the presence of pheromone from the opposite mating type as well as the receptor for this pheromone. In ménage à trois mating mixes (i.e., "a x a + α helper" or "α x α + a helper" mixes), pheromone secreted by helper strains promotes diploid C. tropicalis cells to undergo same-sex mating and form tetraploid products. Surprisingly, however, the tetraploid mating products can then efficiently mate with cells of the opposite mating type to generate hexaploid products. The unstable hexaploid progeny generated from this coupled process of same- and opposite-sex mating undergo rapid chromosome loss and generate extensive genetic variation. Phenotypic analysis demonstrated that the mating progeny-derived strains exhibit diverse morphologies and phenotypes, including differences in secreted aspartic proteinase (Sap) activity and susceptibility to the antifungal drugs. Thus, the coupling of same- and opposite-sex mating represents a novel mode to generate polyploidy and genetic diversity, which may facilitate the evolution of new traits in C. tropicalis and adaptation to changing environments.


Assuntos
Candida tropicalis/genética , Genes Fúngicos Tipo Acasalamento/genética , Variação Genética , Poliploidia , Candida tropicalis/metabolismo , Candida tropicalis/fisiologia , Candidíase/microbiologia , Cruzamentos Genéticos , Diploide , Genótipo , Humanos , Fenótipo , Feromônios/metabolismo , Tetraploidia
14.
Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao ; 43(5): 743-748, 2021 Oct.
Artigo em Zh | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34728035

RESUMO

Objective To evaluate the effects of antiretroviral therapy(ART)for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission(PMTCT)of acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)on the growth and development of 18-month-old children born by human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)-positive pregnant women in Lingshan County,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,and provide scientific evidence for improving the ART medication plan for PMTCT.Methods Lingshan County,ranking the first in the HIV-epidemic counties of Guangxi,was selected as the research site.According to the design of retrospective case-control study,we assigned all the subjects into the case group and the control group:(1)The case group included the HIV-positive pregnant women who had received ART for PMTCT and their HIV-negative infants in Lingshan County from 2010 to 2017.The historical cards and PMTCT data of them were collected from the national PMTCT database.(2)The control group included the healthy pregnant women and their healthy babies born in the Lingshan Maternity and Infant Hospital in 2017,and the children's growth and development data were collected.The stunted growth in children was defined as at least one of the three main indicators of body height,body weight,and head circumference below the normal range.Results The number of HIV-positive mothers and their infants in the case group was 391 and 368,respectively,and 87.21%(341/391)and 95.38%(351/368)of mothers and infants respectively received ART medication.The HIV positive rate,mortality rate,and mother-to-child transmission rate of 18-month-old children were 1.36%(5/368),4.35%(16/368),and 2.01%(5/249),respectively.The incidence of stunted growth of 18-month-old children in the case group and the control group was 42.12%(155/368)and 23.06%(101/438),respectively,with significant difference(χ2=33.520,P<0.001).Conclusion After HIV-positive mothers in Lingshan County of Guangxi received ART for PMTCT,the incidence of growth stunting in 18-month-old children increased.


Assuntos
Infecções por HIV , Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez , Estudos de Casos e Controles , China/epidemiologia , Feminino , Crescimento e Desenvolvimento , HIV , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Lactente , Transmissão Vertical de Doenças Infecciosas/prevenção & controle , Mães , Gravidez , Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez/tratamento farmacológico , Estudos Retrospectivos
15.
Mol Microbiol ; 111(1): 6-16, 2019 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30299574

RESUMO

Candida albicans is a major fungal pathogen of humans, causing both superficial and life-threatening systemic infections in immunocompromised people. The conserved Ras/cAMP/PKA pathway plays a key role in regulating multiple traits important for the virulence of C. albicans such as cell growth, yeast-hyphal transition, white-opaque switching, sexual reproduction and biofilm development. Diverse external signals influence cell physiology by activating this signaling pathway. The key components of the Ras/cAMP/PKA pathway include two Ras GTPases (Ras1 and Ras2), an adenylyl cyclase (Cyr1, also known as Cdc35), two cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (Pde1 and Pde2) and the catalytic (Tpk1 and Tpk2) and regulatory (Bcy1) subunits of PKA kinase. Activation of this pathway dramatically alters the gene expression profile via several transcription factors, leading to the activation of specific biological processes. Here, we review the progress made in the past two decades to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the Ras/cAMP/PKA pathway senses diverse environmental cues and controls specific cellular responses and its connection with other signaling pathways in C. albicans.


Assuntos
Candida albicans/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Proteínas Quinases Dependentes de AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Transdução de Sinais , Proteínas ras/metabolismo , Adaptação Fisiológica , Candida albicans/genética , Candida albicans/metabolismo , Candida albicans/patogenicidade , Transcrição Gênica
16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32205353

RESUMO

Antimicrobial peptides and proteins play critical roles in the host defense against invading pathogens. We recently discovered that recombinantly expressed human and mouse serum amyloid A1 (rhSAA1 and rmSAA1, respectively) proteins have potent antifungal activities against the major human fungal pathogen Candida albicans At high concentrations, rhSAA1 disrupts C. albicans membrane integrity and induces rapid fungal cell death. In the present study, we find that rhSAA1 promotes cell aggregation and targets the C. albicans cell wall adhesin Als3. Inactivation of ALS3 in C. albicans leads to a striking decrease in cell aggregation and cell death upon rhSAA1 treatment, suggesting that Als3 plays a critical role in SAA1 sensing. We further demonstrate that deletion of the transcriptional regulators controlling the expression of ALS3, such as AHR1, BCR1, and EFG1, in C. albicans results in similar effects to that of the als3/als3 mutant upon rhSAA1 treatment. Global gene expression profiling indicates that rhSAA1 has a discernible impact on the expression of cell wall- and metabolism-related genes, suggesting that rhSAA1 treatment could lead to a nutrient starvation effect on C. albicans cells.


Assuntos
Candida albicans , Proteínas Fúngicas , Adesinas Bacterianas , Animais , Biofilmes , Candida albicans/genética , Morte Celular , Parede Celular , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Humanos , Camundongos
17.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33077664

RESUMO

Candida auris is a newly emerging fungal pathogen of humans and has attracted considerable attention from both the clinical and basic research communities. Clinical isolates of C. auris are often resistant to one or more antifungal agents. To explore how antifungal resistance develops, we performed experimental evolution assays using a fluconazole-susceptible isolate of C. auris (BJCA001). After a series of passages through medium containing increasing concentrations of fluconazole, fungal cells acquired resistance. By sequencing and comparing the genomes of the parental fluconazole-susceptible strain and 26 experimentally evolved strains of C. auris, we found that a portion of fluconazole-resistant strains carried one extra copy of chromosome V. In the absence of fluconazole, C. auris cells rapidly became susceptible and lost the extra copy of chromosome V. Genomic and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) analyses indicate that this chromosome carries a number of drug resistance-related genes, which were transcriptionally upregulated in the resistant, aneuploid strains. Moreover, missense mutations were identified in the genes TAC1B, RRP6, and SFT2 in all experimentally evolved strains. Our findings suggest that the gain of an extra copy of chromosome V is associated with the rapid acquisition of fluconazole resistance and may represent an important evolutionary mechanism of antifungal resistance in C. auris.


Assuntos
Candida , Fluconazol , Aneuploidia , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Candida/genética , Farmacorresistência Fúngica/genética , Fluconazol/farmacologia , Humanos , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana
18.
Curr Genet ; 66(6): 1155-1162, 2020 Dec.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32761264

RESUMO

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans is able to switch among several morphological phenotypes in response to environmental changes. White-opaque transition is a typical phenotypic switching system involved in the regulation of pathogenesis and sexual reproduction in C. albicans. Under regular laboratory culture conditions, to undergo white-to-opaque switching, cells must first undergo homozygosis at the mating-type locus (MTLa/a or α/α) since the a1/α2 heterodimer represses the expression of the Wor1 master regulator of switching in MTLa/α heterozygous strains. In this study, we report the roles of the PHO pathway of phosphate metabolism in the regulation of white-opaque switching and sexual mating in C. albicans. We find that deletion of the PHO pathway genes PHO81, PHO80, PHO2, and PHO4 induces the opaque phenotype in MTLa/α heterozygous cells. Low concentrations of external phosphate are conducive for the opaque phenotype in both MTL homozygous and heterozygous strains. Moreover, phosphate starvation can also increase the mating efficiency in C. albicans. Consistently, the pho80/pho80 mutant mimics an artificial phosphate starvation state and mates efficiently at both lower and higher phosphate concentrations. Our study establishes a link between the PHO pathway and white-opaque epigenetic switching in C. albicans.


Assuntos
Candida albicans/genética , Proteínas Fúngicas/genética , Genes Fúngicos Tipo Acasalamento/genética , Reprodução/genética , Candida albicans/patogenicidade , Regulação Fúngica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Fenótipo , Transdução de Sinais/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética
19.
Curr Genet ; 66(3): 549-559, 2020 Jun.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31865398

RESUMO

Infections caused by emerging fungal pathogens represent a new threat to human health. The yeast Yarrowia (Candida) galli was first described from chicken breast and liver in 2004 and has occasionally been isolated in clinical settings. In this study, we present the first report of a Y. galli isolate from a face granuloma of a woman. Y. galli is unable to grow at human physiological temperature (37 °C). Phenotypic analysis demonstrates that Y. galli can exist as several morphological types, namely fluffy, sticky, tight, and yeast forms, based on their cellular and colony appearances. Interestingly, Y. galli is able to undergo switching among different morphologies. These morphological changes are similar to the switching systems in pathogenic Candida species such as Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. We further sequenced the genome of the Y. galli isolate. A comparative analysis with pathogenic yeast species indicated that a set of lipid metabolism genes were enriched in Y. galli. Domain enrichment analysis demonstrated that, similar to Candida clade species, the genome of Y. galli maintained several gene families required for virulence. Our biological and genomic analyses provide new insights into the understanding of the biology of Y. galli as either an environmental isolate or a potential human pathogen.


Assuntos
DNA Fúngico/análise , Genoma Fúngico , Genômica/métodos , Doença Granulomatosa Crônica/microbiologia , Saccharomycetales/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Saccharomycetales/genética , Virulência , Idoso , China , Feminino , Humanos , Filogenia , Saccharomycetales/isolamento & purificação
20.
Fish Shellfish Immunol ; 98: 832-842, 2020 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31759080

RESUMO

Cherax quadricarinatus is a large-sized, highly fecund, and fast-growing species of freshwater crayfish, and has become one of the world's most intensely studied crustaceans. Decapod iridescent virus 1 (DIV1), a newly described species in the family Iridoviridae, is known to infect various crustaceans, including C. quadricarinatus, and may pose a new threat in the shrimp-farming industry. The present study performed de novo transcriptome sequencing of C. quadricarinatus hepatopancreas during DIV1 infection. A total of 114,784 transcripts and 56,418 genes were obtained; 1070 genes were upregulated and 775 genes were downregulated when compared with the uninfected samples (controls). Three pattern recognition receptor genes (fibrinogen-related protein, C-type lectin, and beta-1,3-glucan-binding protein) were upregulated during DIV1 infection. Among the top-30 upregulated unigenes, 9 unigenes were identified as vitellogenin (Vg) genes, and the top-3 upregulated unigenes were identified as involved in Vg lipid transport, lipid localization, and lipid transporter activity, which were all significantly over-representative GO terms in the GO enrichment analysis of total and upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Many genes associated with Jak-STAT signaling pathway, Endocytosis, Phagosome, MAPK signaling pathway, Apoptosis and Lysosome were positively modified after DIV1 infection. The predicted protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed NF1 and TUBA, CRM1 and TUBB were involved in protein interactions. This research showed that DIV1 infection has a significant impact on the transcriptome profile of C. quadricarinatus hepatopancreas, and the results enhance our understanding of virus-host interactions. Furthermore, the high number of transcripts generated in the present study will provide information for identifying novel genes in the absence of a full C. quadricarinatus genome sequence.


Assuntos
Astacoidea/metabolismo , Astacoidea/virologia , Hepatopâncreas/metabolismo , Iridoviridae/fisiologia , Transcriptoma , Animais
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