Davis Dana
Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, 1360 Mayo Building MMC196, MN 55455, Minneapolis, USA.
Curr Genet. 2003 Oct;44(1):1-7. doi: 10.1007/s00294-003-0415-2. Epub 2003 Jun 18.
For microorganisms that grow over a wide range of extracellular pH, systems must have evolved to sense and respond appropriately. The human opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans colonizes and infects anatomical sites of diverse pH, including the oral and gastro-intestinal tracts and the vaginal cavity. The ability to sense and respond to neutral-alkaline environments is governed by signal transduction pathways, one of which culminates in the activation of the transcription factor, Rim101p. The RIM101/pacC pathway, which governs pH responses and differentiation, has been the focus of study in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus nidulans. This pathway has been identified in C. albicans and governs pH responses, dimorphism, and pathogenesis. Although C. albicans and S. cerevisiae are related fungi, it is becoming apparent that there are unique aspects of the pH response and the role the RIM101 pathway plays in this response in C. albicans.
对于能在广泛的细胞外pH范围内生长的微生物而言，必然已经进化出了能够感知并做出适当反应的系统。人类机会致病菌白色念珠菌可定殖并感染不同pH值的解剖部位，包括口腔、胃肠道和阴道腔。感知并响应中性至碱性环境的能力受信号转导途径调控，其中一条途径最终导致转录因子Rim101p的激活。RIM101/pacC途径调控pH响应和分化，一直是酿酒酵母和构巢曲霉研究的重点。该途径已在白色念珠菌中得到鉴定，并调控pH响应、二态性和致病性。尽管白色念珠菌和酿酒酵母是亲缘关系较近的真菌，但越来越明显的是，pH响应存在独特之处，且RIM101途径在白色念珠菌的这种响应中所起的作用也具有独特性。
