Kent Fungal Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
Mol Microbiol. 2010 Feb;75(3):534-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2009.06979.x. Epub 2009 Dec 10.
Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans. The ability of the fungus to grow as both yeast and filamentous forms is essential for its pathogenicity. Morphogenesis of C. albicans is largely regulated through the secondary messenger cAMP, produced by the soluble adenylyl cyclase, Cyr1p. Recent evidence suggests that Cyr1p can be directly stimulated by environmental cues to increase cytoplasmic cAMP levels and thus promote hyphal development. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Zou et al. demonstrate that, in response to some environmental cues, Cyr1p functions as part of a tripartite complex additionally involving Cap1p and G-actin. All three proteins in the complex are required to raise cytosolic cAMP levels after stimulation with serum and bacterial peptidoglycan. The formation of such a complex highlights the importance of precise regulation of Cyr1p activity in response to host environmental cues.
白色念珠菌是一种对人类具有机会致病性的真菌病原体。真菌既能以酵母形式生长,也能以丝状形式生长,这对其致病性至关重要。白色念珠菌的形态发生在很大程度上通过可溶性腺苷酸环化酶 Cyr1p 产生的第二信使 cAMP 来调节。最近的证据表明,Cyr1p 可以被环境线索直接刺激,以增加细胞质 cAMP 水平,从而促进菌丝发育。在本期《分子微生物学》中,Zou 等人表明,在响应某些环境线索时,Cyr1p 作为一个三联体复合物的一部分起作用,该复合物还涉及 Cap1p 和 G-肌动蛋白。在受到血清和细菌肽聚糖刺激后,该复合物中的所有三种蛋白质都需要提高细胞浆 cAMP 水平。这种复合物的形成突出了对 Cyr1p 活性的精确调节的重要性,以响应宿主环境线索。