The Role of Sfp1 in Cell Wall Maintenance.

The cell wall is the first interface for interaction with the surrounding environment and the host cells. Therefore, maintenance of cell wall integrity (CWI) is crucial for survival and host-pathogen interaction. In response to environmental stresses, undergoes cell wall remodeling controlled by multiple signaling pathways and transcription regulators. Here, we explored the role of the transcription factor Sfp1 in CWI. A deletion of the gene not only caused changes in cell wall properties, cell wall composition and structure but also modulated expression of cell wall biosynthesis and remodeling genes. In addition, Cas5 is a known transcription regulator for CWI and cell wall stress response. Interestingly, our results indicated that Sfp1 negatively controls the gene expression by binding to its promoter element. Together, this study provides new insights into the regulation of CWI and stress response.