Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America.
Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
PLoS Pathog. 2023 Jan 25;19(1):e1011109. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011109. eCollection 2023 Jan.
Biofilms of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans include abundant long filaments called hyphae. These cells express hypha-associated genes, which specify diverse virulence functions including surface adhesins that ensure biofilm integrity. Biofilm formation, virulence, and hypha-associated gene expression all depend upon the transcription factor Efg1. This transcription factor has been characterized extensively in the C. albicans type strain SC5314 and derivatives, but only recently has its function been explored in other clinical isolates. Here we define a principal set of Efg1-responsive genes whose expression is significantly altered by an efg1Δ/Δ mutation across 17 clinical isolates. This principal gene set includes 68 direct Efg1 targets, whose 5' regions are bound by Efg1 in five clinical isolates, and 42 indirect Efg1 targets, whose 5' regions are not detectably bound by Efg1. Three direct Efg1 target genes encode transcription factors-BRG1, UME6, and WOR3 -whose increased expression in an efg1Δ/Δ mutant restores expression of multiple indirect and direct principal targets, as well as biofilm formation ability. Although BRG1 and UME6 are well known positive regulators of hypha-associated genes and biofilm formation, WOR3 is best known as an antagonist of Efg1 in the sexual mating pathway. We confirm the positive role of WOR3 in biofilm formation with the finding that a wor3Δ/Δ mutation impairs biofilm formation in vitro and in an in vivo biofilm model. Positive control of Efg1 direct target genes by other Efg1 direct target genes-BRG1, UME6, and WOR3 -may buffer principal Efg1-responsive gene expression against the impact of genetic variation in the C. albicans species.
真菌病原体白色念珠菌的生物膜包括丰富的长丝,称为菌丝。这些细胞表达与菌丝相关的基因,这些基因指定了多种毒力功能,包括确保生物膜完整性的表面黏附素。生物膜形成、毒力和与菌丝相关的基因表达都依赖于转录因子 Efg1。这个转录因子在白色念珠菌标准菌株 SC5314 及其衍生物中得到了广泛的研究,但直到最近才在其他临床分离株中探索了其功能。在这里,我们定义了一组主要的 Efg1 响应基因,这些基因的表达在 17 个临床分离株中由于 efg1Δ/Δ 突变而发生显著改变。这个主要基因集包括 68 个直接的 Efg1 靶基因,它们的 5' 区域在五个临床分离株中被 Efg1 结合,以及 42 个间接的 Efg1 靶基因,它们的 5' 区域没有被 Efg1 检测到结合。三个直接的 Efg1 靶基因编码转录因子-BRG1、UME6 和 WOR3-它们在 efg1Δ/Δ 突变体中的表达增加恢复了多个间接和直接主要靶基因的表达,以及生物膜形成能力。虽然 BRG1 和 UME6 是菌丝相关基因和生物膜形成的众所周知的正调控因子,但 WOR3 作为性交配途径中 Efg1 的拮抗剂更为人所知。我们通过发现 wor3Δ/Δ 突变体在体外和体内生物膜模型中削弱生物膜形成,证实了 WOR3 在生物膜形成中的积极作用。其他 Efg1 直接靶基因-BRG1、UME6 和 WOR3-对 Efg1 直接靶基因的正向调控可能缓冲了主要的 Efg1 响应基因表达对白色念珠菌种内遗传变异的影响。
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