DYRK-family kinases regulate Candida albicans morphogenesis and virulence through the Ras1/PKA pathway.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that frequently causes life-threatening infections in immunocompromised individuals. To cause disease, the fungus employs several virulence traits, including its ability to transition between yeast and filamentous states. Previous work identified a role for the kinase Yak1 in regulating C. albicans filamentation. Here, we demonstrate that Yak1 regulates morphogenesis through the canonical cAMP/PKA pathway and that this regulation is environmentally contingent, as host-relevant concentrations of CO₂ bypass the requirement of Yak1 for C. albicans morphogenesis. We show a related kinase, Pom1, is important for filamentation in the absence of Yak1 under these host-relevant conditions,

SUBMITTER: MacAlpine J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10746247 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature