Evidence from comparative genomics for a complete sexual cycle in the 'asexual' pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Candida glabrata is a pathogenic yeast of increasing medical concern. It has been regarded as asexual since it was first described in 1917, yet phylogenetic analyses have revealed that it is more closely related to sexual yeasts than other Candida species. We show here that the C. glabrata genome contains many genes apparently involved in sexual reproduction.

Results

By genome survey sequencing, we find that genes involved in mating and meiosis are as numerous in C. glabrata as in the sexual species Kluyveromyces delphensis, which is its closest known relative. C. glabrata has a putative mating-type (MAT) locus and a pheromone gene (MFALPHA2), as well as orthologs of at least 31 other Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes that have no known roles apart from mating or mei

SUBMITTER: Wong S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC151300 | biostudies-literature | 2003

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature