Mechanistic plasticity of sexual reproduction and meiosis in the Candida pathogenic species complex.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Candida species are microbial pathogens originally thought to be asexual, but several are now recognized as sexual or parasexual. Candida albicans, the most common fungus infecting humans, is an obligate diploid with a parasexual cycle involving mating, recombination, and genome reduction but no recognized meiosis. Others (C. lusitaniae, C. guilliermondii) are haploid, and their mating produces spores, suggestive of complete meiotic sexual cycles. However, comparative genomic analysis reveals that these species lack key meiotic components, including the recombinase Dmc1 and cofactors (Mei5/Sae3), synaptonemal-complex proteins (Zip1-Zip4/Hop1), and the crossover interference pathway (Msh4/5).

Results

Here we elucidate the structure and functions of the mating-type

SUBMITTER: Reedy JL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2788334 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature