Comparison of sterol import under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in three fungal species, Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ABSTRACT: Sterol import has been characterized under various conditions in three distinct fungal species, the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae and two human fungal pathogens Candida glabrata and Candida albicans, employing cholesterol, the sterol of higher eukaryotes, as well as its fungal equivalent, ergosterol. Import was confirmed by the detection of esterified cholesterol within the cells. Comparing the three fungal species, we observe sterol import under three different conditions. First, as previously well characterized, we observe sterol import under low oxygen levels in S. cerevisiae and C. glabrata, which is dependent on the transcription factor Upc2 and/or its orthologs or paralogs. Second, we observe sterol import under aerobic conditions exclusively in the two pathogenic fungi C.

SUBMITTER: Zavrel M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3647772 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature