Hyphal growth in Candida albicans does not require induction of hyphal-specific gene expression.

ABSTRACT: Various stimuli, including N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), induce the fungal pathogen Candida albicans to switch from budding to hyphal growth. Previous studies suggested that hyphal morphogenesis is stimulated by transcriptional induction of a set of genes that includes known virulence factors. To better understand hyphal development, we examined the role of GlcNAc metabolism using a triple mutant lacking the genes required to metabolize exogenous GlcNAc (hxk1Δ nag1Δ dac1Δ). Surprisingly, at low ambient pH (∼pH 4), GlcNAc stimulated this mutant to form hyphae without obvious induction of hyphal genes. This indicates that GlcNAc can stimulate a separate signal to induce hyphae that is independent of transcriptional responses. Of interest, GlcNAc could induce the triple mutant to express hyph

SUBMITTER: Naseem S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4357515 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature