The Candida albicans ATO Gene Family Promotes Neutralization of the Macrophage Phagolysosome.

ABSTRACT: Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that causes a variety of diseases, ranging from superficial mucosal to life-threatening systemic infections, the latter particularly in patients with defects in innate immune function. C. albicans cells phagocytosed by macrophages undergo a dramatic change in their metabolism in which amino acids are a key nutrient. We have shown that amino acid catabolism allows the cell to neutralize the phagolysosome and initiate hyphal growth. We show here that members of the 10-gene ATO family, which are induced by phagocytosis or the presence of amino acids in an Stp2-dependent manner and encode putative acetate or ammonia transporters, are important effectors of this pH change in vitro and in macrophages. When grown with amino acids as the s

SUBMITTER: Danhof HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4598414 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature