The SPS amino acid sensor mediates nutrient acquisition and immune evasion in Candida albicans.

ABSTRACT: Candida albicans is well adapted to its host and is able to sense and respond to the nutrients available within. We have shown that C. albicans avidly utilizes amino acids as a carbon source, which allows this opportunistic pathogen to neutralize acidic environments, including the macrophage phagosome. The transcription factor Stp2 is a key regulator of this phenomenon, and we sought to understand the mechanism of activation of Stp2, focusing on the SPS sensor system previously characterized for its role in nitrogen acquisition. We generated deletion mutants of the three components, SSY1, PTR3 and SSY5 and demonstrated that these strains utilize amino acids poorly as carbon source, cannot neutralize the medium in response to these nutrients, and have reduced ammonia release. Exogenous amin

SUBMITTER: Miramon P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5501722 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature