Project description:To elucidate role of IRE1 in Candida albicans, genome wide expressional profile change was compared by microarray analysis between wild type (SC5314) and IRE1 mutant (ire1 DX) cells after successful RNA extraction. Expression of six genes (HWP1, ECE1, SOD3, AMS1, YWP1, SIT1 and FET34) was validated by qPCR and observed to have similar expression pattern when compared to their relative expression in microaaray data.
Project description:The ability of pathogenic yeast Candida albicans to cause infections in humans depends on morphogenesis, the ability to switch from a spherical yeast to a filamentous hyphal form. Morphogenesis in C. albicans requires Ire1, a transmembrane protein responsible for binding misfolded proteins and initiating the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). The UPR is a signaling pathway activated in response to the accumulation of misfolded secretory proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Ire1 activation in the ER membrane leads to splicing of cytosolic HAC1 mRNA and subsequent UPR target gene upregulation by transcription factor Hac1. In C. albicans, the specific UPR target genes required for morphogenesis are unknown. We utilized RNA-Sequencing to assess the transcriptome of UPR-deficient cells in misfolded protein- and morphogenesis-inducing conditions. Surprisingly, we found little overlap between the datasets, suggesting that a specific Ire1 transcriptional signature drives filamentous growth. Moreover, Hac1 is only partially required for morphogenesis, suggesting a role of Hac1-independent Ire1 function in filamentation. We propose that the cell wall stress response and regulated Ire1-dependent decay (RIDD) are potential Hac1-independent mechanisms connecting Ire1 to morphogenesis in C. albicans.
Project description:Goal: We employed RNA-seq to identify targets of regulation of the Candida albicans transcription regulator CUP9. The cup9 deletion mutant strain displays increased fitness in a mouse model of oropharyngeal candidiasis.
Project description:To elucidate the impact of IFU5 in Candida albicans, genome wide transcription profiling was performed in ifu5?/? mutant strain. Wild type and mutant cells were grown for 5 hours and RNA extracted from these cultures, followed by microarray profiling. Expression of six genes (EFG1, ALS3, SOD3, BMT4, COX2, NAD1) was validated by qPCR.