| Title: | White cells facilitate opposite- and same-sex mating of opaque cells in Candida albicans |
| Author(s): | Tao L; Cao C; Liang W; Guan G; Zhang Q; Nobile CJ; Huang G; |
| Address: | "State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, California, United States of America" |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004737 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1553-7404 (Electronic) 1553-7390 (Print) 1553-7390 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Modes of sexual reproduction in eukaryotic organisms are extremely diverse. The human fungal pathogen Candida albicans undergoes a phenotypic switch from the white to the opaque phase in order to become mating-competent. In this study, we report that functionally- and morphologically-differentiated white and opaque cells show a coordinated behavior during mating. Although white cells are mating-incompetent, they can produce sexual pheromones when treated with pheromones of the opposite mating type or by physically interacting with opaque cells of the opposite mating type. In a co-culture system, pheromones released by white cells induce opaque cells to form mating projections, and facilitate both opposite- and same-sex mating of opaque cells. Deletion of genes encoding the pheromone precursor proteins and inactivation of the pheromone response signaling pathway (Ste2-MAPK-Cph1) impair the promoting role of white cells (MTLa) in the sexual mating of opaque cells. White and opaque cells communicate via a paracrine pheromone signaling system, creating an environment conducive to sexual mating. This coordination between the two different cell types may be a trade-off strategy between sexual and asexual lifestyles in C. albicans" |
| Keywords: | "Animals Candida albicans/*cytology/pathogenicity/*physiology Candidiasis/pathology Coculture Techniques Dermatomycoses/pathology Disease Models, Animal Fungal Proteins/genetics/metabolism Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal Genes, Mating Type, Fungal Mice, ;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineTao, Li Cao, Chengjun Liang, Weihong Guan, Guobo Zhang, Qiuyu Nobile, Clarissa J Huang, Guanghua eng K99 AI100896/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ K99AI100896/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2014/10/21 PLoS Genet. 2014 Oct 16; 10(10):e1004737. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004737. eCollection 2014 Oct" |
