| Title: | A coupled process of same- and opposite-sex mating generates polyploidy and genetic diversity in Candida tropicalis |
| Author(s): | Du H; Zheng Q; Bing J; Bennett RJ; Huang G; |
| Address: | "State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 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 Microbiology and Immunology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America" |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007377 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1553-7404 (Electronic) 1553-7390 (Print) 1553-7390 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Sexual reproduction is a universal mechanism for generating genetic diversity in eukaryotes. Fungi exhibit diverse strategies for sexual reproduction both in nature and in the laboratory. In this study, we report the discovery of same-sex (homothallic) mating in the human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis. We show that same-sex mating occurs between two cells carrying the same mating type (MTLa/a or alpha/alpha) and requires the presence of pheromone from the opposite mating type as well as the receptor for this pheromone. In menage a trois mating mixes (i.e., 'a x a + alpha helper' or 'alpha x alpha + a helper' mixes), pheromone secreted by helper strains promotes diploid C. tropicalis cells to undergo same-sex mating and form tetraploid products. Surprisingly, however, the tetraploid mating products can then efficiently mate with cells of the opposite mating type to generate hexaploid products. The unstable hexaploid progeny generated from this coupled process of same- and opposite-sex mating undergo rapid chromosome loss and generate extensive genetic variation. Phenotypic analysis demonstrated that the mating progeny-derived strains exhibit diverse morphologies and phenotypes, including differences in secreted aspartic proteinase (Sap) activity and susceptibility to the antifungal drugs. Thus, the coupling of same- and opposite-sex mating represents a novel mode to generate polyploidy and genetic diversity, which may facilitate the evolution of new traits in C. tropicalis and adaptation to changing environments" |
| Keywords: | "Candida tropicalis/*genetics/metabolism/physiology Candidiasis/microbiology Crosses, Genetic Diploidy Genes, Mating Type, Fungal/*genetics *Genetic Variation Genotype Humans Phenotype Pheromones/metabolism *Polyploidy Tetraploidy;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineDu, Han Zheng, Qiushi Bing, Jian Bennett, Richard J Huang, Guanghua eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2018/05/08 PLoS Genet. 2018 May 7; 14(5):e1007377. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007377. eCollection 2018 May" |
