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The protein kinase Tor1 regulates adhesin gene expression in Candida albicans.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Bastidas, RJ; Heitman, J; Cardenas, ME
Published in: PLoS Pathog
February 2009

Eukaryotic cell growth is coordinated in response to nutrient availability, growth factors, and environmental stimuli, enabling cell-cell interactions that promote survival. The rapamycin-sensitive Tor1 protein kinase, which is conserved from yeasts to humans, participates in a signaling pathway central to cellular nutrient responses. To gain insight into Tor-mediated processes in human fungal pathogens, we have characterized Tor signaling in Candida albicans. Global transcriptional profiling revealed evolutionarily conserved roles for Tor1 in regulating the expression of genes involved in nitrogen starvation responses and ribosome biogenesis. Interestingly, we found that in C. albicans Tor1 plays a novel role in regulating the expression of several cell wall and hyphal specific genes, including adhesins and their transcriptional repressors Nrg1 and Tup1. In accord with this transcriptional profile, rapamycin induced extensive cellular aggregation in an adhesin-dependent fashion. Moreover, adhesin gene induction and cellular aggregation of rapamycin-treated cells were strongly dependent on the transactivators Bcr1 and Efg1. These findings support models in which Tor1 negatively controls cellular adhesion by governing the activities of Bcr1 and Efg1. Taken together, these results provide evidence that Tor1-mediated cellular adhesion might be broadly conserved among eukaryotic organisms.

Duke Scholars

Published In

PLoS Pathog

DOI

EISSN

1553-7374

Publication Date

February 2009

Volume

5

Issue

2

Start / End Page

e1000294

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Virology
  • Transcription Factors
  • Sirolimus
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Mutation
  • Hyphae
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins
 

Citation

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Bastidas, R. J., Heitman, J., & Cardenas, M. E. (2009). The protein kinase Tor1 regulates adhesin gene expression in Candida albicans. PLoS Pathog, 5(2), e1000294. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000294
Bastidas, Robert J., Joseph Heitman, and Maria E. Cardenas. “The protein kinase Tor1 regulates adhesin gene expression in Candida albicans.PLoS Pathog 5, no. 2 (February 2009): e1000294. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000294.
Bastidas RJ, Heitman J, Cardenas ME. The protein kinase Tor1 regulates adhesin gene expression in Candida albicans. PLoS Pathog. 2009 Feb;5(2):e1000294.
Bastidas, Robert J., et al. “The protein kinase Tor1 regulates adhesin gene expression in Candida albicans.PLoS Pathog, vol. 5, no. 2, Feb. 2009, p. e1000294. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000294.
Bastidas RJ, Heitman J, Cardenas ME. The protein kinase Tor1 regulates adhesin gene expression in Candida albicans. PLoS Pathog. 2009 Feb;5(2):e1000294.

Published In

PLoS Pathog

DOI

EISSN

1553-7374

Publication Date

February 2009

Volume

5

Issue

2

Start / End Page

e1000294

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Virology
  • Transcription Factors
  • Sirolimus
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Mutation
  • Hyphae
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins