Interspecies pheromone signaling promotes biofilm formation and same-sex mating in
            <i>Candida albicans</i>

Alby, Kevin; Bennett, Richard J.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1017234108

Cited by 56 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…5C). Our observations are supported by very recent reports that ␣-factor from C. parapsilosis (and other Candida species) induces same-sex mating and adherence in C. albicans (2).…”

Section: Analysis Of the Mating Signal Transduction Pathway In Csupporting

confidence: 90%

Evolution of Mating within the Candida parapsilosis Species Group

et al. 2011

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Candida orthopsilosis and Candida metapsilosis are closely related to Candida parapsilosis, a major cause of infection in premature neonates. Mating has not been observed in these species. We show that ϳ190 isolates of C. parapsilosis contain only an MTLa idiomorph at the mating-type-like locus. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of the MTL loci from C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis. Among 16 C. orthopsilosis isolates, 9 were homozygous for MTLa, 5 were homozygous for MTL␣, and 2 were MTLa/␣ heterozygotes. The C. orthopsilosis isolates belonged to two divergent groups, as characterized by restriction patterns at MTL, which probably represent subspecies. We sequenced both idiomorphs from each group and showed that they are 95% identical and that the regulatory genes are intact. In contrast, 18 isolates of C. metapsilosis contain only MTL␣ idiomorphs. Our results suggest that the role of MTL in determining cell type is being eroded in the C. parapsilosis species complex. The population structure of C. orthopsilosis indicates that mating may occur. However, expression of genes in the mating signal transduction pathway does not respond to exposure to alpha factor. C. parapsilosis is also nonresponsive, even when the GTPase-activating protein gene SST2 is deleted. In addition, splicing of introns in MTLa1 and MTLa2 is defective in C. orthopsilosis. Mating is not detected. The alpha factor peptide, which is the same sequence in C. parapsilosis, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis, can induce a mating response in Candida albicans. It is therefore likely either that mating of C. orthopsilosis takes place under certain unidentified conditions or that the mating pathway has been adapted for other functions, such as cross-species communication.

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“…5C). Our observations are supported by very recent reports that ␣-factor from C. parapsilosis (and other Candida species) induces same-sex mating and adherence in C. albicans (2).…”

Section: Analysis Of the Mating Signal Transduction Pathway In Csupporting

confidence: 90%

Evolution of Mating within the Candida parapsilosis Species Group

et al. 2011

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“…Transformation of a self-sterile relative with the N. africana mat A sequence does not confer self-fertility seen in N. africana (GLASS and SMITH 1994 (ALBY and BENNETT 2011;GLASS and SMITH 1994;LIN et al 2005), may have evolved as a mechanism allowing species to preserve sexual reproduction and its benefits while at the same time minimising the costs (ROACH et al 2014). The cost of locating an opposite mating partner is a major barrier to efficient sexual reproduction in heterothallic fungi.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These include primary homothallism (LIN and HEITMAN 2007), as exhibited by Sodaria macrospora where both MAT idiomorph genes are present in a single genome (PÖGGELER et al 1997); mating type switching, found in S. cerevisiae where the MAT locus identity can change via gene conversion (HABER 1998) and pseudohomothallism, such as that occurring in N. tetrasperma where nuclei of opposite mating types are packaged in a single ascospore (MERINO et al 1996). A unique sub-class of homothallism known as unisexual reproduction has also been discovered in fungi, including four Neurospora spp., Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans (ALBY and BENNETT 2011;GLASS and SMITH 1994;LIN et al 2005). In unisexual reproduction, also known as same-sex mating, isolates with only a single mating type have the ability to initiate and proceed through an entire sexual cycle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unisexual reproduction in Huntiella moniliformis

Wilson

Godlonton

Nest

et al. 2015

Fungal Genetics and Biology

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Sexual reproduction in fungi is controlled by genes present at the mating type (MAT) locus, which typically harbours transcription factors that influence the expression of many sex-related genes. The MAT locus exists as two alternative idiomorphs in ascomycetous fungi and sexual reproduction is initiated when genes from both idiomorphs are expressed. Thus, the gene content of this locus determines whether a fungus is heterothallic (self-sterile) or homothallic (self-fertile). Recently, a unique sub-class of homothallism has been described in fungi, where individuals possessing a single MAT idiomorph can reproduce sexually in the absence of a partner. Using various mycological, molecular and bioinformatic techniques, we investigated the sexual strategies and characterized the MAT loci in two tree wound-infecting fungi, Huntiella moniliformis and Huntiella omanensis. H. omanensis was shown to exhibit a typically heterothallic sexual reproductive cycle, with isolates possessing either the MAT1-1 or MAT1-2 idiomorph. This was in contrast to the homothallism via unisexual reproduction that was shown in H. moniliformis, where only the MAT1-2-1 gene was present in sexually reproducing cultures. While the evolutionary benefit and mechanisms underpinning a unisexual mating strategy remain unknown, it could have evolved to minimize the costs, while retaining the benefits, of normal sexual reproduction.

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“…Although it is widely accepted that the presence of both idiomorphs is necessary for sexual reproduction, fungal mating strategies are diverse and many exceptions to this rule have been observed (Heitman, 2015). For example, some species are self-fertile despite only possessing one MAT1 idiomorph (unisexual reproduction; Alby and Bennett, 2011;Glass and Smith, 1994;Lin et al, 2005;Wilson et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic basis for high population diversity in Protea-associated Knoxdaviesia

Aylward

Steenkamp

Dreyer

et al. 2016

Fungal Genetics and Biology

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Highlights• Heterothallism drives the diversity of Knoxdaviesia in the Cape Floristic Region.• Their MAT1 idiomorphs comprise MAT1-1-1, MAT1-1-2, MAT1-2-1 and MAT1-2-7.• The order of the MAT1 flanking genes conforms to the Sordariomycete consensus.• The MAT1-2-7 gene was likely derived from MAT1-1-1 via recombination. 1 AbstractSexual reproduction is necessary to generate genetic diversity and, in ascomycete fungi, this process is controlled by a mating type (MAT) locus with two complementary idiomorphs.Knoxdaviesia capensis and K. proteae (Sordariomycetes; Microascales; Gondwanamycetaceae) are host-specific saprophytic fungi that show high population diversity within their Protea plant hosts in the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. We hypothesise that this diversity is the result of outcrossing driven by a heterothallic mating system and sought to describe the MAT1 loci of both species. The available genome assembly of each isolate contained only one of the MAT1 idiomorphs necessary for sexual reproduction, implying that both species are heterothallic. Idiomorph segregation during meiosis, a 1:1 ratio of idiomorphs in natural populations and mating experiments also supported heterothallism as a sexual strategy. Long-range PCR and shot-gun sequencing to identify the opposite idiomorph in each species revealed no sequence similarity between MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 idiomorphs, but the homologous idiomorphs between the species were almost identical. The MAT1-1 idiomorph contained the characteristic MAT1-1-1 and MAT1-1-2 genes, whereas the MAT1-2 idiomorph consisted of the genes MAT1-2-7 and MAT1-2-1.This gene content was similar to that of the three species in the Ceratocystidaceae (Microascales) with characterized MAT loci. The Knoxdaviesia MAT1-2-7 protein contained and alpha domain and predicted intron, which suggests that this gene arose from MAT1-1-1 during a recombination event. In contrast to the Ceratocystidaceae species, Knoxdaviesia conformed to the ancestral Sordariomycete arrangement of flanking genes and is, therefore, a closer reflection of the structure of this locus in the Microascalean ancestor.

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Interspecies pheromone signaling promotes biofilm formation and same-sex mating in Candida albicans

Cited by 56 publications

References 49 publications

Evolution of Mating within the Candida parapsilosis Species Group

Evolution of Mating within the Candida parapsilosis Species Group

Unisexual reproduction in Huntiella moniliformis

Genetic basis for high population diversity in Protea-associated Knoxdaviesia

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