A MAP Kinase Pathway Is Implicated in the Pseudohyphal Induction by Hydrogen Peroxide in Candica albicans

• Published in: Molecules and cells 2012, 33(2), , pp.183-193
• Main Authors: Srinivasa, Kavitha, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Kim, J.H., Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Yee, S.B., Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, Kim, W.K., Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea, Choi, W.J., Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biotechnology; CANDIDA ALBICANS; Candida albicans - enzymology; Candida albicans - genetics; Candida albicans - growth & development; Cell Biology; Cell Proliferation; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Gene Expression Profiling; Hydrogen Peroxide - chemistry; Hydrogen Peroxide - pharmacology; Hyphae - enzymology; Hyphae - genetics; Hyphae - growth & development; intracellular messenger; Life Sciences; MAP Kinase Signaling System; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 - genetics; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 - metabolism; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Oxidative Stress - genetics; signaling pathway; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; transcription profiling; 생물학
• ISSN: 1016-8478; 0219-1032
• DOI: 10.1007/s10059-012-2244-y

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) functions as a ubiquitous intracellular messenger besides as an oxidative stress molecule. This dual role is based on the distinct cellular responses against different concentrations of H₂O₂. Previously, we demonstrated that both low (greater than 1 mM) and high (4-10 mM) doses of exogenous H₂O₂ induce filamentous growth with distinct cell morphology and growth rate in Candida albicans, suggesting the different transcription response. In this study, we revealed that the sub-toxic and toxic levels of H₂O₂ indeed induced pseudohyphae, but not true hyphae. Supporting this, several hyphae-specific genes that are expressed in true hyphae induced by serum were not detected in either sub-toxic or toxic H₂O₂ condition. A DNA microarray analysis was conducted to reveal the transcription profiles in cells treated with sub-toxic and toxic conditions of H₂O₂. Under the sub-toxic condition, a small number of genes involved in cell proliferation and metabolism were up-regulated, whereas a large number of genes were up-regulated in the toxic condition where the genes required for growth and proliferation were selectively restricted. For pseudohyphal induction by sub-toxic H₂O₂, Cek1 MAPK activating the transcription factor Cph1 was shown to be important. The absence of expression of several hyphae-specific genes known to be downstream targets of Cph1-signaling pathway for true hyphae formation suggests that the Cek1-mediated signaling pathway is not solely responsible for pseudohyphal formation by subtoxic H₂O₂ and, but instead, complex networking pathway may exists by the activation of different regulators.