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NRG1 represses yeast–hypha morphogenesis and hypha‐specific gene expression in Candida albicans
We have characterized CaNrg1 from Candida albicans , the major fungal pathogen in humans. CaNrg1 contains a zinc finger domain that is conserved in transcriptional regulators from fungi to humans. It is most closely related to ScNrg1, which represses transcription in a Tup1‐dependent fashion in Sacc...
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Published in: | The EMBO journal 2001-09, Vol.20 (17), p.4742-4752 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | We have characterized CaNrg1 from
Candida albicans
, the major fungal pathogen in humans. CaNrg1 contains a zinc finger domain that is conserved in transcriptional regulators from fungi to humans. It is most closely related to ScNrg1, which represses transcription in a Tup1‐dependent fashion in
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Inactivation of CaNrg1 in
C.albicans
causes filamentous and invasive growth, derepresses hypha‐specific genes, increases sensitivity to some stresses and attenuates virulence. A
tup1
mutant displays similar phenotypes. However, unlike
tup1
cells,
nrg1
cells can form normal hyphae, generate chlamydospores at normal rates and grow at 42°C. Transcript profiling of 2002
C.albicans
genes reveals that CaNrg1 represses a subset of CaTup1‐regulated genes, which includes known hypha‐specific genes and other virulence factors. Most of these genes contain an Nrg1 response element (NRE) in their promoter. CaNrg1 interacts specifically with an NRE
in vitro
. Also, deletion of two NREs from the
ALS8
promoter releases it from Nrg1‐mediated repression. Hence, CaNrg1 is a transcriptional repressor that appears to target CaTup1 to a distinct set of virulence‐related functions, including yeast–hypha morphogenesis. |
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ISSN: | 0261-4189 1460-2075 |
DOI: | 10.1093/emboj/20.17.4742 |