Functional expression of the Candida albicans α-factor receptor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Published in: Fungal genetics and biology Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 328 - 338
• Main Authors: Janiak, Agnieszka M., Sargsyan, Hasmik, Russo, Joe, Naider, Fred, Hauser, Melinda, Becker, Jeffrey M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2005
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - genetics; Candida albicans - growth & development; Candida albicans - metabolism; Candida albicans - physiology; Culture Media; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; G-protein-coupled receptor; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Mating Factor; Peptides - chemical synthesis; Peptides - chemistry; Peptides - metabolism; Pheromone; Receptors, Mating Factor; Receptors, Peptide - genetics; Receptors, Peptide - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - genetics; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - growth & development; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - metabolism; Saccharomyces cerevisiae - physiology; Signal Transduction; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; α-factor; Candida albicans; α-factor; Pheromone; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; G-protein-coupled receptor
• ISSN: 1087-1845; 1096-0937
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2005.01.006

Candida albicans genes involved in mating have been identified previously by homology to
Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating pathway components. The
C. albicans genome encodes
CaSte2p, a homolog of the
S. cerevisiae α-mating pheromone receptor Ste2p, and two potential pheromones, α-F13 (GFRLTNFGYFEPG) and α-F14 (GFRLTNFGYFEPGK). The response of several
C. albicans strains to the synthesized peptides was determined. The α-F13 was degraded by a
C. albicans MTL
a strain but not by
S. cerevisiae MAT
a cells. The
CaSTE2 gene was cloned and expressed in a
ste2-deleted strain of
S. cerevisiae. Growth arrest and β-galactosidase activity induced from a
FUS1-lacZ reporter construct increased in a dose-dependent manner upon exposure of transgenic
S. cerevisiae to α-F13. Mating between the strain expressing
CaSTE2 and an opposite mating type was mediated by α-F13 and not by the
S. cerevisiae α-factor. The results indicated that
CaSte2p effectively coupled to the
S. cerevisiae signal transduction pathway. Functional expression of
CaSte2p in
S. cerevisiae provides a well-defined system for studying the biochemistry and molecular biology of the
C. albicans pheromone and its receptor.