A novel role of the vacuolar calcium channel Yvc1 in stress response, morphogenesis and pathogenicity of Candida albicans

摘要

C albicans is a common opportunistic pathogen, causing both superficial and life-threatening systemic infections. Calcium signaling is an intriguing aspect in its physiology, attributing to the roles in stress response and morphogenesis. Until recently, little was known about the mechanisms by which the calcium signaling-associated elements affect its pathogenicity. In this study, we found that Yvc1,a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family, localized on the vacuolar membrane. The yvc1 ?/? mutant displayed decreased ability of stress response, morphogenesis and attenuated virulence. The Spitzenkorper required for polarized growth were not detected in the hyphal tip of this mutant, suggesting a key role of Yvc1 in hyphal polarized growth and re-orientation to host signals. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that the putative vacuolar calcium channel Yvc1 plays an important role in C albicans infection and survival in host tissues, which is associated with its pleiotropic effects in several fungal physiological processes, including stress response, morphogenesis, and polarized growth.