Project description:Analyzing culture supernatants of yeast and hyphal cells of Candida albicans by mass spectrometry, we found two close homologues of pathogenesis-related (PR-) 1 proteins, Rbe1p and Rbt4p, in the secretome of this human pathogen. By sequence homology, we assigned three yet not characterized open reading frames, ORF19.6200, ORF19.2787 and ORF19.2336, in addition to Rbe1p and Rbt4p to a novel family of proteins. Correspondent with our secretome analysis RBE1 was expressed in blastospores and opaque cells, whereas transcription was down-regulated in hyphae. On the contrary, RBT4 was up-regulated in hyphae and down-regulated in opaque cells. Remarkably, transcription of RBT4 and RBE1 was each up-regulated in blastospores of M-bM-^HM-^Frbe1 or hyphae of M-bM-^HM-^Frbt4 deletion strains, respectively, indicating a compensatory function of both proteins. In a M-bM-^HM-^Frbe1/M-bM-^HM-^Frbt4 double deletion strain, genome-wide transcriptional analysis showed differential transcription of a limited set of genes that are also implicated in virulence and oxidative stress response. In this context, deletion of RBE1 or RBT4 in a clinical C. albicans isolate resulted in a moderate but significant attenuation in virulence in a mouse model for disseminated candidiasis. However, a synergistic effect was observed in the M-bM-^HM-^Frbe1/M-bM-^HM-^Frbt4 double deletion strain, where virulence was strongly affected. Furthermore, the double deletion strain showed increased sensitivity to attack by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils). Therfore, our data suggest that the crucial contribution of both C. albicans pathogenesis-related proteins for in vivo virulence results at least partially from reduced survival in phagocytes. Experiments were performed under blastospore (YPD) as well as hyphae (alpha-MEM)-inducing conditions. In total, three biological replicates were performed for each condition. All experiments were performed as dye swaps. Thus, in total six arrays have been hybridzed for each comparison (alpha-MEM and YPD, respectively). Hybridization experiments included a reference strain (C. albicans SC5314) and a double deletion strain (C. albicans MRC27). The array included one technical replicate of each probe.
Project description:Fungal infections are a serious health problem in clinics especially in the immune-compromised patient. Disease ranges from widespread superficial infections like vulvovaginal infections to life-threatening systemic candidiasis. Especially for systemic mycoses only a limited arsenal of antifungals is available. The most commonly used classes of antifungal compounds used include azoles, polyenes and echinocandines. Due to emerging resistance to standard therapy and significant side effects and high costs for several antifungals.,there is a medical need for new antifungals in the clinic and general practice. In order to expand the arsenal of compounds with antifungal activities we previously screened a compound library, using a new type of activity-selectivity (AS) assay analysing both the antifungal activity and the compatibility with human cells at the same time. One compound, ((S)-2-(1-aminoisobutyl)-1-(3-chlorobenzyl) benzimidazole (EMC120B12)), showed high antifungal activity against several species of pathogenic yeasts including C. glabrata and C. krusei, species which are highly refractory to antifungals, especially to the commonly used azoles. Here we could show by transcriptional profiling and sterol analysis that the target of this new antifungal compound is the ergosterol pathway. The effects of EMC120B12 on sterol biosynthesis mimic those of fluconazole, strongly indicating that EMC120B12 also targets ERG11 like the azols. But not only the marker sterol 14 methylergosta 8,24(28) dien 3β,6α diol accumulated in C. krusei under EMC120B12 treatment, but also hitherto unknown related sterols. The novel sterols have a 3β,6α diol structure. Furthermore, this is the first time that a benzimidazole structure has been shown to result in a block of the sterol pathway by accumulating marker sterols connected to ERG11 inactivation. In total, three biological replicates were performed. All experiments were performed as dye swaps. Thus, in total 18 arrays have been hybridzed. Hybridization experiments included an untreated reference sample and a sample of cells treated with either ((1S)-1-[1-(3-chlorobenzyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-2-methylpropyl-amine) (EMC120B12), Fluconazole or Nocodazole. The array included one technical replicate of each probe.
Project description:The yeast protein kinases Sat4/Hal4 and Hal5 are required for the plasma membrane stability of the K+ transporter Trk1 and some amino acid and glucose permeases. The transcriptomic analysis presented here indicates alterations in the general control of both nitrogen and carbon metabolism. Accordingly, we observed reduced uptake of methionine and leucine in the hal4 hal5 mutant. This decrease correlates with activation of the Gcn2-Gcn4 pathway, as measured by expression of the lacZ gene under the control of the Gcn4 promoter. However, with the exception of methionine biosynthetic genes, few amino acid biosynthetic genes are induced in the hal4 hal5 mutant, whereas several genes involved in amino acid catabolism are repressed. Concerning glucose metabolism, we found that this mutant exhibits derepression of respiratory genes in the presence of glucose, leading to an increased activity of mitochondrial enzymes, as measured by SDH activity. In addition, the reduced glucose consumption in the hal4 hal5 mutant correlates with a more acidic intracellular pH and with low activity of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase. As a compensatory mechanism for the low glycolytic rate, the hal4 hal5 mutant overexpresses the HXT4 high affinity glucose transporter and the hexokinase genes. These results indicate that the hal4 hal5 mutant presents defects in the general control of nitrogen and carbon metabolism, which correlate with reduced transport of amino acids and glucose, respectively. A more acidic intracellular pH may contribute to some defects of this mutant. Four biological replicates were used to assess diferentially expression between wild type yeast strain and the hal4hal5 mutant strain for three sample sets: 1) cells grown in YPD pH 4.5 and BY4741 genetic background, 2) cells grown in YPD pH 4.5 and W303 genetic background, 3) cells grown in YPD pH 6.0 and W303 genetic background. Differentially expressed genes were identified using one-class significant analysis of microarrays (SAM; Tusher et al, 2004)
Project description:Fungal infections are a serious health problem in the clinic especially in the immunocompromised patient. Disease ranges from widespread superficial vulvovaginal infections to life-threatening systemic candidiasis. Especially for systemic mycoses only a limited arsenal of antimycotica are available, including azoles, polyenes, echinocandines and amphothericin B. Due to emerging resistance to standard therapy and significant side effects for some antimycotica there is a medical need for new antifungals in the clinic and general practice. In order to expand the arsenal of compounds with antifungal activities we screened compound libraries, including combinatorial libraries as well as more than 30 000 pure compounds derived from organic synthesis for antimycotic activity. In total more than 100 000 compounds were screened using an innovative AS (activity-selectivity) assay analyzing both the antifungal activity and the compatability with human cells at the same time. One promising hit, a Benzimidazol-2-yl-alkylamine derivative, was developed in a series of lead compounds showing potent antifungal activity. ((1S)-1-[1-(3-chlorobenzyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-2-methylpropyl-amine) (EMC120B12) showed the highest antifungal activity and best compatability with human cells in several cell culture models and against a number of different yeasts and clinical isolates. Transcriptional profiling indicates that the newly discovered compound is a potential inhibitor of the ergosterol-pathway. In total, three biological replicates were performed. All experiments were performed as dye swaps. Thus, in total six arrays have been hybridzed. Hybridization experiments included an untreated reference sample and a sample of cells treated with ((1S)-1-[1-(3-chlorobenzyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-2-methylpropyl-amine) (EMC120B12). The array included one technical replicate of each probe.
Project description:Background: Minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) is considered to be associated with T cell dysfunction, via unknown mechanisms. Experimental observations suggest that some humoral factors alter the permeability of glomerular filtration barrier. However, the nature of such factors remains still uncertain. Methods: Using cDNA microarrays, we performed gene expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from three patients with MCNS during nephrosis and remission phases. To confirm the cDNA microarray results, we performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses in nephrosis and remission samples from 20 MCNS patients and six patients with nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy. Results: Out of 24,446 genes screened, 33 genes were up-regulated (at least 1.5-fold) in PBMC from these MCNS patients during the nephrosis phase. Up-regulated genes mainly encoded proteins involved in signal transduction and cytokine response. For further examination, we selected two genes encoding provable secretary proteins, chemokine (C-C) ligand 13 (also known as monocyte chemotactic protein-4) (CCL13) and a novel galectin-related protein (HSPC159). The results of RT-PCR showed that expressions of CCL13 and HSPC159 mRNA in nephrosis PBMC samples are higher than those in remission PBMC samples from all 20 MCNS patients examined. On the other hand, these mRNA expression patterns were variable among six patients with membranous nephropathy. Conclusions: We conclude that CCL13 and HSPC159 mRNA expressions in PBMC is up-regulated in MCNS patients during the nephrosis phase. These expression changes in PBMC might be involved in the pathophysiologic processes of MCNS. Using cDNA microarrays, we performed gene expression profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from three patients with MCNS during nephrosis and remission phases. To confirm the cDNA microarray results, we performed quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses in nephrosis and remission samples from 20 MCNS patients and six patients with nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy.
Project description:Grf10 is an uncharacterized homeodomain-containing transcription factor in Candida; this experiment was to determine potential gene targets in yeast-growth conditions.
Project description:Alkaline pH stress invokes in S. cerevisiae a potent and fast transcriptional response that includes many genes repressed by glucose. Certain mutants in the glucose-sensing and response pathways, such as those lacking the Snf1 kinase, are sensitive to alkalinization. We show that addition of glucose to the medium improves growth of wild type cells at high pH, fully abolish the snf1 alkali-sensitive phenotype and attenuates high pH-induced Snf1 phosphorylation at Thr210. The elm1 mutant, lacking one of the three upstream Snf1 kinases (tos3, elm1 and sak1), is markedly alkali sensitive, whereas the phenotype of the tos3 elm1 sak1 strain is even stronger than that of snf1 cells and it is not fully rescued by glucose supplementation. DNA microarray analysis reveals that about 75% of genes induced at short term by high pH are also induced by glucose scarcity. Snf1 mediates, in full or in part, the activation of a significant subset (38%) of short-term alkali-induced genes, including those coding high-affinity hexose transporters and phosphorylating enzymes. Induction of genes encoding enzymes involved in glycogen (but not trehalose) metabolism is largely dependent of the presence of Snf1. Therefore, the function of Snf1 in adaptation to glucose scarcity appears crucial for alkaline pH tolerance. Incorporation of micromolar amounts of iron and copper to a glucose-supplemented medium result in an additive effect and allows near normal growth at high pH, thus indicating that these three nutrients are key limiting factors for growth in an alkaline environment. We identified the changes in the expression profiles caused by alkalinization of the medium (pH8 vs. pH5.5 for 10 min) in several strains: wild type cells (4 chips), snf1 mutant cells (4 chips) We also identified the transcriptomic changes that occur after glucose deprivation (0.05% vs 2% for 15 min) in: wild type cells (2 chips) snf1 mutant cells (2 chips) Total: 12 chips
Project description:Reg1 is a regulatory subunit of Glc7, the type 1 Ser/Thr protein phosphatase in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Reg1/Glc7 complex is responsible for the dephosphorylation and inactivation of the Snf1 protein kinase, thus controlling Snf1 functions (i.e. expression of glucose-repressed genes). Snf1 is also involved in the response to certain stresses, such as alkaline pH. Surprisingly, both snf1 and reg1 mutants are hypersensitive to high pH. We show here that this phenotype in the reg1 strain is unrelated to the role of Reg1 in regulating Snf1, but depends on the ability of Reg1 to interact with Glc7. Transcriptomic profiling of reg1 cells in the absence or the presence of high pH stress and biochemical analyses suggest that lack of Reg1 impedes the normal downregulation of Pma1 in response to high pH stress. Our results highlight a role of Reg1/Glc7 in the regulation of Pma1 function and hence in the overall cellular cation homeostatic mechanisms. We identified the transcription pattern of reg1 cells (2 chips). We also identified the changes in the expression profiles caused by alkalinization of the medium (pH8 vs. pH5.5 for 10 min) in the reg1 strain (2chips) Total: 4 chips Changes in the transcriptomic profile in WT cells cause by alkalinization of the medium are included in Series GSE25697 (GSM631186, GSM631187, GSM631188 and GSM631189)
Project description:RNA polymerases deal with obstacles during transcription elongation that need to be removed. One important type of hindrance consists of DNA lesions, which are removed by transcription-coupled repair (TCR). To improve our knowledge of transcription elongation and its coupling to TCR, we performed DNA microarray experiments and used the yeast library of nonessential knock-out mutations to screen for genes conferring resistance to the transcription-elongation inhibitor micophenolic acid and the DNA-damaging agent 4- nitroquinoline-N-oxide. A single sample for each treatment was analyzed.