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Candida albicans PPG1, a serine/threonine phosphatase, plays a vital role in central carbon metabolisms under filament-inducing conditions: A multi-omics approach

ABSTRACT: Candida albicansis the leading cause of life-threatening bloodstream candidiasis, especially among immunocompromised patients. The reversible morphological transition from yeast to hyphal filaments in response to host environmental cues facilitatesC.albicanstissue invasion, immune evasion, and dissemination. Hence, it is widely considered that filamentation represents one of the major virulence properties inC.albicans. We have previously characterized Ppg1, a PP2A-type protein phosphatase that controls filament extension and virulence inC.albicans. This study conducted RNA sequencing analysis of samples obtained fromC.albicanswild type andppg1Δ/Δ strains grown under filament-inducing conditions. Overall,ppg1Δ/Δ strain showed 1448 upregulated and 710 downregulated genes, representing approximately one-third of the entire annotatedC.albicansgenome. Transcriptomic analysis identified significant downregulation of well-characterized genes linked to filamentation and virulence, such asALS3,HWP1,ECE1,and RBT1.Expression analysis showed that essentialgenes involved inC.albicanscentral carbon metabolisms, includingGDH3,GPD1,GPD2,RHR2,INO1,AAH1, andMET14were among the top upregulated genes. Subsequent metabolomics analysis ofC.albicans ppg1Δ/Δ strain revealed a negative enrichment of metabolites with carboxylic acid substituents and a positive enrichment of metabolites with pyranose substituents. Altogether, Ppg1in vitroanalysis revealed a link between metabolites substituents and filament formation controlled by a phosphatase to regulate morphogenesis and virulence.

ORGANISM(S): Candida albicans

PROVIDER: GSE263609 | GEO | 2024/04/10

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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