scholarly journals Diverse Hap43-Independent Functions of the Candida albicans CCAAT-Binding Complex

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 804-815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po-Chen Hsu ◽  
Chun-Cheih Chao ◽  
Cheng-Yao Yang ◽  
Ya-Ling Ye ◽  
Fu-Chen Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Ribosome Biogenesis ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virulence Traits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Independent Functions ◽  
Low Nitrogen

ABSTRACTThe CCAAT motif is ubiquitous in promoters of eukaryotic genomes. The CCAAT-binding complex (CBC) is conserved across a wide range of organisms, specifically recognizes the CCAAT motif, and modulates transcription directly or in cooperation with other transcription factors. InCandida albicans, CBC is known to interact with the repressor Hap43 to negatively regulate iron utilization genes in response to iron deprivation. However, the extent of additional functions of CBC is unclear. In this study, we explored new roles of CBC inC. albicansand found that CBC pleiotropically regulates many virulence traitsin vitro, including negative control of genes responsible for ribosome biogenesis and translation and positive regulation of low-nitrogen-induced filamentation. In addition,C. albicansCBC is involved in utilization of host proteins as nitrogen sources and in repression of cellular flocculation and adhesin gene expression. Moreover, our epistasis analyses suggest that CBC acts as a downstream effector of Rhb1-TOR signaling and controls low-nitrogen-induced filamentation via the Mep2-Ras1-protein kinase A (PKA)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Importantly, the phenotypes identified here are all independent of Hap43. Finally, deletion of genes encoding CBC components slightly attenuatedC. albicansvirulence in both zebrafish and murine models of infection. Our results thus highlight new roles ofC. albicansCBC in regulating multiple virulence traits in response to environmental perturbations and, finally, suggest potential targets for antifungal therapies as well as extending our understanding of the pathogenesis of other fungal pathogens.

scholarly journals 2-Hydroxylation ofAcinetobacter baumanniiLipid A Contributes to Virulence

2019 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby L. Bartholomew ◽  
Timothy J. Kidd ◽  
Joana Sá Pessoa ◽  
Raquel Conde Álvarez ◽  
José A. Bengoechea
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Lipid A ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Polymyxin B ◽  
Interleukin 10 ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACTAcinetobacter baumanniicauses a wide range of nosocomial infections. This pathogen is considered a threat to human health due to the increasingly frequent isolation of multidrug-resistant strains. There is a major gap in knowledge on the infection biology ofA. baumannii, and only a few virulence factors have been characterized, including lipopolysaccharide. The lipid A expressed byA. baumanniiis hepta-acylated and contains 2-hydroxylaurate. The late acyltransferases controlling the acylation of lipid A have been already characterized. Here, we report the characterization ofA. baumanniiLpxO, which encodes the enzyme responsible for the 2-hydroxylation of lipid A. By genetic methods and mass spectrometry, we demonstrate that LpxO catalyzes the 2-hydroxylation of the laurate transferred byA. baumanniiLpxL. LpxO-dependent lipid A 2-hydroxylation protectsA. baumanniifrom polymyxin B, colistin, and human β-defensin 3. LpxO contributes to the survival ofA. baumanniiin human whole blood and is required for pathogen survival in the waxmothGalleria mellonella. LpxO also protectsAcinetobacterfromG. mellonellaantimicrobial peptides and limits their expression. Further demonstrating the importance of LpxO-dependent modification in immune evasion, 2-hydroxylation of lipid A limits the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase Jun N-terminal protein kinase to attenuate inflammatory responses. In addition, LpxO-controlled lipid A modification mediates the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) via the activation of the transcriptional factor CREB. IL-10 in turn limits the production of inflammatory cytokines followingA. baumanniiinfection. Altogether, our studies suggest that LpxO is a candidate for the development of anti-A. baumanniidrugs.

scholarly journals Deciphering the Contribution of Human Meningothelial Cells to the Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Response at the Meninges

2013 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
pp. 4299-4310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Joseph Royer ◽  
Andrew J. Rogers ◽  
Karl G. Wooldridge ◽  
Patrick Tighe ◽  
Jafar Mahdavi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Meningococcal Infection ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
High Level

ABSTRACTWe have investigated the response of primary human meningothelial cells toNeisseria meningitidis. Through a transcriptome analysis, we provide a comprehensive examination of the response of meningothelial cells to bacterial infection. A wide range of chemokines are elicited which act to attract and activate the main players of innate and adaptive immunity. We showed that meningothelial cells expressed a high level of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and, using a gene silencing strategy, we demonstrated the contribution of this pathogen recognition receptor in meningothelial cell activation. Secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), CXCL10, and CCL5 was almost exclusively TLR4 dependent and relied on MyD88 and TRIF adaptor cooperation. In contrast, IL-8 induction was independent of the presence of TLR4, MyD88, and TRIF. Transcription factors NF-κB p65, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK1), IRF3, and IRF7 were activated after contact with bacteria. Interestingly, the protein kinase IRAK4 was found to play a minor role in the meningothelial cell response toNeisseriainfection. Our work highlights the role of meningothelial cells in the development of an immune response and inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) in response to meningococcal infection. It also sheds light on the complexity of intracellular signaling after TLR triggering.

scholarly journals Candida albicans Cek1 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Enhances Fungicidal Activity of Salivary Histatin 5

2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 3460-3468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Sumant Puri ◽  
Swetha Tati ◽  
Paul J. Cullen ◽  
Mira Edgerton
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Antifungal Drugs ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Fungal Cell ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Histatin 5 ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Hyphal Formation ◽  
Sensor Proteins

ABSTRACTCandida albicansis a major etiological organism for oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), while salivary histatin 5 (Hst 5) is a human fungicidal protein that protects the oral cavity from OPC.C. albicanssenses its environment by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation that can also modulate the activity of some antifungal drugs, including Hst 5. We found that phosphorylation of the MAPK Cek1, induced either byN-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) or serum, or its constitutive activation by deletion of its phosphatase Cpp1 elevated the susceptibility ofC. albicanscells to Hst 5. Cek1 phosphorylation but not hyphal formation was needed for increased Hst 5 sensitivity. Interference with the Cek1 pathway by deletion of its head sensor proteins, Msb2 and Sho1, or by addition of secreted aspartyl protease (SAP) cleavage inhibitors, such as pepstatin A, reduced Hst 5 susceptibility under Cek1-inducing conditions. Changes in fungal cell surface glycostructures also modulated Hst 5 sensitivity, and Cek1-inducing conditions resulted in a higher uptake rate of Hst 5. These results show that there is a consistent relationship between activation of Cek1 MAPK and increased Hst 5 susceptibility inC. albicans.

scholarly journals Two-Component Histidine Phosphotransfer Protein Ypd1 Is Not Essential for Viability in Candida albicans

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mavrianos ◽  
Chirayu Desai ◽  
Neeraj Chauhan
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Pathogenic Fungi ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Signaling Mechanism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Component

ABSTRACTProkaryotes and lower eukaryotes, such as yeasts, utilize two-component signal transduction pathways to adapt cells to environmental stress and to regulate the expression of genes associated with virulence. One of the central proteins in this type of signaling mechanism is the phosphohistidine intermediate protein Ypd1. Ypd1 is reported to be essential for viability in the model yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae. We present data here showing that this is not the case forCandida albicans. Disruption ofYPD1causes cells to flocculate and filament constitutively under conditions that favor growth in yeast form. To determine the function of Ypd1 in the Hog1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, we measured phosphorylation of Hog1 MAPK inypd1Δ/Δ and wild-type strains ofC. albicans. Constitutive phosphorylation of Hog1 was observed in theypd1Δ/Δ strain compared to the wild-type strain. Furthermore, fluorescence microscopy revealed that green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Ypd1 is localized to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The subcellular segregation of GFP-tagged Ypd1 hints at an important role(s) of Ypd1 in regulation of Ssk1 (cytosolic) and Skn7 (nuclear) response regulator proteins via phosphorylation inC. albicans. Overall, our findings have profound implications for a mechanistic understanding of two-component signaling pathways inC. albicans, and perhaps in other pathogenic fungi.

scholarly journals The Response Regulator RRG-1 Functions Upstream of a Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Pathway Impacting Asexual Development, Female Fertility, Osmotic Stress, and Fungicide Resistance inNeurospora crassa

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2123-2136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Jones ◽  
Suzanne E. Greer-Phillips ◽  
Katherine A. Borkovich
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Histidine Kinase ◽  
Fungicide Resistance ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Response Regulator ◽  
Phosphorylation Site ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Mapk Kinase ◽  
Independent Functions ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

Two-component systems, consisting of proteins with histidine kinase and/or response regulator domains, regulate environmental responses in bacteria, Archaea, fungi, slime molds, and plants. Here, we characterize RRG-1, a response regulator protein from the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. The cell lysis phenotype of Δrrg-1 mutants is reminiscent of osmotic-sensitive (os) mutants, including nik-1/os-1 (a histidine kinase) and strains defective in components of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway: os-4 (MAPK kinase kinase), os-5 (MAPK kinase), and os-2 (MAPK). Similar to os mutants, Δrrg-1 strains are sensitive to hyperosmotic conditions, and they are resistant to the fungicides fludioxonil and iprodione. Like os-5, os-4, and os-2 mutants, but in contrast to nik-1/os-1 strains, Δrrg-1 mutants do not produce female reproductive structures (protoperithecia) when nitrogen starved. OS-2-phosphate levels are elevated in wild-type cells exposed to NaCl or fludioxonil, but they are nearly undetectable in Δrrg-1 strains. OS-2-phosphate levels are also low in Δrrg-1, os-2, and os-4 mutants under nitrogen starvation. Analysis of the rrg-1D921Nallele, mutated in the predicted phosphorylation site, provides support for phosphorylation-dependent and -independent functions for RRG-1. The data indicate that RRG-1 controls vegetative cell integrity, hyperosmotic sensitivity, fungicide resistance, and protoperithecial development through regulation of the OS-4/OS-5/OS-2 MAPK pathway.

scholarly journals Candida albicans β-Glucan Exposure Is Controlled by the Fungal CEK1-Mediated Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway That Modulates Immune Responses Triggered through Dectin-1

2010 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 1426-1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Galán-Díez ◽  
David M. Arana ◽  
Diego Serrano-Gómez ◽  
Leonor Kremer ◽  
José M. Casasnovas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Cell Recognition ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

ABSTRACT Innate immunity to Candida albicans depends upon the recognition of molecular patterns on the fungal cell wall. However, the masking of major components such as β-glucan seems to be a mechanism that fungi have evolved to avoid immune cell recognition through the dectin-1 receptor. Although the role of C. albicans mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways as virulence determinants has been established previously with animal models, the mechanism involved in this behavior is largely unknown. In this study we demonstrate that a disruption of the C. albicans extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-like 1 (CEK1)-mediated MAPK pathway causes enhanced cell wall β-glucan exposure, triggering immune responses more efficiently than the wild type, as measured by dectin-1-mediated specific binding and human dendritic cell (hDC)- and macrophage-mediated phagocytosis, killing, and activation of intracellular signaling pathways. At the molecular level, the disruption of CEK1 resulted in altered spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), Raf-1, and ERK1/2 activations together with IκB degradation on hDCs and increased dectin-1-dependent activator protein 1 (AP-1) activation on transfected cells. In addition, concurring with these altered pathways, we detected increased reactive oxygen species production and cytokine secretion. In conclusion, the CEK1-mediated MAPK pathway is involved in β-glucan exposure in a fungal pathogen, hence influencing dectin-1-dependent immune cell recognition, thus establishing this fungal intracellular signaling route as a promising novel therapeutic target.

scholarly journals Circadian Activation of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase MAK-1 Facilitates Rhythms in Clock-Controlled Genes in Neurospora crassa

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay D. Bennett ◽  
Phillip Beremand ◽  
Terry L. Thomas ◽  
Deborah Bell-Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Cellular Growth ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cell Wall Integrity Pathway ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein ◽  
Significant Enrichment

ABSTRACTThe circadian clock regulates the expression of many genes involved in a wide range of biological functions through output pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. We demonstrate here that the clock regulates the phosphorylation, and thus activation, of the MAPKs MAK-1 and MAK-2 in the filamentous fungusNeurospora crassa. In this study, we identified genetic targets of the MAK-1 pathway, which is homologous to the cell wall integrity pathway inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeand the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway in mammals. When MAK-1 was deleted fromNeurosporacells, vegetative growth was reduced and the transcript levels for over 500 genes were affected, with significant enrichment for genes involved in protein synthesis, biogenesis of cellular components, metabolism, energy production, and transcription. Additionally, of the ∼500 genes affected by the disruption of MAK-1, more than 25% were previously identified as putative clock-controlled genes. We show that MAK-1 is necessary for robust rhythms of two morning-specific genes, i.e.,ccg-1and the mitochondrial phosphate carrier protein gene NCU07465. Additionally, we show clock regulation of a predicted chitin synthase gene, NCU04352, whose rhythmic accumulation is also dependent upon MAK-1. Together, these data establish a role for the MAK-1 pathway as an output pathway of the circadian clock and suggest a link between rhythmic MAK-1 activity and circadian control of cellular growth.

scholarly journals Suppressors of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae pkc1 mutation identify alleles of the phosphatase gene PTC1 and of a novel gene encoding a putative basic leucine zipper protein.

Genetics ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
pp. 1275-1285 ◽  
Author(s):  
K N Huang ◽  
L S Symington
Keyword(s):  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Leucine Zipper ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Growth Defect ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Basic Leucine Zipper ◽  
Mapk Cascades ◽  
Synthetically Lethal

Abstract The PKC1 gene product, protein kinase C, regulates a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, which is implicated in cell wall metabolism. Previously, we identified the pkc1-4 allele in a screen for mutants with increased rates of recombination, indicating that PKC1 may also regulate DNA metabolism. The pkc1-4 allele also conferred a temperature-sensitive (ts) growth defect. Extragenic suppressors were isolated that suppress both the ts and hyperrecombination phenotypes conferred by the pkc1-4 mutation. Eight of these suppressors for into two complementation groups, designated KCS1 and KCS2. KCS1 was cloned and found to encode a novel protein with homology to the basic leucine zipper family of transcription factors. KCS2 is allelic with PTC1, a previously identified type 2C serine/threonine protein phosphatase. Although mutation of either KCS1 or PTC1 causes little apparent phenotype, the kcs1 delta ptc1 delta double mutant fails to grow at 30 degrees. Furthermore, the ptc1 deletion mutation is synthetically lethal in combination with a mutation in MPK1, which encodes a MAPK homologue proposed to act in the PKC1 pathway. Because PTC1 was initially isolated as a component of the Hog1p MAPK pathway, it appears that these two MAPK cascades share a common regulatory feature.

scholarly journals Expression of transgenes enriched in rare codons is enhanced by the MAPK pathway

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackson Peterson ◽  
Siqi Li ◽  
Erin Kaltenbrun ◽  
Ozgun Erdogan ◽  
Christopher M. Counter
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Rare Codons ◽  
Synonymous Codons ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Human Genes ◽  
Regulatory Module ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

AbstractThe ability to translate three nucleotide sequences, or codons, into amino acids to form proteins is conserved across all organisms. All but two amino acids have multiple codons, and the frequency that such synonymous codons occur in genomes ranges from rare to common. Transcripts enriched in rare codons are typically associated with poor translation, but in certain settings can be robustly expressed, suggestive of codon-dependent regulation. Given this, we screened a gain-of-function library for human genes that increase the expression of a GFPrare reporter encoded by rare codons. This screen identified multiple components of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway enhancing GFPrare expression. This effect was reversed with inhibitors of this pathway and confirmed to be both codon-dependent and occur with ectopic transcripts naturally coded with rare codons. Finally, this effect was associated, at least in part, with enhanced translation. We thus identify a potential regulatory module that takes advantage of the redundancy in the genetic code to modulate protein expression.

scholarly journals Ghrelin exerts a proliferative effect on a rat pituitary somatotroph cell line via the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway

2004 ◽  
pp. 233-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Nanzer ◽  
S Khalaf ◽  
AM Mozid ◽  
RC Fowkes ◽  
MV Patel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Protein Kinase ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Thymidine Incorporation ◽  
Mapk Pathway ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽  
Gh3 Cells ◽  
Rat Pituitary ◽  
Mitogen Activated Protein

OBJECTIVES: Ghrelin is a brain-gut peptide with GH-releasing and appetite-inducing activities and a widespread tissue distribution. Ghrelin is the endogenous ligand of the GH secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), and both ghrelin and the GHS-R1a are expressed in the pituitary. There are conflicting data regarding the effects of ghrelin on cell proliferation. A positive effect on proliferation and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway has been found in hepatoma, adipose, cardiomyocyte and prostate cell lines. However, ghrelin has also been shown to have anti-proliferative effects on breast, lung and thyroid cell lines. We therefore examined the effect of ghrelin on the rat pituitary cell line GH3. METHODS: RT-PCR was used for the detection of GHS-R1a and pre-proghrelin mRNA expression in GH3 cells. The effect of ghrelin on cell proliferation was studied using [(3)H]thymidine incorporation; cell counting and the activation of the MAPK pathway were studied using immunoblotting and inhibitors of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK 1/2), protein kinase C (PKC) and tyrosine phosphatase pathways. RESULTS: GHS-R1a and ghrelin mRNA expression were detected in GH3 cells. Ghrelin, at 10(-10) to 10(-6) M concentrations, significantly increased [(3)H]thymidine incorporation (at 10(-9) M, 183+/-13% (means+/-s.e.m.) compared with untreated controls), while 12-phorbol 13-myristate acetate (PMA) at 10(-7) M (used as a positive control) caused a 212+/-14% increase. A reproducible stimulatory effect of desoctanoyl ghrelin was also observed on [(3)H]thymidine incorporation (135+/-5%; P<0.01 at 10(-9) M compared with control), as well as on the cell count (control 6.8 x 10(4)+/-8.7 x 10(3) cells/ml vs desoctanoyl ghrelin (10(-9) M) 1.04 x 10(5)+/-7.5 x 10(3) cells/ml; P<0.01). Ghrelin caused a significant increase in phosphorylated ERK 1/2 in immunoblotting, while desoctanoyl ghrelin showed a smaller but also significant stimulatory effect. The positive effect of ghrelin and desoctanoyl ghrelin on [(3)H]thymidine incorporation was abolished by the MAPK kinase inhibitor U0126, the PKC inhibitor GF109203X and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor tyrphostin 23, suggesting that the ghrelin-induced cell proliferation of GH3 cells is mediated both via a PKC-MAPK-dependent pathway and via a tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway. This could also be clearly demonstrated by Western blot analysis, where a transient increase in ERK 1/2 phosphorylation by ghrelin was attenuated by all three inhibitors. CONCLUSION: We have shown a novel role for ghrelin in stimulating the proliferation of a somatotroph pituitary tumour cell line, suggesting that ERK activation is involved in mediating the effects of ghrelin on cell proliferation. Desoctanoyl ghrelin showed a similar effect. As ghrelin has been shown to be expressed in both normal and adenomatous pituitary tissue, locally produced ghrelin may play a role in pituitary tumorigenesis via an autocrine/paracrine pathway.

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