Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Use of In Vivo Imaging to Screen for Morphogenesis Phenotypes in Candida albicans Mutant Strains During Active Infection in a Mammalian Host
09:24

Use of In Vivo Imaging to Screen for Morphogenesis Phenotypes in Candida albicans Mutant Strains During Active Infection in a Mammalian Host

Published on: October 12, 2022

APSES proteins regulate morphogenesis and metabolism in Candida albicans

Thomas Doedt1, Shankarling Krishnamurthy, Dirk P Bockmühl

  • 1Institut für Mikrobiologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.

Molecular Biology of the Cell
|June 26, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Candida albicans APSES proteins Efg1p and Efh1p regulate fungal development and metabolism. Efh1p supports Efg1p

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • APSES proteins are key regulators of fungal morphogenesis, controlling processes like filamentation and differentiation.
  • Candida albicans, an opportunistic human pathogen, possesses two APSES proteins: Efg1p and its homologue Efh1p.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the roles of Efg1p and Efh1p in Candida albicans morphogenesis and gene regulation.
  • To elucidate the cooperative and individual functions of these two APSES proteins.

Main Methods:

  • Gene deletion and overexpression studies.
  • Genome-wide transcriptional profiling (microarray analysis).
  • Yeast one-hybrid and two-hybrid assays.

Main Results:

  • Overexpression of EFG1 or EFH1 induced pseudohypha formation and white-opaque switching.
  • An efh1 deletion mutant showed hyperfilamentation in an efg1 background under specific conditions, suggesting cooperation.
  • EFG1 and EFH1 regulate overlapping gene sets involved in filamentation.
  • Efg1p influences metabolic gene expression, inducing glycolysis and repressing oxidative metabolism genes.
  • Efg1p acts as a repressor, while Efh1p functions as an activator of gene expression.

Conclusions:

  • Efh1p complements and supports the regulatory functions of Efg1p in Candida albicans.
  • APSES proteins Efg1p and Efh1p play dual roles in regulating both fungal morphogenesis and metabolism.

More Related Videos

An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract07:42

An Ex vivo Assay to Study Candida albicans Hyphal Morphogenesis in the Gastrointestinal Tract

Published on: July 1, 2020

Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae04:36

Assay for Adhesion and Agar Invasion in S. cerevisiae

Published on: November 8, 2006

Related Concept Videos

Caspases01:24

Caspases

Caspase, a family of cysteine proteases, serve as effectors in apoptosis. The ced3 gene in C.elegans was first identified to be involved in apoptosis. This gene encodes the ced-3 caspase that is similar to the interleukin-1-beta converting enzyme or ICE in mammals. In addition to apoptosis, caspases also function in the inflammatory response. Inflammatory caspases are essential in activating pro-inflammatory cytokines that recruit immune cells and block the replication of pathogens inside cells.
Yeast Signaling01:28

Yeast Signaling

Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...
Overview of Secretory Vesicles01:33

Overview of Secretory Vesicles

Secretory vesicles, also known as dense core vesicles (DCVs), are membrane-bound vesicles that transport secretory proteins, such as hormones or neurotransmitters. Regulated secretory vesicles transport proteins from the trans-Golgi network to the exterior of the cell. Proteins present in regulated secretory vesicles are required to be rapidly exocytosed in large amounts upon a specific stimulus.
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Amyloid Fibrils03:03

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins.  Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils. 
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen.   In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation02:36

Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

Cell size is a significant factor impacting cellular design, function, and fitness. There exists some internal coordination by which cells double their masses before division, thus, achieving homeostasis. Coordination between cell growth and proliferation depends on the checkpoints in between cell cycle phases. Loss of coordination or failure in the checkpoint mechanism can drive the cell to uncontrolled growth and loss of cellular function. Like dividing cells that coordinate cellular growth,...
Regulated Protein Degradation02:58

Regulated Protein Degradation

It is vital to regulate the activity of enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic proteins inside the cell. This can be achieved either through creating a balance between their rate of synthesis and degradation or regulating the intrinsic activity of the protein. Both these regulation mechanisms play an essential role in the normal functioning of cells.
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...