PUTATIVE FERROXIDASES IN THE FLAVINOGENIC YEAST PICHIA GUILLIERMONDII ARE REGULATED BY IRON ACQUISITION

Using similarity search we identified Candida (Pichia) guilliermondii genes involved in iron acquisition. This yeast possesses at least four genes potentially coding for ferri-reductases, four genes encoding iron permeases and two genes codingforferroxidases. Identified C.(P.) guilliermondii genes encoding ferroxidases possess different patterns of expression under iron repletion conditions whereas their expression is activated under iron deficiency conditions or in mutant strains defective in regulation of iron acquisition. C.(P.) guilliermondii has no homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae transcriptional regulator of iron metabolism, Aft1p and possess an iron regulatory network similar to that of Candida albicans. Since most of C.(P.) guilliermondii known strains are not pathogenic, in contrast to that of C. albicans, we propose C.(P.) guilliermondii as safe and useful model for studying iron-dependent regulation of metabolism in yeasts belonging to CUG clade.