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Updated: Oct 2, 2025

Identification of Inositol Phosphate or Phosphoinositide Interacting Proteins by Affinity Chromatography Coupled to Western Blot or Mass Spectrometry
08:07

Identification of Inositol Phosphate or Phosphoinositide Interacting Proteins by Affinity Chromatography Coupled to Western Blot or Mass Spectrometry

Published on: July 26, 2019

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Function of the phosphatidylinositol synthase Pis1 in maintenance of endoplasmic reticulum function and pathogenicity

Yingzheng Liu1, Congcong Ma1, Xiaolong Mao1

  • 1Key Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology and Technology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, 94 Weijin Rd., Tianjin 300071, China.

Fungal Genetics and Biology : FG & B
|March 1, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Phosphatidylinositol synthase (Pis1) is essential for Candida albicans growth. Its overexpression increases fungal virulence and sensitivity to cellular stress, impacting ER stress and cell wall integrity.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Candida albicans is a pathogenic fungus causing widespread infections.
  • Phosphatidylinositols regulate crucial cellular processes like metabolism and growth.
  • The role of phosphatidylinositol synthase (Pis1) in C. albicans was previously uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize the function of Pis1 in Candida albicans.
  • To investigate Pis1's role in cellular stress responses and pathogenicity.

Main Methods:

  • Gene knockout mutant construction using a MET3 promoter-regulated induction system.
  • Green fluorescent protein (GFP) tagging for protein localization.
  • Growth assays, stress sensitivity tests, and virulence assays in mouse models.

Main Results:

  • Pis1 is essential for C. albicans normal growth.
  • Pis1 localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
  • Overexpression of PIS1 confers sensitivity to ER and cell wall stress, downregulates stress response genes, enhances extracellular hydrolase secretion, and increases fungal virulence.

Conclusions:

  • Pis1 plays a critical role in Candida albicans physiology.
  • Pis1 is involved in ER stress response and cell wall integrity maintenance.
  • Pis1 positively regulates C. albicans pathogenicity.
Keywords:
Candida albicansCell wall integrityER stressPhosphatidylinositol synthaseVirulence

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