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Updated: May 24, 2025
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Procedure for Adaptive Laboratory Evolution of Microorganisms Using a Chemostat
Published on: September 20, 2016
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Adaptive evolution of Candida albicans through modulating TOR signaling
Yaling Zhang1, Lianjuan Yang2, Youzhi Zhao1
1Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Mbio
|March 4, 2025
Summary
Candida albicans rapidly adapts to host environments by modulating TOR signaling. This adaptive evolution impacts its fitness, stress response, drug tolerance, and pathogenicity, offering insights into fungal adaptation mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Mycology
- Pathogenesis
Background:
- Candida albicans is a human commensal and opportunistic pathogen.
- Adaptive evolution is crucial for C. albicans survival in diverse host niches.
- Previous research focused on genome evolution for adaptation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of TOR signaling modulation in C. albicans adaptive evolution.
- To understand how TOR pathway alterations affect fungal fitness and pathogenicity.
Main Methods:
- Comparison of clinical isolates and laboratory strains.
- In vitro passaging of clinical isolates.
- Assessment of fitness attributes (commensal, stress response, drug tolerance, infection).
- Inhibition of TOR signaling using rapamycin.
Main Results:
- Clinical isolates showed enhanced commensal fitness linked to diminished GlcNAc-responsive hypha-associated transcription.
- In vitro passaging reduced TOR signaling, negatively impacting fitness and pathogenicity.
- Rapamycin treatment suppressed the fitness advantage of clinical isolates over passaged derivatives.
Conclusions:
- TOR signaling modulation is a key mechanism for rapid adaptive evolution in C. albicans.
- Altered TOR activity influences C. albicans adaptation to host environments and pathogenicity.
- These adaptive mechanisms may be relevant to other microbial pathogens.
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