Mutations on CaENO1 in Candida albicans inhibit cell growth in the presence of glucose

Abstract

Enolase (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolase) is an enzymatic component of the glycolytic pathway and is conserved through evolution. The TR-CaENO1/Caeno1 stain, of which the expression of CaENO1 is under control of the tetracycline-regulatable (TR) expression system, is utilized for elucidating the functions of CaENO1 in Candida albicans. As expected, there was no detectable CaENO1 mRNA when the TR-CaENO1/Caeno1 cells grew on media containing doxycycline repressing the expression of TR-CaENO1.The TR-CaENO1/Caeno1 cells were arrested in media containing doxycycline in the presence of glucose but not in non-fermentable carbon sources, such as glycerol. Furthermore, the TR-CaENO1/Caeno1 cells were also arrested in media containing 4% serum. In this study, we have showed that CaENO1 is required for the cell growth of C. albicans in the presence of glucose. Our findings may help us to design new and more effective antifungal agents for preventing and treating bloodstream fungal infections by blocking the function(s) of enolases.

Differential expression of genes in pyrethroid resistant and susceptible mosquitoes, Culex quinquefasciatus (S.)

“…Neuron-specific enolase has been shown to promote the development, growth, and survival of neurons, increasing neuron numbers and modifying their energy metabolism (Yang et al, 2006). The significant increase in the expression of the enolase gene observed in the resistant mosquitoes suggests that the resistance may be associated with major changes in the number of neuronal cells, promoting their survival and modifying their metabolism.…”

Deus ex Candida genetics: overcoming the hurdles for the development of a molecular toolbox in the CTG clade

“…This Tet-off system has become a versatile tool to investigate the function of essential genes (which cannot be deleted from the genome; e.g. Yang et al, 2006) as well as virulence-associated genes (Saville et al, 2003). In this way, Roemer et al (2003) used this latter development to design the C. albicans GRACE strategy.…”

The vignette for V13N3 issue

“…Mutations in enolase block glycolysis, thus forcing the cell into alternative pathways for energy production [7]. Using the tetracycline-regulated promoter system, this study generated a special genetic strain of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans in which the single enolase gene was repressed in the presence of doxycycline [8]. Using this system it is shown that C. albicans is unable to grow in the presence of glucose when enolase expression is inhibited.…”