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Eukaryotic Cell, October 2003, p. 847-855, Vol. 2, No. 5
1535-9778/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/EC.2.5.847-855.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

{alpha}-Pheromone-Induced "Shmooing" and Gene Regulation Require White-Opaque Switching during Candida albicans Mating

Shawn R. Lockhart, Rui Zhao, Karla J. Daniels, and David R. Soll*

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1324

Received 5 June 2003/ Accepted 23 July 2003

A 14-mer {alpha}-pheromone peptide of Candida albicans was chemically synthesized and used to analyze the role of white-opaque switching in the mating process. The {alpha}-pheromone peptide blocked cell multiplication and induced "shmooing" in a/a cells expressing the opaque-phase phenotype but not in a/a cells expressing the white-phase phenotype. The {alpha}-pheromone peptide induced these effects at 25°C but not at 37°C. An analysis of mating-associated gene expression revealed several categories of gene regulation, including (i) MTL-homozygous-specific, pheromone stimulated, switching-independent (CAG1 and STE4); (ii) mating type-specific, pheromone-induced, switching-independent (STE2); and (iii) pheromone-induced, switching-dependent (FIG1, KAR4, and HWP1). An analysis of switching-regulated genes revealed an additional category of opaque-phase-specific genes that are downregulated by {alpha}-pheromone only in a/a cells (OP4, SAP1, and SAP3). These results demonstrate that {alpha}-pheromone causes shmooing, the initial step in the mating process, only in a/a cells expressing the opaque phenotype and only at temperatures below that in the human host. These results further demonstrate that although some mating-associated genes are stimulated by the {alpha}-pheromone peptide in both white- and opaque-phase cells, others are stimulated only in opaque-phase cells, revealing a category of gene regulation unique to C. albicans in which {alpha}-pheromone induction requires the white-opaque transition. These results demonstrate that in C. albicans, the mating process and associated gene regulation must be examined within the context of white-opaque switching.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Biological Sciences, Rm. 302 BBE, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242. Phone: (319) 335-1117. Fax: (319) 335-2772. E-mail: david-soll{at}uiowa.edu.

Eukaryotic Cell, October 2003, p. 847-855, Vol. 2, No. 5
1535-9778/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/EC.2.5.847-855.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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