The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The fungal pathogen <it>Candida albicans </it>is frequently seen in immune suppressed patients, and resistance to one of the most widely used antifungals, fluconazole (FLC), can evolve rapidly. In recent years it has beco...

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Main Authors: White Theodore C, Potenski Catherine J, Zheng Xiuzhong, Hoot Samantha J, Klein Hannah L
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2011-09-01
Series:BMC Microbiology
Online Access:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/11/214
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author White Theodore C
Potenski Catherine J
Zheng Xiuzhong
Hoot Samantha J
Klein Hannah L
author_facet White Theodore C
Potenski Catherine J
Zheng Xiuzhong
Hoot Samantha J
Klein Hannah L
author_sort White Theodore C
collection DOAJ
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The fungal pathogen <it>Candida albicans </it>is frequently seen in immune suppressed patients, and resistance to one of the most widely used antifungals, fluconazole (FLC), can evolve rapidly. In recent years it has become clear that plasticity of the <it>Candida albicans </it>genome contributes to drug resistance through loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at resistance genes and gross chromosomal rearrangements that amplify gene copy number of resistance associated genes. This study addresses the role of the homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in cell growth, DNA damage and FLC resistance in <it>Candida albicans</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The data presented here support a role for homologous recombination in cell growth and DNA damage sensitivity, as <it>Candida albicans rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>mutants were hypersensitive to MMS and menadione, and had an aberrant cell and nuclear morphology. The <it>Candida albicans rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>mutant was defective in invasion of Spider agar, presumably due to the altered cellular morphology. In contrast, mutation of the related gene <it>RDH54 </it>did not contribute significantly to DNA damage resistance and cell growth, and deletion of either <it>Candida albicans RAD54 </it>or <it>Candida albicans RDH54 </it>did not alter FLC susceptibility.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Together, these results support a role for homologous recombination in genome stability under nondamaging conditions. The nuclear morphology defects in the <it>rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>mutants show that Rad54 performs an essential role during mitotic growth and that in its absence, cells arrest in G2. The viability of the single mutant <it>rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>and the inability to construct the double mutant <it>rad54Δ/rad54Δ rdh54Δ/rdh54Δ </it>suggests that Rdh54 can partially compensate for Rad54 during mitotic growth.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-81cdda338b0747aab9bdb8ad0265f0622022-12-22T03:09:10ZengBMCBMC Microbiology1471-21802011-09-0111121410.1186/1471-2180-11-214The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivityWhite Theodore CPotenski Catherine JZheng XiuzhongHoot Samantha JKlein Hannah L<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The fungal pathogen <it>Candida albicans </it>is frequently seen in immune suppressed patients, and resistance to one of the most widely used antifungals, fluconazole (FLC), can evolve rapidly. In recent years it has become clear that plasticity of the <it>Candida albicans </it>genome contributes to drug resistance through loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at resistance genes and gross chromosomal rearrangements that amplify gene copy number of resistance associated genes. This study addresses the role of the homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in cell growth, DNA damage and FLC resistance in <it>Candida albicans</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The data presented here support a role for homologous recombination in cell growth and DNA damage sensitivity, as <it>Candida albicans rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>mutants were hypersensitive to MMS and menadione, and had an aberrant cell and nuclear morphology. The <it>Candida albicans rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>mutant was defective in invasion of Spider agar, presumably due to the altered cellular morphology. In contrast, mutation of the related gene <it>RDH54 </it>did not contribute significantly to DNA damage resistance and cell growth, and deletion of either <it>Candida albicans RAD54 </it>or <it>Candida albicans RDH54 </it>did not alter FLC susceptibility.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Together, these results support a role for homologous recombination in genome stability under nondamaging conditions. The nuclear morphology defects in the <it>rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>mutants show that Rad54 performs an essential role during mitotic growth and that in its absence, cells arrest in G2. The viability of the single mutant <it>rad54Δ/rad54Δ </it>and the inability to construct the double mutant <it>rad54Δ/rad54Δ rdh54Δ/rdh54Δ </it>suggests that Rdh54 can partially compensate for Rad54 during mitotic growth.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/11/214
spellingShingle White Theodore C
Potenski Catherine J
Zheng Xiuzhong
Hoot Samantha J
Klein Hannah L
The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity
BMC Microbiology
title The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity
title_full The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity
title_fullStr The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity
title_full_unstemmed The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity
title_short The role of <it>Candida albicans </it>homologous recombination factors Rad54 and Rdh54 in DNA damage sensitivity
title_sort role of it candida albicans it homologous recombination factors rad54 and rdh54 in dna damage sensitivity
url http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/11/214
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