ArticleEukaryotic cell2003
MFalpha1, the gene encoding the alpha mating pheromone of Candida albicans.
Article in Eukaryotic cell, 2003. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers.
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Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 70 citations in OpenAlex.
- Parasex generates highly recombinant progeny in Candida albicans with increased virulence.Nature microbiology · 2026Article
- Genetic and environmental control of parasexual reproduction in the pathogenicMicrobiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2025Review
- Article
- FvKex2 is required for development, virulence, and mycotoxin production in Fusarium verticillioides.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2024Article
- Parasexuality ofFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2021Review
- Unraveling HowJournal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020Review
- Propeptide genesis by Kex2-dependent cleavage of yeast wall protein 1 (Ywp1) of Candida albicans.PloS one · 2018Article
- Parasex Generates Phenotypic DiversityGenetics · 2017Article
- Structure-Activity Relationship of α Mating Pheromone from the Fungal PathogenThe Journal of biological chemistry · 2017Article
- The parasexual lifestyle of Candida albicans.Current opinion in microbiology · 2015Review
- Article
- pH Regulates White-Opaque Switching and Sexual Mating in Candida albicans.Eukaryotic cell · 2015Article
- White cells facilitate opposite- and same-sex mating of opaque cells in Candida albicans.PLoS genetics · 2014Article
- Sexual reproduction of human fungal pathogens.Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine · 2014Review
- The role of phenotypic switching in the basic biology and pathogenesis of Candida albicans.Journal of oral microbiology · 2014Review
- Genetic control of conventional and pheromone-stimulated biofilm formation in Candida albicans.PLoS pathogens · 2013Article
- Review
- Self-induction of a/a or alpha/alpha biofilms in Candida albicans is a pheromone-based paracrine system requiring switching.Eukaryotic cell · 2011Article
- Evolution of mating within the Candida parapsilosis species group.Eukaryotic cell · 2011Article
- Interspecies pheromone signaling promotes biofilm formation and same-sex mating in Candida albicans.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2011Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Candida albicans, the single most frequently isolated human fungal pathogen, was thought to be asexual until the recent discovery of the mating-type-like locus (MTL). Homozygous MTL strains were constructed and shown to mate. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that opaque-phase cells are more efficient in mating than white-phase cells. The similarity of the genes involved in the mating pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. albicans includes at least one gene (KEX2) that is involved in the processing of the alpha mating pheromone in the two yeasts. Taking into account this similarity, we searched the C. albicans genome for sequences that would encode the alpha pheromone gene. Here we report the isolation and characterization of the gene MFalpha1, which codes for the precursor of the alpha mating pheromone in C. albicans. Two active alpha-peptides, 13 and 14 amino acids long, would be generated after the precursor molecule is processed in C. albicans. To examine the role of this gene in mating, we constructed an mfalpha1 null mutant of C. albicans. The mfalpha1 null mutant fails to mate as MTLalpha, while MTLa mfalpha1 cells are still mating competent. Experiments performed with the synthetic alpha-peptides show that they are capable of inducing growth arrest, as demonstrated by halo tests, and also induce shmooing in MTLa cells of C. albicans. These peptides are also able to complement the mating defect of an MTLalpha kex2 mutant strain when added exogenously, thereby confirming their roles as alpha mating pheromones.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.