Group X hybrid histidine kinase Chk1 is dispensable for stress adaptation, host–pathogen interactions and virulence in the opportunistic yeast Candida guilliermondii

• Published in: Research in microbiology Vol. 168; no. 7; pp. 644 - 654
• Main Authors: Navarro-Arias, María J., Dementhon, Karine, Defosse, Tatiana A., Foureau, Emilien, Courdavault, Vincent, Clastre, Marc, Le Gal, Solène, Nevez, Gilles, Le Govic, Yohann, Bouchara, Jean-Philippe, Giglioli-Guivarc'h, Nathalie, Noël, Thierry, Mora-Montes, Hector M., Papon, Nicolas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Elsevier Masson SAS 01.09.2017; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Animals; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; Candida; Candida - drug effects; Candida - genetics; Candida - pathogenicity; Candida - physiology; Cell signaling; Cell Wall - chemistry; Cell Wall - metabolism; Checkpoint Kinase 1 - genetics; Checkpoint Kinase 1 - metabolism; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Cytokines - immunology; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; Genetics; Histidine kinases; Host-Pathogen Interactions - genetics; Humans; Larva - microbiology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - immunology; Life Sciences; Macrophages - microbiology; Microbiology and Parasitology; Moths - microbiology; Mycology; Stress adaptation; Stress, Physiological - genetics; Virulence; Histidine kinases; Stress adaptation; Virulence; Candida; Cell signaling
• ISSN: 0923-2508; 1769-7123; 0923-2508
• DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2017.04.009

Hybrid histidine kinases (HHKs) progressively emerge as prominent sensing proteins in the fungal kingdom and as ideal targets for future therapeutics. The group X HHK is of major interest, since it was demonstrated to play an important role in stress adaptation, host–pathogen interactions and virulence in some yeast and mold models, and particularly Chk1, that corresponds to the sole group X HHK in Candida albicans. In the present work, we investigated the role of Chk1 in the low-virulence species Candida guilliermondii, in order to gain insight into putative conservation of the role of group X HHK in opportunistic yeasts. We demonstrated that disruption of the corresponding gene CHK1 does not influence growth, stress tolerance, drug susceptibility, protein glycosylation or cell wall composition in C. guilliermondii. In addition, we showed that loss of CHK1 does not affect C. guilliermondii ability to interact with macrophages and to stimulate cytokine production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Finally, the C. guilliermondii chk1 null mutant was found to be as virulent as the wild-type strain in the experimental model Galleria mellonella. Taken together, our results demonstrate that group X HHK function is not conserved in Candida species.