Publication Date:
2016-04-29
Description:
Apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) is a conserved flavoprotein localized in the mitochondria, inducing apoptosis after translocation into the nucleus. However, its role in the important fungal pathogen, Candida albicans , remains to be investigated. In this study, we find that the C. albicans AIF protein Aif1, similar to its homologs in other organisms, is localized at the mitochondria and translocated into the nucleus under apoptosis-inducing conditions. Moreover, deletion of AIF1 causes attenuated apoptosis in this pathogen under apoptosis-inducing conditions, such as the treatment of 2 mM H 2 O 2 , 10 mM acetic acid or 0.08 mg/L caspofungin, and its overexpression enhances this process. Interestingly, under the treatment of high levels of these agents lead to reversed sensitivity of aif1 Δ/Δ and the overexpression strain AIF1ov . In addition, the virulence of C. albicans is not affected by deletion or overexpression of AIF1 . Hence, C. albicans Aif1, as a mitochondria-localized protein, plays a dual role in regulation of cell death under different concentrations of the stress-caused agents.
Print ISSN:
0749-503X
Electronic ISSN:
1097-0061
Topics:
Biology
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