Ambient pH gene regulation in fungi: making connections

Trends Microbiol. 2008 Jun;16(6):291-300. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2008.03.006. Epub 2008 May 3.

Abstract

Many fungi grow over a wide pH range and their gene expression is tailored to the environmental pH. In Aspergillus nidulans, the transcription factor PacC, an activator of genes expressed in alkaline conditions and a repressor of those expressed in acidic conditions, undergoes two processing proteolyses, the first being pH-signal dependent and the second proteasomal. Signal transduction involves a 'go-between' connecting two complexes, one of which comprises two plasma membrane proteins and an arrestin and the other comprises PacC, a cysteine protease, a scaffold and endosomal components. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PacC orthologue, Rim101p, differs in that it does not undergo the second round of proteolysis and it functions directly as a repressor only. PacC/Rim101-mediated pH regulation is crucial to fungal pathogenicity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aspergillus nidulans / genetics
  • Aspergillus nidulans / pathogenicity
  • Aspergillus nidulans / physiology
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Endocytosis
  • Endosomes / metabolism
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fungi / classification
  • Fungi / genetics
  • Fungi / pathogenicity
  • Fungi / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Signal Transduction*
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Transcription Factors