Candida albicans exploits N-acetylglucosamine as a gut signal to establish the balance between commensalism and pathogenesis

Dandan Yang, Mao Zhang, Chang Su, Bin Dong and Yang Lu ()
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Dandan Yang: Wuhan University
Mao Zhang: Wuhan University
Chang Su: Wuhan University
Bin Dong: Wuhan University
Yang Lu: Wuhan University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Candida albicans is a benign member of gut microbiota, but also causes life-threatening disseminated infections, suggesting that this fungus commensalism has evolved with retention of virulence traits. Here we reveal that N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) enables C. albicans to balance between commensalism and pathogenesis. Although GlcNAc catabolism is beneficial for commensal growth of C. albicans, deleting GlcNAc sensor-transducer Ngs1 confers enhanced fitness, indicating that GlcNAc signaling is detrimental to commensalism. Interestingly, addition of GlcNAc attenuates commensal fitness of gut-evolved C. albicans but retains its disease-causing potential. We further demonstrate that GlcNAc is a major inducer of hypha-associated transcription in the gut, which represents the key determinant for commensal-pathogenic equilibrium. In addition to yeast-to-hypha morphogenesis, we also identify other factors, including Sod5 and Ofi1, that contribute to the balance. Thus, C. albicans uses GlcNAc to build up a tradeoff between fungal programs supporting commensalism and virulence, which may explain its success as a commensal and pathogen.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39284-w

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