Candida albicans SH3-domain proteins involved in hyphal growth, cytokinesis, and vacuolar morphology.

This report describes the analyses of three Candida albicans genes that encode Src Homology 3 (SH3)-domain proteins. Homologs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae are encoded by the SLA1, NBP2, and CYK3 genes. Deletion of CYK3 in C. albicans was not feasible, suggesting it is essential. Promoter shutdown experiments of CaCYK3 revealed cytokinesis defects, which are in line with the localization of GFP-tagged Cyk3 at septal sites. Deletion of SLA1 resulted in strains with decreased ability to form hyphal filaments. The number of cortical actin patches was strongly reduced in Deltasla1 strains during all growth stages. Sla1-GFP localizes in patches that are found concentrated at the hyphal tip. Deletion of the first two SH3-domains of Sla1 still resulted in cortical localization of the truncated protein. However, the actin cytoskeleton in this strain was aberrant like in the Deltasla1 deletion mutant indicating a function of these SH3 domains to recruit actin nucleation to sites of endocytosis. Deletion of NBP2 resulted in a defect in vacuolar fusion in hyphae. Germ cells of Deltanbp2 strains lacked a large vacuole but initiated several germ tubes. The mutant phenotypes of Deltanbp2 and Deltasla1 could be corrected by reintegration of the wild-type genes.