Emerging roles of Wss1 in the survival of Candida albicans under genotoxic stresses.

Aimorn Homchan, Juthamas Sukted, Oranart Matangkasombut, Danaya Pakotiprapha

Current genetics 2021 Feb

filter terms:

This perspective aims to discuss the potential physiological roles and regulation mechanisms of the recently identified Candida albicans Wss1 protease important in DNA-protein crosslink (DPC) tolerance and repair. DPC is a bulky DNA lesion that blocks essential DNA transactions; thus, it poses a significant threat to genome integrity if left unrepaired. Discoveries of Wss1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and SPRTN in human as DPC proteases have demonstrated the importance of protease function in DPC repair. Our recent study revealed that Wss1 in C. albicans, an opportunistic pathogen that can cause life-threatening infection in immunocompromised individuals, also promotes DPC tolerance similarly to both S. cerevisiae Wss1 and human SPRTN. However, its molecular mechanism and regulation are still poorly understood. Here, we briefly discuss the recent insights into C. albicans Wss1 based on the information from S. cerevisiae, as well as outline the aspect of this protein that could make it a potential target for antifungal drug development.

Citation

Aimorn Homchan, Juthamas Sukted, Oranart Matangkasombut, Danaya Pakotiprapha. Emerging roles of Wss1 in the survival of Candida albicans under genotoxic stresses. Current genetics. 2021 Feb;67(1):99-105