Microbiology Commons^™

Farnesol Induces Hydrogen Peroxide Resistance In Candida Albicans Yeast By Inhibiting The Ras-Cyclic Amp Signaling Pathway, Aurélie Deveau, Amy E. Piispanen, Angelyca A. Jackson, Deborah A. Hogan

Dartmouth Scholarship

Farnesol, a Candida albicans cell-cell signaling molecule that participates in the control of morphology, has an additional role in protection of the fungus against oxidative stress. In this report, we show that although farnesol induces the accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), ROS generation is not necessary for the induction of catalase (Cat1)-mediated oxidative-stress resistance. Two antioxidants, α-tocopherol and, to a lesser extent, ascorbic acid effectively reduced intracellular ROS generation by farnesol but did not alter farnesol-induced oxidative-stress resistance. Farnesol inhibits the Ras1-adenylate cyclase (Cyr1) signaling pathway to achieve its effects on morphology under hypha-inducing conditions, and we demonstrate …