Related, but on different missions

The human pathogenic fungus Candida albicans is part of the healthy human microbiota. However, under certain circumstances the fungus can invade host tissue and become pathogenic causing superficial or systemic infections including sepsis. In order to survive and proliferate in various host niches, the fungus can easily adapt to different host environments. These adaptation processes are regulated via complex networks in which protein kinases play an essential role. In this study, Philipp Brandt and his colleagues of Host Fungal Interfaces group (headed by Dr. Slavena Vylkova) together with collaboration partners of the Leibniz-HKI and University Würzburg elucidated functions of the so far uncharacterized protein kinases Sky1 and Sky2 of C. albicans. Sky1 seems to have similar function as its homologous kinase in the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as it is involved in ion homeostasis. Whereas Sky2 is involved in nutrient utilization, specifically in regulating the uptake of dipeptides through the di- and tripeptide transporter Ptr22. These findings have now been published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology.

Brandt P, Gerwien F, Wagner L, Krüger T, Ramírez-Zavala B, Mirhakkak MH, Schäuble S, Kniemeier O, Panagiotou G, Brakhage AA, Morschhäuser J, Vylkova S (2022) Candida albicans SR-Like Protein Kinases Regulate Different Cellular Processes: Sky1 Is Involved in Control of Ion Homeostasis, While Sky2 Is Important for Dipeptide Utilization. Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol. doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2022.850531