Copper-Only Superoxide Dismutase 6 (SOD6) regulates DNA-damage induced virulence in Candida albicans

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) serves as the first line of defense against reactive oxygen species (ROS), protecting organisms from oxidative stress. Recently, a fungal-specific copper-only SOD family was identified in Candida albicans (C. albicans), yet the function of SOD6, a member of this new family, remains unreported. To investigate the function of SOD6 in C. albicans, we constructed the sod6 Δ/Δ mutant strain using transient CRISPR/Cas9 technology. We then found that the sod6 Δ/Δ mutant strain significantly accumulated excessive intracellular and extracellular ROS and showed heightened sensitivity to exogenous oxidants, including H2O2. sod6 Δ/Δ mutant strain displayed increased sensitivity to zeocin, which indicated the strain of sod6 Δ/Δsignificant DNA damage. Additionally, the sod6 Δ/Δ mutant strain exhibited significant decrease in virulence in both Galleria mellonella and murine models of C. albicans infection. Collectively these findings suggest that SOD6 facilitates the DNA damage related virulence of C. albicans, positioning it.