Transcriptional profiling of the Candida albicans response to the DNA damage stressing agent methyl methanesulfonate

We explored the global transcription profile in response to MMS in C. albicans through RNAseq assay. Here, we identified 407 genes (log2 fold cut off 1.0, P<0.05) whose levels of transcription were significantly affected under the MMS treatment condition; 207 genes were upregulated, and 200 genes were down-regulated. GO term analysis revealed that a small portion of changed genes showed direct roles in DNA repair progress, but a large number of induced genes are involved in antioxidant responses, and some down-regulated genes are involved in nucleosome packing and nitrogen utilization. In addition, the changed transcription of some DNA repair genes, as well as antioxidants genes, are blocked by deleting RAD53. Taken together, treatment of the DNA damage agent MMS induces a global transcriptional change in C. albicans, but not only DNA damage response genes. We used 0.015% MMS to treat the Candida albicans cells and explored the global transcription profile in response to MMS in C. albicans through RNAseq assay.