pH regulates white-opaque switching and sexual mating in Candida albicans

As a successful commensal and pathogen of humans, Candida albicans encounters a wide range of environmental changes. Among them, ambient pH is an important factor, which changes frequently and affects many biological processes in this species. The ability to adapt to pH changes is tightly linked with pathogenesis and morphogenesis. In this study, we report that pH has a profound effect on white-opaque switching and sexual mating in C. albicans. Acidic pHs promote white-to-opaque switching but repress sexual mating of opaque cells. The cAMP signaling and Rim101-mediated pH sensing pathways are involved in the regulation of pH-regulated white-opaque switching. Interestingly, white and opaque cells of the cyr1/cyr1 mutant, which is defective in producing cAMP, show distinct growth defects under acidic and alkaline conditions. Phr2 could play a major role in acidic pHs-induced opaque cell formation. We further discover that acidic pH conditions repress sexual mating due to the failure of activation of the Ste2-mediated a-pheromone response pathway. The effects of pH changes on phenotypic switching and sexual mating could be a balance behavior between host adaptation and sexual reproduction. Overall design: total RNA profiles of cells grown in different pH