Effects of deletion of SIP4 on gene expression in N. glabratus treated with glucose, lactate, or ethanol

In many yeasts, pathways for alternative carbon metabolism are regulated at the transcriptional level by Zn2Cys6 transcription factors, a class of proteins that are unique to fungi. Here, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of alternative carbon metabolism pathways by the Zn2Cys6 transcription factors Cat8p, Sip4p, and Rds2p in the opportunistic pathogen N. glabratus.

Phenotypic screens of transcription factor knockout strains grown on alternative carbon sources identified that deletion of CAT8, a transcription factor required for growth in the closely related model organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae, did not affect the growth of N. glabratus, but deletion of SIP4 resulted in growth defects. We further probed the changes in gene expression that occur upon treatment with lactate or ethanol using RNA-seq.