The EPA2 adhesin encoding gene is responsive to oxidative stress in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida glabrata

Candida glabrata has emerged as an important opportunistic pathogen in both mucosal and bloodstream infections. C. glabrata contains 67 adhesin-like glycosylphosphatidylinositol-cell-wall proteins (GPI-CWPs), which are classified into seven groups and the largest is the Epa family. Epa proteins are very diverse and their expression is differentially regulated. Like many of the EPA genes, EPA2 is localized in a subtelomeric region where it is subject to chromatin-based transcriptional silencing and its role remains largely unexplored. In this study, we show that EPA2 gene is induced specifically in vitro in the presence of oxidative stress generated by H2O2. This induction is dependent on both Yap1 and Skn7, whereas Msn4 represses EPA2 expression. Interestingly, EPA2 is not induced during phagocytosis, but its expression can be identified in the liver in a murine model of systemic infection. Epa2 has no effect on the virulence of C. glabrata. The work presented herein provides a foundation for future studies to dissect the molecular mechanism(s) by which EPA2 of C. glabrata can be induced in the presence of oxidative stress in a region subject to subtelomeric silencing.