LAP4 — Candida albicans

Summary

C3_02170C_A (LAP4, CaLAP4) in Candida albicans chromosome 3 encodes a member of the peptidase M18 family with metalloaminopeptidase activity and zinc binding. The gene is associated with autophagy-related processes including macroautophagy, mitophagy, ER-phagy, and autophagy of peroxisome, as well as detoxification of hydrogen peroxide, proteolysis, protein folding, and filamentous growth. The product localizes to the fungal-type vacuole lumen and cytosol. Phenotypic associations link LAP4 to increased acquired thermotolerance, decreased fermentative metabolism, increased starvation resistance, increased cell death, and absent filamentous growth, decreased colony size, and abnormal cytoskeleton morphology. The gene is also associated with cell cycle progression, vacuolar transport, protein secretion, and mating response. Related genes in other species place the family in vacuolar aspartyl aminopeptidase function.