CST20 — Candida albicans

Summary

C5_02340C_A (CST20) in Candida albicans chromosome 5 encodes a serine/threonine protein kinase with histone H2BS14 kinase activity, classified as EC 2.7.11.1 and a MAPKKKK, belonging to the PAK3-like family with a CRIB domain and protein kinase ATP-binding site. The gene is associated with regulation of the MAPK cascade, osmosensory signaling via the Sho1 osmosensor, signal transduction involved in filamentous growth, quorum sensing, parasexual conjugation with cellular fusion, membrane fission, budding cell apical bud growth, vacuole inheritance, and regulation of chitin anabolism. It is linked to negative regulation of sterol import, sterol import, amino acid breakdown, upregulation of apoptosis, negative regulation of gene expression, and regulation of exit from mitosis. The protein localizes to the incipient cellular bud site, mating projection tip, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Related genes in other species link CST20 to unaffected pathogenicity and rice blast disease.