HST7 — Candida albicans

Summary

CR_03900W_A (HST7) on Candida albicans chromosome 8 encodes a dual-specificity MAP kinase kinase (EC 2.7.12.2) with MAPKK activity, belonging to the Byr1-like catalytic domain family. The gene is associated with the pheromone response and cell integrity MAPK cascades, signal transduction during filamentous growth, quorum sensing, phenotypic switching, chlamydospore formation, and regulation of ascospore formation. It is linked to mating projection assembly, parasexual conjugation with cellular fusion, invasive growth in response to glucose limitation, upregulation of cell wall organization and calcium-mediated signaling, and glucan anabolism. The protein localizes to the mating projection tip, division septum, cell tip, cell division site, cytoplasm, cytosol, and nucleus. Related genes in other species are linked to reduced virulence and loss of pathogenicity.