CaSfl1 plays a dual role in transcriptional regulation in Candida albicans

As a newly identified transcription factor in Candida albcians, CaSfl1 has been shown to be involved in cell flocculation and filamentation and in the negative regulation of several genes involved in hyphal growth. In this study, we constructed Casfl1Δ/Δ mutants and confirmed that deletion of this gene indeed affected cell flocculation and filamentation. In addition, by RT-PCR we found that while Casfl1 repressed the expression of several hypha-specific genes including HWP1, ECE1, ALS1, ALS3, and FLO8, it strongly activated the expression of the heat-shock protein genes HSP30 and HSP90 under certain stress conditions. Therefore, we propose that CaSfl1 can act as both positive and negative regulators, thereby playing a dual role in transcriptional controls in Candida albicans.