Vacuole and mitochondria patch (vCLAMP) and ER-mitochondria encounter structure (ERMES) maintain cell survival by protecting mitochondrial functions in Candida albicans

Candida albicans is an important opportunistic fungus in the clinic. In recent years, with the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant strains have been isolated in the clinic, so finding new drug targets has become an urgent problem to be solved. The vacuole and mitochondria patch (vCLAMP) and the ER-mitochondria encounter structure (ERMES) are new types of inner membrane junction systems in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the functions in maintaining cell survival of the two structures have not yet been elucidated in C. albicans. In this study, VAM6 and MDM34 knockout mutants (vam6Δ/Δmet-MDM34) were constructed using an induction system regulated by the MET3 promoter. PI-positive assays showed that deletion of vCLAMP and ERMES led to abnormal growth of C. albicans. Furthermore, the vam6Δ/Δmet-MDM34 mutant exhibited obvious mitochondrial fragmentation, mtDNA damage, reduced ATP levels, and abnormal mitochondrial membrane potential, indicating its important role in maintaining the structures and functions of mitochondria. Moreover, deletion of vCLAMP and ERMES inhibited filamentous growth. Overall This study shows that vCLAMP and ERMES play important roles in maintaining the survival of C. albicans cells.