CTG clade-specific proteins of the RSC chromatin remodeling complex regulate cell cycle progression of a critical priority fungal pathogen, Candida albicans

The RSC and the homologous chromatin remodeling complexes are known to regulate cell cycle progression in various organisms, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Drosophila , and Homo sapiens . In this work, we characterized the role of two novel CTG clade-specific proteins (Nri1 and Nri2) of the RSC complex in the regulation of cell cycle progression in a critical priority fungal pathogen, Candida albicans . We observed that Nri1, alone or along with Nri2, regulates cell cycle progression at multiple stages. The nri1Δ/Δ and nri1Δ/Δ nri2Δ/Δ mutants exhibited transient cell cycle arrest, defective spindle morphology, and cytokinesis. Transcriptomic analysis supported these mutant phenotypes and indicated a broad role of Nri proteins in the cell cycle. From our results, we conclude that Nri proteins are crucial for C. albicans proliferation and fitness.