Research interests
Lipid droplets
Lipid droplets are best known as energy stores and reservoirs of membrane lipids. Our laboratory focuses on their protective role against lipotoxicity caused by sterols and fatty acids. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we study how lipid droplets neutralize harmful sterol intermediates, including those that accumulate during antifungal treatment. Understanding lipid droplets as natural defense organelles may support the development of improved antifungal strategies.
Utilisation of exogenous sterols
Most eukaryotes synthesize their own sterols, but certain conditions can trigger uptake from the environment. Dysregulated sterol import can be harmful—for example, excessive cholesterol, or defective removal of plant sterols in humans, contributes to lipid disorders such as atherosclerosis or sitosterolemia. In simpler organisms, such as fungi, sterol uptake becomes essential when biosynthesis is impaired. We investigate how the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae handles exogenous sterols, including cholesterol and plant sterols, and how this process may contribute to antifungal resistance in pathogenic fungi.
Homeostasis of ergosterol metabolism
As microbial resistance to antifungals rises, improving sterol-targeting therapies is crucial. Ergosterol and its biosynthetic pathway are the main targets of current antifungal drugs. We study ergosterol biosynthesis and homeostasis, with a particular focus on its distribution between cellular membranes and lipid droplets.
People
Mgr. Martin Valachovič, PhD. – head of the group
Mgr. Zuzana Pevalová, PhD.
Allumni
Mgr. Lívia Petrisková, PhD. – PhD. thesis
Mgr. Marianna Bačinská – Msc. thesis
Mgr. Zuzana Žiaková – Msc. thesis
Selected publications
- ELIAŠ, Daniel – TÓTH HERVAY, Nora – JACKO, Juraj – MORVOVÁ, Marcela, Jr. – VALACHOVIČ, Martin – GBELSKÁ, Yvetta. Erg6p is essential for antifungal drug resistance, plasma membrane properties and cell wall integrity in Candida glabrata. In FEMS Yeast Research, 2022, vol. 21, no. 1, art. no. foac045.
- BENCOVÁ, Alexandra – GOFFA, Eduard – MORVOVÁ, M. – VALACHOVIČ, Martin – GRIAČ, Peter – TÓTH HERVAY, Nora – GBELSKÁ, Yvetta. The absence of PDR16 gene restricts the overexpression of CaSNQ2 gene in the presence of fluconazole in Candida albicans. In Mycopathologia, 2020, vol. 185, no. 3, p. 455-465.
- PÁPAY, Marek – KLEIN, Cornelia – HAPALA, Ivan – PETRISKOVÁ, Lívia – KUCHLER, Karl – VALACHOVIČ, Martin. Mutations in the nucleotide-binding domain of putative sterol importers Aus1 and Pdr11 selectively affect utilization of exogenous sterol species in yeast. In Yeast, 2020, vol. 37, iss. 1, p. 5-14.
- CSÁKY, Zsófia – GARAIOVÁ, Martina – KODEDOVÁ, Marie – VALACHOVIČ, Martin – SYCHROVÁ, Hana – HAPALA, Ivan. Squalene lipotoxicity in a lipid droplet-less yeast mutant is linked to plasma membrane dysfunction. In Yeast, 2020, vol. 37, iss. 1, p. 45-62.
- VALACHOVIČ, Martin – GARAIOVÁ, Martina – HOLIČ, Roman – HAPALA, Ivan. Squalene is lipotoxic to yeast cells defective in lipid droplet biogenesis. In Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 2016, vol. 469, p. 1123-8.
- KOHÚT, Peter – WUSTNER, D. – HRONSKÁ, Lucia – KUCHLER, Karl – HAPALA, Ivan – VALACHOVIČ, Martin. The role of ABC proteins Aus1p and Pdr11p in the uptake of external sterols in yeast: Dehydroergosterol fluorescence study. In Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 2011, vol. 404, no. 1, p. 233-238.