Candida albicans MTLa2 regulates the mating response through both the a-factor and α-factor sensing pathways

•MTLa2 in C. albicans α cells controls both a- and α-pheromone-sensing pathways.•Ectopic expression of MTLa2 in α cells results in a bi-mating feature of C. albicans.•MTLα1 activates mating response only through the MFα-Ste2 pheromone-sensing pathway.•MTLa2 and MTLα1 exhibit distinct regulatory features that control the mating response.