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Infection and Immunity, August 2002, p. 4462-4470, Vol. 70, No. 8
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.8.4462-4470.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
Defective Hyphal Induction of a Candida albicans Phosphatidylinositol 3-Phosphate 5-Kinase Null Mutant on Solid Media Does Not Lead to Decreased Virulence
Martin Augsten,1 Claudia Hübner,1 Monika Nguyen,1 Waldemar Künkel,1,2 Albert Härtl,3 and Raimund Eck1*
Department of Infection Biology,1
Department of Drug Testing, Hans Knöll Institute for Natural Products Research,3
University of Applied Sciences, D-07745 Jena, Germany2
Received 16 October 2001/
Returned for modification 27 November 2001/
Accepted 25 April 2002
A phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PI(3)P] 5-kinase gene (CaFAB1) of the most important human pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans, was cloned and sequenced. An open reading frame was detected which encodes a 2,369-amino-acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 268 kDa and a relative isoelectric point of 6.76. This protein exhibits 38% overall amino acid sequence identity with Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fab1p. We localized the CaFAB1 gene on chromosome R. To determine the influence of the PI(3)P 5-kinase CaFab1p on processes involved in C. albicans morphogenesis and pathogenicity, we sequentially disrupted both copies of the gene. Homozygous deletion of C. albicans CaFAB1 resulted in a mutant strain which exhibited defects in morphogenesis. A Cafab1 null mutant had enlarged vacuoles, an acidification defect, and increased generation times and was unable to form hyphae on different solid media. The sensitivities to hyperosmotic and high-temperature stresses, adherence, and virulence compared to those of wild-type strain SC5314 were not affected.
* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute for Natural Products Research, Beutenbergstrasse 11, D-07745 Jena, Germany. Phone: 49 3641 656852. Fax: 49 3641 656652. E-mail:
reck{at}pmail.hki-jena.de.
Editor: T. R. Kozel
Infection and Immunity, August 2002, p. 4462-4470, Vol. 70, No. 8
0019-9567/02/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/IAI.70.8.4462-4470.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
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