| Title | Candida albicans ENO1 Null Mutants Exhibit Altered Drug Susceptibility, Hyphal Formation, and Virulence |
|---|---|
| Author | Hui-Ching Ko1, Ting-Yin Hsiao2, Chiung-Tong Chen3, and Yun-Liang Yang1,2* |
| Address | 1Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, 2Institute for Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, 3Institute of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Research, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli, 350, Taiwan |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 51(3),345-351, 2013, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-013-2577-z |
| Key Words | enolase, opportunistic human pathogen, drug susceptibility, hyphal formation, virulence |
| Abstract | We previously showed that the expression of ENO1 (enolase) in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans is critical for cell growth. In this study, we investigate the contribution of the ENO1 gene to virulence. We conducted our functional study of ENO1 in C. albicans by constructing an eno1/eno1 null mutant strain in which both ENO1 alleles in the genome were knockouted with the SAT1 flipper cassette that contains the nourseothricin-resistance marker. Although the null mutant failed to grow on synthetic media containing glucose, it was capable of growth on media containing yeast extract, peptone, and non-fermentable carbon sources. The null mutant was more susceptible to certain antifungal drugs. It also exhibited defective hyphal formation, and was avirulent in BALB/c mice. |