Candida albicans, a dimorphic yeast, is among the most commonly encountered human pathogens. Infections caused by Candida range from vaginitis to severe systemic infections in immune compromised patients. The goals of this proposal are: 1) to identify mobile DNA elements in the Candida genome; 2) to use these DNA probes as epidemiologic tools; and 3) to then apply them to basic questions about the biology of the organism. The search for mobile DNA sequences will not be confined to transposable elements but will include any DNA segments associated with elevated frequencies of DNA polymorphisms. The shared properties of movable elements from a variety of organisms suggest methods to isolate them in other species. Using as criteria dispersion, repetition, and absence from related species, a successful screen for such sequences has been conducted. Preliminary results indicate that DNA polymorphisms will be a powerful tool in the typing of C. albicans strains. Candida chromosomes are small enough to be resolved by pulsed field electrophoresis and their lengths are polymorphic as well. It should be possible to combine these facts with single copy DNA polymorphisms and genetic experiments using segregation from fused protoplasts to build a combined physical and genetic map of the organism.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI023850-02
Application #
3136321
Study Section
Bacteriology and Mycology Subcommittee 1 (BM)
Project Start
1986-07-01
Project End
1989-06-30
Budget Start
1987-07-01
Budget End
1988-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
168559177
City
Minneapolis
State
MN
Country
United States
Zip Code
55455
Hoyer, L L; Payne, T L; Bell, M et al. (1998) Candida albicans ALS3 and insights into the nature of the ALS gene family. Curr Genet 33:451-9
Janbon, G; Rustchenko, E P; Klug, S et al. (1997) Phylogenetic relationships of fungal cytochromes c. Yeast 13:985-90
Barton, R C; van Belkum, A; Scherer, S (1995) Stability of karyotype in serial isolates of Candida albicans from neutropenic patients. J Clin Microbiol 33:794-6
Hoyer, L L; Scherer, S; Shatzman, A R et al. (1995) Candida albicans ALS1: domains related to a Saccharomyces cerevisiae sexual agglutinin separated by a repeating motif. Mol Microbiol 15:39-54
Hoyer, L L; Magee, B B; Rikkerink, E H et al. (1994) The ARG4 gene of Candida albicans. Gene 142:213-8
van Belkum, A; Melchers, W; de Pauw, B E et al. (1994) Genotypic characterization of sequential Candida albicans isolates from fluconazole-treated neutropenic patients. J Infect Dis 169:1062-70
Barton, R C; Scherer, S (1994) Induced chromosome rearrangements and morphologic variation in Candida albicans. J Bacteriol 176:756-63
Goshorn, A K; Grindle, S M; Scherer, S (1992) Gene isolation by complementation in Candida albicans and applications to physical and genetic mapping. Infect Immun 60:876-84
Barton, R C; Gull, K (1992) Isolation, characterization, and genetic analysis of monosomic, aneuploid mutants of Candida albicans. Mol Microbiol 6:171-7
Wickes, B; Staudinger, J; Magee, B B et al. (1991) Physical and genetic mapping of Candida albicans: several genes previously assigned to chromosome 1 map to chromosome R, the rDNA-containing linkage group. Infect Immun 59:2480-4

Showing the most recent 10 out of 15 publications