Project description:Aim of this project is to identify biomarkers associated with persistance of Candida strains in the host and with virulence/pathogenicity of the different strains
Project description:In Candida albicans, aneuploids are unstable. When grown on YPD-agar plates, aneuploids exhibit colony size variations. In this study, 6 aneuploid strains were spread on YPD-agar plates. The large colonies from each strain were sequenced. The small colonies were sequenced in another project.
Project description:Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) affects nearly ¾ of women during their lifetime and its symptoms seriously reduce quality of life. Although Candida albicans is a common commensal, it is unknown if VVC results from a commensal to pathogenic state switch, if only some strains can cause VVC, and/or if there is displacement of commensal strains with more pathogenic strains. We studied a set of VVC and Colonizing C. albicans strains to identify consistent in vitro phenotypes associated with one group or the other. We find that the strains do not differ in overall genetic profile or behavior in culture media (i.e. MLST profile, rate of growth, filamentation), but they show strikingly different behavior during their interactions with vaginal epithelial cells. Epithelial infections with VVC-derived strains yielded stronger fungal proliferation and shedding of fungi and epithelial cells. RNA-seq analysis of representative epithelial cell infections with selected pathogenic or commensal isolates identified several differentially activated epithelial signaling pathways, including the integrin, ferroptosis and type I interferon pathways; the latter has been implicated in damage protection. The type I interferon pathway is activated more by the Colonizing strains, while type I interferon inhibition selectively increases fungal shedding of only the colonizing fungi. These data suggest that VVC strains may intrinsically have more pathogenic potential via differential elicitation of epithelial responses, including type I interferon pathway. Therefore, it may be possible to evaluate pathogenic potential in vitro to refine VVC diagnosis.
Project description:Microarray experiments were performed to reveal the key genes involved in iron homeostasis in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata.
Project description:Several aneuploid Candida glabrata strains, each bearing a unique karyotype, were spread on YPD plates. They all exhibited colony size vairations. Randmly 10 large colonies from each strain were sequenced.
Project description:We built 3 strains from Candida albicans wild-type strains, mutant strain with one TRK1 gene deleted(one allele of two genes was deleted), overexpression strain(add one allele of the gene to rp10 locus), and restoration strain(add one allele of the gene to mutant strains). The goal is study the expression level change of genes among the three strains compared with wild-type strain on a genomic scale. Keywords: genetic modification
Project description:Aneuploidy and the evolution of aneuploid karyotypes of Candida albicans strains was identified using aCGH. Whole chromosome and segmental aneuploidies, (specifically on the left arm of chromosome 5 - shown to be due to isochromosome formation) are associated with the appearance of resistance to the antifungal drug fluconazole. Keywords: Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Project description:In Candida albicans, PKC pathway genes MKK2 and MKC1, as well as calcineurin pathway genes CMP1 and CNB1 were deleted. The deletion strains were used to obtain caspofungin adaptors which gained tolerance to caspofungin. These adaptors as well as the wild type strain SC5314 were sequenced.
Project description:Whole genome sequencing of 48 Candida glabrata strains isolated from clinical conditions. Abundant genetic variations were identified in these strains, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), small insertion/deletions (indels) and copy number variations (CNVs).
