Abstract

The yeast-to-hyphal transition is a major virulence factor in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Mutations in the CaKEM1 gene, which encodes a 5′-3′ exoribonuclease responsible for mRNA degradation, show a defect in hyphal growth. We applied two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to identify hyphae-specific proteins that have altered expressions in the presence of the cakem1 mutation. Eight proteins, Eno1, Eps1, Fba1, Imh3, Lpd1, Met6, Pdc11, and Tsa1 were upregulated during hyphal transition in wild-type but not in cakem1/cakem1 mutant cells. A second group of proteins, Idh1, Idh2, and Ssb1, showed increased levels of expression in cakem1/cakem1 mutant cells when compared to wild-type cells. Overexpression of Lpd1, a component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, caused slight hyperfilamentation in a wild-type strain and suppressed the filamentation defect of the cakem1 mutation. The Ssb1 protein, which is a potential heat shock protein, and the Imh3 protein, which is a putative enzyme in GMP biosynthesis also showed the filamentation-associated phenotypes.

• Keywords: fungal pathogen; C. albicans; filamentation; CaKem1; Lpd1