Lysophosphatidylcholine suppresses the expression of Phr1p and Pra1p, surface proteins involved in the morphogenesis of Candida albicans

Abstract

Candida albicans has become the most important human pathogen in immunocompromised patients. One important feature of the pathogenicity in C. albicans is the morphological transition from yeast to hyphae. Previously, we reported that lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso-PC) suppressed the hyphal transition through the MAP kinase pathway (Min et al., 2001). Therefore, it should be useful to examine the unknown genes involved in the MAP kinase pathway. As a way to identify target genes of Lyso-PC in hyphal suppression, this present study exploited two-dimensional electrophoresis. It was revealed that Lyso-PC suppressed expression of Phr1p and Pra1p, surface proteins involved in the morphogenesis. © The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology.