Cloning and
Identification of Genes Related with Morphogenesis of Candida
albicans
CHEN Xi, Wang Qin, CHEN Jiang-Ye*
( State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of
Biochemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
)
Abstract A Candida
albicans cDNA library was constructed and screened by differential
hybridization. In hybridization using probes derived from population of yeast
cells or hyphae, 67 recombinant phages exhibited more intense signal with the
probe derived from hyphae than with the probe from yeast cells. One phage
behaved vice versa. Physical map analysis and nucleotide sequence
analysis suggested that cDNA of the CX1, a clone specific for yeast
form, coded for cytochrome P450 L1A1 (Lanosterol 14α-demethylase). Its specific
expression pattern was confirmed by Northern analysis. Inhibition of serum on
the expression of CX1 cDNA was observed. CX2 cDNA was one of
those giving intensive signal with hyphae probes. The cDNA sequence contained a
tandem repeat sequence, which was also found in ALS1, another Candida
albicans gene identified, whose expression was related with morphogenesis.
Northern analysis proved that it was expressed intensively with hyphae probes,
however the expression could not be detected in those strongly hybridized to
yeast cell probes. The locations of both cDNA on chromosome were analyzed.
Key words Candida albicans；morphogenesis；cytochrome P450；tandem repeat sequence
*Corresponding author： Tel, 86-21-64374430-251； Fax, 86-21-64338357； e-mail, [email protected]