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Lipase 8 affects the pathogenesis of Candida albicans.

Gácser A, Stehr F, Kröger C, Kredics L, Schäfer W, Nosanchuk JD

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. gacsera@gmail.com

The production of lipases can affect microbial fitness and virulence. We examined the role of the lipase 8 (LIP8) gene in the virulence of Candida albicans by constructing Deltalip8 strains by the URA-blaster disruption method. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments demonstrated the absence of LIP8 expression in the homozygous knockout mutants. Reconstituted strains and overexpression mutants were generated by introducing a LIP8 open reading frame under control of a constitutive actin promoter. Knockout mutants produced more mycelium, particularly at higher temperatures and pH >or=7. Diminished LIP8 expression resulted in reduced growth in lipid-containing media. Mutants deficient in the LIP8 gene were significantly less virulent in a murine intravenous infection model. The results clearly indicate that Lip8p is an important virulence factor of C. albicans.

Published 20 September 2007 in Infect Immun, 75(10): 4710-8.
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