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Cloning of Candida albicans SEC14 gene homologue coding for a putative essential function
L Monteoliva1, M Sánchez, J Pla
1Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
Yeast (Chichester, England)
|September 15, 1996
Summary
The Candida albicans SEC14 gene (CaSEC14) was cloned and found to be essential for fungal growth. CaSec14p shares high similarity with Sec14p proteins from other yeasts involved in Golgi protein transport.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Mycology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- The SEC14 gene product in yeast is crucial for protein transport from the Golgi complex.
- Understanding homologous genes in pathogenic fungi like Candida albicans is vital for cell biology research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clone and characterize the homologous SEC14 gene from Candida albicans (CaSEC14).
- To investigate the functional role of CaSEC14 in Candida albicans growth and protein transport.
Main Methods:
- Functional complementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae thermosensitive mutant (sec14ts).
- Sequence analysis of the cloned Candida albicans SEC14 gene and its protein product.
- Hydrophatic profile analysis of the CaSec14p protein.
- Allele disruption attempts in Candida albicans.
Main Results:
- The Candida albicans SEC14 gene (CaSEC14) was successfully cloned.
- CaSec14p is a soluble protein, 301 amino acids long, with 67% identity to S. cerevisiae Sec14p.
- No introns were found in CaSEC14, unlike in S. cerevisiae SEC14.
- Disruption of one CaSEC14 allele was possible, but attempts to disrupt the second were unsuccessful, suggesting essentiality.
Conclusions:
- The Candida albicans SEC14 gene is homologous to yeast SEC14 and likely plays a similar role in Golgi protein transport.
- CaSEC14 appears to be essential for the vegetative growth of Candida albicans.
- The absence of introns in CaSEC14 contrasts with its S. cerevisiae counterpart.