Study findings from Institute Pasteur provide new insights into life sciences
2009 JUL 13 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers detail in 'The GPI-modified proteins Pga59 and Pga62 of Candida albicans are required for cell wall integrity,' new data in life sciences. "The fungal cell wall is essential in maintaining cellular integrity and plays key roles in the interplay between fungal pathogens and their hosts. The PGA59 and PGA62 genes encode two short and related glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell wall proteins and their expression has been previously shown to be strongly upregulated when the human pathogen Candida albicans grows as biofilms," scientists in Paris, France report. "Using GFP fusion proteins, we have shown that Pga59 and Pga62 are cell-wall-located, N-and O-glycosylated proteins. The characterization of C. albicans pga59Delta/pga59Delta, pga62Delta/pga62Delta and pga59Delta/pga59Delta pga62Delta/pga62Delta mutants suggested a minor role of these two proteins in hyphal morphogenesis and that they are not critical to biofilm formation. Importantly, the sensitivity to different cell-wall-perturbing agents was altered in these mutants. In particular, simultaneous inactivation of PGA59 and PGA62 resulted in high sensitivity to Calcofluor white, Congo red and nikkomicin Z and in resistance to caspofungin. Furthermore, cell wall composition and observation by transmission electron microscopy indicated an altered cell wall structure in the mutant strains," wrote E. Moreno-Ruiz and colleagues, Institute Pasteur. The researchers concluded: "Collectively, these data suggest that the cell wall proteins Pga59 and Pga62 contribute to cell wall stability and structure." Moreno-Ruiz and colleagues published their study in Microbiology (The GPI-modified proteins Pga59 and Pga62 of Candida albicans are required for cell wall integrity. Microbiology, 2009;155(Pt 6):2004-20). For more information, contact E. Moreno-Ruiz, Institut Pasteur, Unite Biologie et Pathogenicite Fongiques, INRA USC2019, Paris, France. Publisher contact information for the journal Microbiology is: Springer, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA. Keywords: France, Paris, Life Sciences, Proteomics. Fusion Proteins, Cell Biology. This article was prepared by Proteomics Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Proteomics Weekly via NewsRx.com.
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