Reduced pathogenicity of a Candida albicans MAP kinase phosphatase (CPP1) mutant in the murine mastiffs model

Faisal A. Guhad, Csilla Csank, Henrik E. Jensen, David Y. Thomas, Malcolm Whiteway, Jann Hau*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

26 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Candida albicans strains with a deletion of the mitogen-activated protein kinase tyrosine phosphatase gene (CPP1) are depressed in the yeast- to-hyphal transition on solid surfaces in vitro at ambient temperatures and this gene is therefore required for repression of the yeast-to-hyphal switch. The pathology caused by a CPP1 null mutant strain was compared with that of the null mutant into which the wild-type CPP1 gene was introduced by homologous recombination and with the wild-type parent strain in a murine mycotic mastitis model. The mammary glands of lactating mice (at day 5 postpartum) were infected for 2, 4 and 6 days with 1 x 105, 1 x 1066 and 1 x 107 cell-forming units before euthanasia. Infected and non-infected control glands were evaluated histopathologically. The null mutant strains showed less severe pathology than the two control strains. The Cpp1p tyrosine phosphatase may thus be considered a virulence determinant during localized infection in C. albicans.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAPMIS
Volume106
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)1049-1055
Number of pages7
ISSN0903-4641
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1998

Keywords

  • Animal model
  • Candida albicans
  • Mitogen- activated protein kinase
  • Null mutants
  • Pathogenicity
  • Reintegrated strains
  • Virulence factors

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