Determining Antifungal Target Sites in the Sterol Pathway of the Yeast Candida and Saccharomyces
Abstract
The frequency of occurrence of human fungal infections is increasing in response to a combination of factors including advances in invasive surgical techniques allowing for pathogen access, immuno-suppression employed in transplantation or resulting from chemotherapy, disease states such as AIDS, and the increase in resistance to the currently available antifungal drugs. The serious problem of resistance impacts both systemic fungal infections as well as topical infections such a yeast vaginitis which is widespread and results in significant loss of work time and efficiency. The research reported here describes advances made in the identification of potential new sites in fungal biosynthesis for the development of novel antifungal compounds. The ERG6 gene of the human pathogen, Candida albicans, has been isolated, sequenced and disrupted in this organism. The resulting erg6 strain is viable but is compromised in several important functions including the ability to limit or exclude the entry of exogenous substances. This trait is now being more thoroughly characterized to assess increased sensitivity to antifungal compounds. A second Candida gene which encodes the C-4 sterol methyl oxidase (ERG25), has also been isolated and sequenced. Disruption experiments are now underway to determine if this gene is essential for viability in this organism.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADB236775
Entities
People
- Martin Bard
- Norman D. Lees