Promising Molecular Target Reported in Candida albicans
May 12, 2006
Candida albicans is a common cause of yeast infections in people, ranging from diaper rash to oral candidiasis. Because these infections often recur and sometimes grow resistant to treatment, scientists continue to sift through the genetic code of C. albicans for better therapeutic targets to control the organism. In the May issue of the journal Molecular Microbiology, NIDCR grantees and colleagues seem to have identified an excellent target. It’s called the SET1 gene and its protein product, which methylates the histone proteins of DNA. The scientists reported that they could generate antibody responses against a unique region of the Set1 protein that allowed them to distinguish patients with invasive candidiasis from normal samples. They also determined that the Set1 protein contributes to a range of biological processes that are relevant to the onset of candidiasis and, in experiments with mice, they found the protein is essential for C. albicans to reach full virulence.