Wednesday 10 September 2014

Candida glabrata

A group of researchers at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories has created one of the three world's largest gene libraries for the Candida glabrata yeast, which is harmful to humans. Molecular analysis of the Candida glabrata fungus mutations led to the discovery of 28 new genes that are partly responsible for the yeast's tolerance of common drugs.

The working group led by Karl Kuchler at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) - a research and training centre run jointly between the University of Vienna and the Medical University of Vienna at the Vienna Biocenter Campus - coordinated an international study cooperation aimed at researching new tolerance and virulence genes in Candida glabrata. During this process, genetic methods were used to generate one of the three world's largest libraries of "knock-out fungi". More than 600 fungus mutations were created from which a single gene was specifically removed.

The findings represent a new step in the discovery and characterisation of Candida glabrata resistance genes, laying the foundations for the development of new anti-fungal medications.

For reference see: "Systematic Phenotyping of a Large-Scale Candida glabrata Deletion Collection Reveals Novel Antifungal Tolerance Genes" – Tobias Schwarzmüller, et al

PLoS Pathogens 10: e1004211. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004211

Posted by Tim Sandle

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