title: Copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) is required for the protection of Candida albicans against oxidative stresses and the expression of its full virulence.
abstract: Copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) is suspected to be one of the anti-oxidant enzymes and virulence determinants active in some pathogenic micro-organisms. To elucidate the role of Cu/ZnSOD in the major human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, its gene, designated SOD1, was disrupted by the URA-blaster technique. The resulting sod1/sod1 mutant showed delayed hyphal growth on Spider medium but could still form hyphae on other solid media or in liquid media, particularly in response to serum. Moreover, the sod1/sod1 mutant was more sensitive to menadione, a redox-cycling agent, than the isogenic wild-type strain, although it still showed an adaptive oxidative stress response. Furthermore, the sod1/sod1 mutant cells exhibited slow growth in minimal medium when compared to the wild-type cells, but their growth was restored by the addition of lysine to the medium. Interestingly, C. albicans cells lacking Cu/ZnSOD showed increased susceptibility to macrophage attack and had attenuated virulence in mice. Thus, these results suggest that Cu/ZnSOD is required for the protection of C. albicans against oxidative stresses and for the full virulence of the organism to be expressed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea1.
authors.forename: Cheol-Sang
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea1.
authors.forename: Gi-Eun
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Rhie
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea1.
authors.forename: Jang-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea1.
authors.forename: Won-Ki
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea1.
authors.forename: Hyung-Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biophysics, School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Microbiology, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea1.
authors.forename: Sa-Ouk
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009154:Mutation; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D014774:Virulence; D024483:Vitamin K 3 / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D020011:Protective Agents; C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; D024483:Vitamin K 3; C000606291:Sod1 protein, mouse; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D008239:Lysine