A luciferase reporter for gene expression studies and dynamic imaging of superficial Candida albicans infections.
Real-time imaging of fungal infections is becoming integral to the study of host-pathogen interactions, as it allows monitoring of the spatial and temporal progression of pathogen growth or of the host response in a single animal as well as reducing the number of animals used to obtain significant data. We present different applications of a novel luciferase reporter gene constructed from the coding sequences of the Candida albicans PGA59 gene, encoding a GPI-linked cell wall protein, and the Gaussia princeps luciferase gene. Upon addition of the coelenterazine substrate, light produced by the surface-exposed luciferase can be used to quantify gene expression from a variety of C. albicans promoters as well as monitoring cutaneous, subcutaneous, and vaginal infections.
Microbiology Section, Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Donatella
D
Pietrella
Brice
B
Enjalbert
Ute
U
Zeidler
Sadri
S
Znaidi
Anna
A
Rachini
Anna
A
Vecchiarelli
Christophe
C
d'Enfert
D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002179:Candidiasis, Cutaneous / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D014621:Vagina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology
D008156:Luciferases