title: Complementary roles of the Cek1 and Cek2 MAP kinases in Candida albicans cell-wall biogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether Cek2 (as Cek1) is involved in the biogenesis of the fungal cell wall and to uncover differences and similitudes between both proteins.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used molecular genetics to characterize the role of Cek2 in MTL-heterozygous cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Deletion of CEK2 (similar to CEK1) renders cells sensitive to cell-wall-interfering drugs and, when overexpressed, Cek2 can become phosphorylated upon the same stimuli that activate Cek1. This is dependent on elements of the sterile-vegetative growth (SVG) pathway. Cek2, contrary to Cek1, mediates a transcriptional activity in a C. albicans-adapted two-hybrid system that is essential for Cek1-Cek2 interaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cek2 has a cryptic role in cell-wall biogenesis and its role is not entirely redundant to Cek1.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Román
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.|Present address: Medical Affairs, Merck Sharp & Dohme de España, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Blanca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eisman
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pla
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: CEK2; Candida albicans; MAP kinase; cell wall; signal transduction