| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 分子與細胞生物研究所 === 104 === Candida albicans is an important fungal pathogen of humans. It is generally harmless in healthy individuals, but can cause invasive and life-threatening infections particularly in immunocompromised patients. The first step for C. albicans to establish infection is to adhere the surface of host cells. Moreover, C. albicans adhesion is also the key step of biofilm formation on mucosal surfaces and medical devices. The cell wall of C. albicans plays a critical role in cell adhesion and pathogen-host interaction, and is essential for C. albicans to withstand environmental stresses, such as antifungal drugs. In this study, we focus on Rhb1, a member of the small G-protein of Ras superfamily. The RHB1 gene deletion mutant was sensitive to cell wall disrupting agents, Congo red and Calcofluor white, whereas was resistant to the antifungal drug, fluconazole. Moreover, our results showed that the RHB1 deletion causes the alteration of C. albicans cell wall components and activation of the Mkc1 kinase, the key component of the cell wall integrity (CWI) signaling pathway. Finally, we also demonstrated that RHB1 is closely related to cell adhesion and biofilm formation. Together, this study reveals new roles of RHB1 and enriches our understanding in pathogenesis of C. albicans, suggesting new strategies for the future treatment of fungal diseases.
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