Loss of <i>CHT3</i> in <i>Candida albicans</i> wild-type strains increases surface-exposed chitin and affects host-pathogen interaction.

ABSTRACT: The chitinase Cht3 plays a major role in the chitinolytic activity of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans and has also been proposed as a major antigen with potential for vaccine development against systemic candidiasis. The current study aims to enhance our knowledge on the role of Cht3 in cell surface organization and virulence of C. albicans. To this end, CHT3 deletion mutants generated in two wild-type genetic backgrounds (reference strain SC5314 and clinical isolate 124A) were phenotypically characterized. Absence of CHT3 did not affect growth rate but affected cell separation of dividing yeast cells at 37 °C. Further, cht3Δ mutants showed enhanced levels of surface-exposed chitin and slightly increased resistance to the cell wall perturbants Calco

SUBMITTER: Blazquez-Munoz MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12446338 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature