Conjugated linoleic acid inhibits hyphal growth in Candida albicans by modulating Ras1p cellular levels and downregulating TEC1 expression.

ABSTRACT: The polymorphic yeast Candida albicans exists in yeast and filamentous forms. Given that the morphogenetic switch coincides with the expression of many virulence factors, the yeast-to-hypha transition constitutes an attractive target for the development of new antifungal agents. Since an untapped therapeutic potential resides in small molecules that hinder C. albicans filamentation, we characterized the inhibitory effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on hyphal growth and addressed its mechanism of action. CLA inhibited hyphal growth in a dose-dependent fashion in both liquid and solid hypha-inducing media. The fatty acid blocked germ tube formation without affecting cellular growth rates. Global transcriptional profiling revealed that CLA downregulated the expression of hypha-specific

SUBMITTER: Shareck J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3127650 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature