Regulation of Candida albicans virulence traits by protein kinase and transcription factor signaling pathways (C02)

• Subject Area: Medical Microbiology and Mycology, Hygiene, Molecular Infection Biology
• Term: since 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 210879364

Project C2 has completed the generation of a comprehensive protein kinase deletion mutant library of C. albicans. C2 will further characterize protein kinase signaling pathways that regulate pathogenicity. Downstream targets of kinases will be identified using phosphoproteomics. Signaling and metabolic networks will be elucidated and expansion microscopy will be used for subcellular localization of kinase target proteins. The role of kinase signaling pathways for colonization and infection will be investigated. An additional focus will be the functional analysis of protein kinases that are essential for the viability of C. albicans, since these are excellent potential targets for the development of novel antifungal drugs.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transregios
• Subproject of: TRR 124: Pathogenic Fungi and their Human Host: Networks of Interaction - FungiNet
• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Bernhard Hube, since 9/2022; Professor Dr. Joachim Morschhäuser; Slavena Vylkova, Ph.D., until 8/2022