# ESTABLISHMENT OF A GENETIC SYSTEM IN CANDIDA ALBICANS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 1993 · $136,362

## Abstract

The long term object of this proposal is to develop strains and
techniques which will allow easy and rapid genetic manipulation
of Candida albicans.  This organism is the single most important
fungal pathogen.  Since it is diploid and no sexual cycle for it
has been discovered, the only genetic approaches that are
available are parasexual and molecular.  Since the parasexual
cycle involves spheroplast fusion, mitotic crossing over or
chromosome loss, and segregation analysis, we will try to develop
rapid ways of identifying segregants after crossing over or
chromosome loss of  constructing lac fusions which will be blue
on x-gal medium.  Segregation will be signalled by the appearance
of white colonies.  To improve the molecular genetics, we will
use pulse-field electrophoresis and cloning to align the genetic
linkage groups with the electrophoretic karyotype.  We will also
use the pulse-field system to create maps of the chromosomes
using restriction enzymes with eight-base specificity and also
some six-base-pair specific ones which cut Candida albicans DNA
infrequently.  Chromosome translocations and deletions, obtained
by selection for recombination between gene fragments introduced
by transformation will provide the opportunity to examine
heterozygosities.  The smallest chromosome of Candida
stellatoidea will be used as the basis for a Yeast Artificial
Chromosome (YAC) vector for cloning large pieces of DNA from
Candida.  At the completion of these experiments, the genetic map
and the techniques for analyzing such aspects of C.albicans as
its dimorphic life cycle, its phenotypic transition, and its
virulence factors should be greatly advanced.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3126716
- **Project number:** 5R01AI016567-12
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** KABJZBBJ4B54
- **Principal Investigator:** Paul T. Magee
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $136,362
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1980-06-01 → 1994-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3126716

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3126716, ESTABLISHMENT OF A GENETIC SYSTEM IN CANDIDA ALBICANS (5R01AI016567-12). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3126716. Licensed CC0.

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