Comparative Transcriptomics of Candida albicans: Identifying Species-Specific Filamentation Genes Dependent on Environment
Presenter Type
UNO Graduate Student (Masters)
Major/Field of Study
Biology
Advisor Information
Associate Professor and Department Chair of Biology
Location
MBSC Ballroom Poster # 407 - G (Masters)
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
24-3-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
24-3-2023 2:15 PM
Abstract
Candida albicans is a human commensal and opportunistic pathogen that lives in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts with infections ranging from superficial to lethal systemic disease. In the United States, Candida infections are the fourth leading cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections with a 40% mortality rate. Candida albicans species can exist in several morphological states of yeast-like budding, pseudohyphae, and hyphae (filamentous). The ability to switch morphologically is closely linked to pathogenesis and much of our understanding to identify these mechanisms has been studied in Candida albicans type strain, SC5314. Other clinical C. albicans strains are genetically and phenotypically divergent from this type strain, particularly in their ability to filament. In our study, we are examining the filamentation transcriptome of a non-SC5314 clinical strain of C. albicans. We will compare this transcriptome to our already-published filamentation transcriptome of SC5314 to identify filamentation-related gene regulation signatures that are conserved species-wide. To assess this, initial clinical isolate P87 was grown in inducing conditions for filamentous growth and two control (yeast) conditions. Starting concentrations were adapted for solid and liquid samples to accommodate sufficient RNA concentrations and purity for analysis. We will use RNA seq to generate a high-resolution map of species-specific genes and provide a more in-depth genotypic and phylogenetic analysis of Candida albicans species. This will help us to understand the relationship between gene expression and filamentation as species-independent, media-independent, and species-wide processes.
Scheduling
10:45 a.m.-Noon, 1-2:15 p.m., 2:30 -3:45 p.m.
Comparative Transcriptomics of Candida albicans: Identifying Species-Specific Filamentation Genes Dependent on Environment
MBSC Ballroom Poster # 407 - G (Masters)
Candida albicans is a human commensal and opportunistic pathogen that lives in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts with infections ranging from superficial to lethal systemic disease. In the United States, Candida infections are the fourth leading cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections with a 40% mortality rate. Candida albicans species can exist in several morphological states of yeast-like budding, pseudohyphae, and hyphae (filamentous). The ability to switch morphologically is closely linked to pathogenesis and much of our understanding to identify these mechanisms has been studied in Candida albicans type strain, SC5314. Other clinical C. albicans strains are genetically and phenotypically divergent from this type strain, particularly in their ability to filament. In our study, we are examining the filamentation transcriptome of a non-SC5314 clinical strain of C. albicans. We will compare this transcriptome to our already-published filamentation transcriptome of SC5314 to identify filamentation-related gene regulation signatures that are conserved species-wide. To assess this, initial clinical isolate P87 was grown in inducing conditions for filamentous growth and two control (yeast) conditions. Starting concentrations were adapted for solid and liquid samples to accommodate sufficient RNA concentrations and purity for analysis. We will use RNA seq to generate a high-resolution map of species-specific genes and provide a more in-depth genotypic and phylogenetic analysis of Candida albicans species. This will help us to understand the relationship between gene expression and filamentation as species-independent, media-independent, and species-wide processes.