HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Song, J. L. Articles by White, T. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Song, J. L. Articles by White, T. C. Agricola Articles by Song, J. L. Articles by White, T. C.

RAM2: an essential gene in the prenylation pathway of Candida albicans

Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington and Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 4 Nickerson St, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98109-1651, USA

Correspondence
Theodore C. White
tedwhite{at}u.washington.edu

Prenylation is a post-translational protein modification process that results in correct protein localization to membranes in the cell. It is mediated by at least three prenyltransferases (PTFs) in eukaryotic cells. The RAM2 gene encodes the common -subunit of two PTFs, farnesyltransferase (FTase) and geranylgeranyltransferase I (GGTase I). In this study, the RAM2 gene of the prenylation pathway in the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans was analysed. The heterozygote trisomy test was used to demonstrate that RAM2 is essential to the viability of C. albicans. RAM2 mRNA in the yeast and hyphae growth states was not detected by Northern blot analysis, but was detected by RT-PCR. Drugs that inhibit mammalian PTFs do not alter Candida cell growth, but they do inhibit FTase and GGTase I activities in cell-free enzyme assays. The data from genetic studies and cell-free enzyme assays suggest that the drugs may not have access to the Candida cytoplasm. The regulation of PTF subunits was also examined in a strain in which RAM2 was under the control of a regulable promoter. Overall, this study demonstrated that RAM2 is essential to C. albicans, indicating that protein prenylation is an indispensable cellular process in this yeast.

Abbreviations: FPP, farnesyl diphosphate; FTase, farnesyltransferase; GGPP, geranylgeranyl diphosphate; GGTase, geranylgeranyltransferase; HT, heterozygote trisomy; PTF, prenyltransferase

The GenBank accession number for the -subunit farnesyltransferase I gene (RAM2) sequence reported in this paper is AF548361.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Hast and L. S. Beese Structure of Protein Geranylgeranyltransferase-I from the Human Pathogen Candida albicans Complexed with a Lipid Substrate J. Biol. Chem., November 14, 2008; 283(46): 31933 - 31940. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Vallim, L. Fernandes, and J. A. Alspaugh The RAM1 gene encoding a protein-farnesyltransferase {beta}-subunit homologue is essential in Cryptococcus neoformans Microbiology, June 1, 2004; 150(6): 1925 - 1935. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. L. Pendrak, S. S. Yan, and D. D. Roberts Hemoglobin Regulates Expression of an Activator of Mating-Type Locus {alpha} Genes in Candida albicans Eukaryot. Cell, June 1, 2004; 3(3): 764 - 775. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]