Award details

Integrated proteome and transcriptome analysis of programmed cell death in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans

Reference	BB/C501176/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Al Brown
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Professor Mark Ramsdale
Institution	University of Aberdeen
Department	School of Medical Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	457,160
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/10/2004
End date	29/02/2008
Duration	41 months

Abstract

Candida albicans is the major systemic fungal pathogenic of humans. The newly discovered Programmed Cell Death response in Candida provides new opportunities to pharmaceutical companies who are searching for new antifungal targets because drug resistant Candida strains are arising and the main drugs used to combat systemic Candida infections have toxic side effects. In this project, proteomics and transcript profiling will be combined, for the first time, to characterise the molecular basis of the Programmed Cell Death response in C. albicans. Temporal changes in the proteome and transcriptome will be characterised under control, stress pro-apoptotic and pro-necrotic conditions to define the relationship between the Programmed Cell Death response, stress responses and necrosis. We will identify components of the cell death machinery that are repressed, induced or modified specifically in response to stress, apoptosis or necrosis. Where possible, their functions will be mapped onto metabolic and signalling pathways known to be involved with the regulation of stress and death responses in other organisms. Targets identified by genomics will be prioritised and their contributions to Programmed Cell Death determined by functional analysis. The phenotypes of null and conditional mutants will be determined to test whether specific proteins/genes play roles in regulating or executing Programmed Cell Death, or whether their expression merely correlates with this response. This will represent a major step forward in our understanding of fungal apoptosis.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	Proteomics and Cell Function (PCF) [2003-2004]
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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