Fungal Infection of Candida Albicans: Genetics, Dimorphism and Pathogenicity

Advancements in Molecular Biology Techniques and Animal Models for Understanding Candida Virulence

Abstract

Candida albicans a dimorphic fungus that causes severeopportunistic infections in humans. Recent advances in molecular biologytechniques applied to this organism (transformation systems, gene disruptionstrategies, new reporter systems, relatable promoters) allow a better knowledgeof both the molecular basis of dimorphism and the role of specific genes inCandida morphogenesis. These same molecular approaches together with thedevelopment of appropriate experimental animal models to analyze the virulenceof particular mutants, may help to understand the molecular basis of Candidavirulence.