DISRUPTION STUDIES OF A CANDIDA-ALBICANS GENE, ELF1 - A MEMBER OF THEATP-BINDING CASSETTE FAMILY

A 3.6 kb gene (ELF1) with homology to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) g ene family has been isolated from genomic libraries of Candida albican s. Members of this gene family include both membrane transport protein s which confer a drug-resistance phenotype, and proteins whose functio ns are associated with protein translation. ELF1 (Elongation Like Fact or) showed greatest homology with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae ORF (YPL2 26W), whose function is unknown, and lower homology with fungal elonga tion factor 3 (EF-3) genes. In comparison, homology with a gene confer ring a drug-resistant phenotype (CDR1) was low. To understand the func tion of ELF1 in C. albicans, gene-knockout experiments were conducted using the hisG-URA3-hisG disruption cassette. Both single-copy (hetero zygote) and double-disrupted strains in ELF1 were isolated. Phenotypic ally, the disrupted strains grew more slowly than wild-type and produc ed a mixture of large, irregular cells and apparently normal cells.