A Candida albicans strain expressing GFP/mCherry: construction and application in the research on macrophage- C.albicans interaction

Abstract:

The phagocytosis rate of macrophages and the morphological changes of Candida albicans are the key points in the research on the host-pathogen interaction. [Objective] To construct C. albicans strains expressing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) or mCherry from the wild type SC5314, and use them to study the interaction between macrophages and C. albicans. [Methods] The effects of fluorescent protein expression on the growth, morphology, and virulence of the strains in mice were determined. Under the co-culture condition, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy were employed to determine the phagocytosis rate of macrophages and the morphological changes of C. albicans, respectively. [Results] We constructed C. albicans strains expressing GFP or mCherry. These engineered strains had consistent phenotype with the wild type and could be used for flow cytometry to determine the phagocytosis rate of macrophages and the morphological changes of C. albicans in co-culture. [Conclusion] The constructed strains expressing fluorescent proteins provided a new method for studying the interaction between macrophages and C. albicans.