PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

CRISPR-Cas editing of C. albicans holds promise for overcoming deadly fungal infections

2015-04-03
(Press-News.org) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (April 3, 2015) - By modifying the CRISPR-Cas genome editing system, Whitehead Institute researchers are now able to manipulate Candida albicans' genome systematically--an approach that could help identify novel targets for therapies against this serious pathogen for which there are a limited number of anti-fungal agents.

"The ability to engineer Candida albicans with CRISPR technology has changed the playing field," says Whitehead Founding Member Gerald Fink, who is also a professor of biology at MIT. "We used to attack this human pathogen with our hands tied behind our back. Our findings cut these bonds, freeing us to forge ahead on problems in basic research and human health."

C. albicans is a commensal organism that normally lives harmlessly on the skin or in the gut. However, this yeast can grow in uncontrolled fashion--particularly in immunocompromised individuals--causing fungal infections ranging from mild to lethal. C. albicans is a hardy foe because many strains are resistant to antifungal drugs. To develop new antifungal agents, researchers need to know more about its basic biology.

One tactic for identifying new drug targets in such pathogens is to knock out each of the organism's genes to determine which are essential and therefore appropriate as drug targets. The genome of C. albicans has been particularly difficult to crack because it has two copies of every gene and existing genome editing methods have been inefficient in knocking out both copies simultaneously.

In 2012, a bacterial immunity system --the clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas) system--was repurposed for genome editing. It is precise and efficient enough to edit both copies of a gene in most diploid organisms. However, C. albicans' unique genetic makeup renders the standard CRISPR-Cas system ineffective, requiring considerable modification. After extensive efforts, Valmik Vyas, a postdoctoral researcher in Fink's lab, engineered a CRISPR system that can work in C. albicans and most other fungi. Vyas describes his system is in this week's issue of the journal Science Advances.

Using his altered gene editing system in both laboratory and clinical strains, Vyas efficiently mutated in a single experiment both copies of several different genes, including members of a gene family important for antibiotic resistance as well as an essential gene. Vyas estimates that his modified CRISPR-Cas system should be able to target more than 98% of C. albicans' genome. That means he should be able to determine which of C. albicans' 6000 genes are essential and might make good drug targets.

"The improvement efficiency brought by this system expands the scale at which we can do genetics in this important pathogen," says Vyas. "It's an exciting time to be working on Candida."

INFORMATION:

This work is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH grant GM035010).

Gerald Fink's primary affiliation is with Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, where his laboratory is located and all his research is conducted. He is also a professor of biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Full Citation:

"A Candida albicans CRISPR system permits genetic engineering of essential genes and gene families"

Science Advances, April 3, 2015.

Valmik K. Vyas (1), M. Inmaculada Barrasa (1), Gerald R. Fink (1,2)

1. Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
2. Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Targeting dangerous inflammation inside artery plaque

2015-04-03
A research team showed that a nanotherapeutic medicine can halt the growth of artery plaque cells resulting in the fast reduction of the inflammation that may cause a heart attack, according to a study led by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published April 3 in Science Advances. "In just one week our novel cell proliferation-specific approach successfully suppressed atherosclerotic plaque growth and inflammation in mice engineered to mimic human vascular disease," says lead study author Jun Tang, MS, a PhD student at Icahn School of Medicine ...

OU physicists first to create new molecule with record-setting dipole moment

2015-04-03
A proposed pathway to construct quantum computers may be the outcome of research by a University of Oklahoma physics team that has created a new molecule based on the interaction between a highly-excited type of atom known as a Rydberg atom and a ground-state atom. A unique property of the molecule is the large permanent dipole moment, which reacts with an electric field much like a bar magnet reacts with a magnetic field. "This is the largest electric dipole moment ever observed in a molecule," says James Shaffer, professor in the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics ...

Fertility patients' history is best predictor of risk for major depression

2015-04-03
SAN FRANCISCO, April 3, 2015 -- A potent risk factor for developing major depressive disorder (MDD) during fertility treatment is something health providers are likely not even looking for, according to new research from San Francisco State University. Fertility treatment patients and their partners are far more likely to experience MDD than the general population, the study found, and a key factor in predicting a patient's risk is whether he or she has a previous diagnosis of major depression. But past history is something that fertility treatment providers may not routinely ...

Frustrated magnets -- new experiment reveals clues to their discontent

Frustrated magnets -- new experiment reveals clues to their discontent
2015-04-03
An experiment conducted by Princeton researchers has revealed an unlikely behavior in a class of materials called frustrated magnets, addressing a long-debated question about the nature of these discontented quantum materials. The work represents a surprising discovery that down the road may suggest new research directions for advanced electronics. Published this week in the journal Science, the study also someday may help clarify the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity, the frictionless transmission of electricity. The researchers tested the frustrated ...

Rice can borrow stronger immunity from other plant species, study shows

2015-04-03
Like most other plants, rice is well equipped with an effective immune system that enables it to detect and fend off disease-causing microbes. But that built-in immunity can be further boosted when the rice plant receives a receptor protein from a completely different plant species, suggests a new study led by UC Davis plant-disease experts. The study findings, which may help increase health and productivity of rice, the staple food for half of the world's population, are reported online in the journal PLOS Pathogens at http://bit.ly/1GJBEQZ. "Our results demonstrate ...

New genetic clues emerge on origin of Hirschsprung's disease

2015-04-03
Genetic studies in humans, zebrafish and mice have revealed how two different types of genetic variations team up to cause a rare condition called Hirschsprung's disease. The findings add to an increasingly clear picture of how flaws in early nerve development lead to poor colon function, which must often be surgically corrected. The study also provides a window into normal nerve development and the genes that direct it. The results appear in the April 2 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. About one in every 5,000 babies is born with Hirschsprung's disease, ...

Body's cancer defenses hijacked to make pancreatic and lung cancers more aggressive

2015-04-03
CANCER RESEARCH UK scientists have discovered that a vital self-destruct switch in cells is hijacked - making some pancreatic and non small cell lung cancers more aggressive, according to research published in Cancer Cell today (Thursday)*. The team, from the Cancer Research UK Centre at the UCL (University College London) Cancer Institute, found that mutations in the KRAS gene interferes with protective self-destruct switches, known as TRAIL receptors, which usually help to kill potentially cancerous cells. The research, carried out in cancer cells and mice, shows ...

Possible progress against Parkinson's and good news for stem cell therapies

2015-04-03
Brazilian researchers at D'OR Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) have taken what they describe as an important step toward using the implantation of stem cell-generated neurons as a treatment for Parkinson's disease. Using an FDA approved substance for treating stomach cancer, Rehen and colleagues were able to grow dopamine-producing neurons derived from embryonic stem cells that remained healthy and functional for as long as 15 months after implantation into mice, restoring motor function without forming tumors. Parkinson's, ...

Doctor at Rhode Island Hospital develops Ebola virus diagnostic tool

2015-04-03
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Adam C. Levine, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital who treated Ebola-infected patients in Liberia last year, used his field experience to create a tool to determine the likelihood that patients presenting with Ebola symptoms will actually carry the virus. His research was published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine today. Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has affected 24,000 persons during the current epidemic, which is the largest recorded outbreak of EVD in history. Over 10,000 people have died in West ...

Cancer genes turned off in deadly brain cancer

2015-04-03
Scientists use small molecule that suppresses cancer-causing genes in glioblastoma Nanotechnology crosses blood-brain barrier to reach tumor cells Approach has potential to silence genes in other cancers and genetic diseases CHICAGO --- Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified a small RNA molecule called miR-182 that can suppress cancer-causing genes in mice with glioblastoma mulitforme (GBM), a deadly and incurable type of brain tumor. While standard chemotherapy drugs damage DNA to stop cancer cells from reproducing, the new method stops the source ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

[Press-News.org] CRISPR-Cas editing of C. albicans holds promise for overcoming deadly fungal infections