@article{mbs:/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-148-11-3705, author = "Hwang, Cheol-Sang and Rhie, Gi-eun and Oh, Jang-Hyun and Huh, Won-Ki and Yim, Hyung-Soon and Kang, Sa-Ouk", title = "Copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) is required for the protection of Candida albicans against oxidative stresses and the expression of its full virulence", journal= "Microbiology", year = "2002", volume = "148", number = "11", pages = "3705-3713", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-148-11-3705", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-148-11-3705", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2080", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "hyphal growth", keywords = "ROS, reactive oxygen species", keywords = "SOD, superoxide dismutase", keywords = "SOD1", keywords = "candidiasis", keywords = "MnSOD, manganese-containing SOD", keywords = "Cu/ZnSOD, copper- and zinc-containing SOD", keywords = "lysine auxotrophy", keywords = "SGU, SG plus 25 μg uridine ml−1", keywords = "FeSOD, iron-containing SOD", keywords = "SG, synthetic glucose", abstract = "Copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) is suspected to be one of the anti-oxidant enzymes and virulence determinants active in some pathogenic micro-organisms. To elucidate the role of Cu/ZnSOD in the major human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, its gene, designated SOD1, was disrupted by the URA-blaster technique. The resulting sod1/sod1 mutant showed delayed hyphal growth on Spider medium but could still form hyphae on other solid media or in liquid media, particularly in response to serum. Moreover, the sod1/sod1 mutant was more sensitive to menadione, a redox-cycling agent, than the isogenic wild-type strain, although it still showed an adaptive oxidative stress response. Furthermore, the sod1/sod1 mutant cells exhibited slow growth in minimal medium when compared to the wild-type cells, but their growth was restored by the addition of lysine to the medium. Interestingly, C. albicans cells lacking Cu/ZnSOD showed increased susceptibility to macrophage attack and had attenuated virulence in mice. Thus, these results suggest that Cu/ZnSOD is required for the protection of C. albicans against oxidative stresses and for the full virulence of the organism to be expressed.", }