抄録
Fungal glucosylceramides (GluCer) are known to not only play an important role in host-pathogen interactions but also have important biological functions. A prime structural feature distinguishing fungal glucosylceramides from those of plants and animals is a methyl group at the C9-position of the sphingoid base. Recently, sphingolipid C9-methyltransferase genes from several fungi were identified by phylogenetic profiling. However, the functional and physiological roles of fungal-specific GluCer in many fungi has been little known. To investigate the necessity of fungal-specific GluCer for growth and cell differentiation of C. albicans, we have identified a functional sphingolipid C9-methyltransferase gene (SLM) and constructed slm disruptant in this yeast. From the analysis of slm disruptant, this disruption caused to decrease in the elongation of hypha during the induction of hyphal growth. This result suggested that methylation at the C9-position position of sphingoidbase included in GluCer has some relationship with the morphological change of C. albicans.
