Candida albicans Cannot Acquire Sufficient Ethanolamine from the Host To Support Virulence in the Absence of <i>De Novo</i> Phosphatidylethanolamine Synthesis

Abstract

Candida albicans mutants for phosphatidylserine (PS) synthase ( cho1 ΔΔ) and PS decarboxylase ( psd1 ΔΔ psd2 ΔΔ) are compromised for virulence in mouse models of systemic infection and oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). Both of these enzymes are necessary to synthesize phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) by the de novo pathway, but these mutants are still capable of growth in culture media, as they can import ethanolamine from media to synthesize PE through the Kennedy pathway.