New transcription factor gene from Candida albicans, and its related polypeptide and antibody, useful for diagnosis and treatment of candida infection and for drug screening

摘要

A nucleic acid (I) that is suitable for cloning a gene that encodes a transcription factor (TF) and/or encodes a protein (II) with TF activity, is new. (I) is: (a) one of 4 nucleotide sequences (S1)- (S4); (b) a sequence that encodes a polypeptide (P1); (c) a derivative, alleleic variant and/or homolog of (b); (d) a molecule isolated from the Candida albicans genome; or (e) a sequence that hybridizes to (a)-(d). A nucleic acid (I) that is suitable for cloning a gene that encodes a transcription factor (TF) and/or encodes a protein (II) with TF activity, is new. (I) is: (a) a sequence comprising a fully defined 4216 base pair (S1), 2229 base pair (S3), 952 base pair (S3) or 1032 base pair (S4) sequence given in the specification or their complements or fragments; (b) a sequence that encodes a polypeptide with a fully defined 743 amino acid sequence (P1) given in the specification or its complement or fragment; (c) a derivative, alleleic variant and/or homolog of (b); (d) a molecule isolated from the Candida albicans genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers (S7) and (S8); or (e) a sequence that hybridizes to (a)-(d). TTTTCTATTCTAACCACCCTCTGC (S7) CCCGCCTTGCCCCTCTT (S8) Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) vector (III) containing (I); (2) host cell (IV) containing (III); C. albicans DSM 13722 (V); (3) preparation (M1) of TF by growing (IV); (4) protein (II) with the biological activity of CaTEC1 (undefined) TF (i.e. P1) or prepared by (M1); (5) antisense RNA (VI) complementary to mRNA transcribed from (I); (6) ribozyme (VII) selective for mRNA transcribed from (I); (7) inhibitors (VIII) of the activity of (II); (8) antibodies (IX) that bind specifically to (II); (9) antibodies (X) directed against (IX); (10) diagnosing (M2) Candida infections; (11) treating (M3) Candida infections; (12) diagnostic or pharmaceutical compositions (XI) containing (I), (II), (III), (V), (VII), (VIII), and/or (IX); and (13) identifying (M4) substances (XI) that are therapeutically useful against Candida-related diseases.