Expression and purification of a putative vaccine candidate from Candida parapsilosis

Abstract

Candida is an opportunistic fungal pathogen and a leading cause of the predominant fungal disease candidiasis, especially among the immunocompromised and those hospitalized with serious underlying diseases. Due to frequent use of antifungals, Candida species have developed resistance against the different classes of drugs available. So there is a need to investigate some alternative immune based therapies that would involve inducing the production of host antifungal molecules against putative Candida antigens. In my project work, I have chosen the SAP protein which was localised to the cell wall of Candida parapsilosis during infection. I have expressed the gene coding the candidate protein Secreted Aspartatyl Proteinases in the E. coli, purified and characterized it by molecular cloning and expression techniques. The role of protein would be investigated in protection against systemic candidiasis when used as a vaccine candidate.