Deconstructing the genome of a notorious yeast

Yeast infections are often just a minor inconvenience, but in 30% of severe cases, they can lead to death. Candida albicans, the species that causes superficial cases of thrush and vaginitis, is responsible for many of these deaths. Most susceptible are premature infants, people with HIV, cancer patients, and organ transplant patients.

Andre Nantel and an international consortium of C. albicans experts have now essentially written the dictionary for the genome of this infamous yeast. Previous studies determined its DNA sequence and used simple automated methods to look for genes. But in this new study, forty-three scientists have collaborated to present a more meaningful and detailed annotation of the 6,354 genes in the genome. This comprehensive annotation will be a vital tool for the C. albicans research community and will help in developing improved diagnoses and therapies to treat C. albicans infections.

Citation: Braun BR, van het Hoog M, d'Enfert C, Martchenko M, Dungan J, et al. (2005) A human-curated annotation of the Candida albicans genome. PLoS Genet 1(1): e1.

CONTACT:
Andre Nantel
National Research Council of Canada
Biotechnology Research Institute
6100 Royalmount
Montreal, Canada QC H4P 2R2
+1-514-496-6370
+1-514-496-9127 (fax)
andre.nantel@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

PLoS Genetics (www.plosgenetics.org), a new open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS), will premier on July 25, 2005. The journal is lead by the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Wayne N. Frankel, a Senior Staff Scientist at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine.

PLoS Genetics will capture the breadth and scope of quality genetics research from around the world. We invite you to judge PLoS Genetics for yourself by reading the two papers we are previewing from the first issue.

Open access - free availability and unrestricted use­ - to all articles published in the journal is central to the mission of PLoS Genetics. "Genetics and genomics research have lead the way for timely, open access policies to all types of biological data - it is high time that we applied the same principle to our papers and unleash our creativity to develop new ways to use the scientific literature," the editorial team says.

The two papers released now report a gene involved in diaphragm defects in humans, and a community effort to annotate the genome of the yeast that causes thrush and other conditions. This sneak peek of the first issue will be available online at www.plosgenetics.org on June 17. The articles are free to download and to use by anyone with an internet connection.

---

---