Abstract 1679 Characterization of the role of Cdc14 in hyphal development in Candida albicans

Cdc14 phosphatase is a highly conserved member of the dual-specificity subfamily of the protein tyrosine phosphatases. In Candida albicans, an opportunistic human pathogen, hyphal development is required for virulence and previous work in our lab has shown that CDC14 mutant strains form defective hyphae. As a result, these CDC14 mutants are avirulent and Cdc14 may be a useful antifungal drug target. The long-term goal of our lab is to characterize the molecular mechanisms by which Cdc14 controls hyphal development in C.