Fig. 8.
Calcineurin and crz1/crz1 C. dubliniensis mutants are compromised for virulence in a murine systemic infection model. (A) The survival of mice following intravenous challenge with 5 × 106 C. dubliniensis (Cd) or C. albicans (Ca) yeast cells was monitored for up to 42 days. Fifteen mice per strain were used for all strains except C. albicans wild type (10 mice). (B) The fungal burden in the kidneys was determined at day 7 after challenge. Five mice per strain were used for all strains except YC107 (4 mice were analyzed because one animal died immediately after infection). (C) Histopathological sections of kidneys dissected from mice infected with wild-type or cna1/cna1, cnb1/cnb1, or crz1/crz1 mutant strains. The mice were challenged with 5 × 106 yeast cells and sacrificed at day 14. GMS and H&E stains were used to observe C. dubliniensis colonization and tissue necrosis, respectively. Scale bar = 50 μm.