FIG 2.
Strains of Candida engineered to overexpress SAP2 or SAP5 in an efg1Δ/Δ cph1Δ/Δ background remain in the yeast form and selectively express SAPs in vivo. Vaginal lavage fluids were obtained at day 3 postinoculation and stained by the Papanicolaou technique, and images were captured by standard light microscopy. Green arrows depict the following C. albicans strains: GP1 (A), GF54F+pWB3 (B), GF54F+SAP2 (C), and GF54F+SAP5 (D). Images are representative of each group. qPCR data on SAP2 and SAP5 gene expression in SAP overexpression strains recovered from vaginal lavage fluid in vivo were compared to those for GF54F+pWB3 (E) or WT strain GP1 (F) and normalized to the ACT1 control gene (ΔΔCT method). Data are reported as means and SEM (n = 4 mice per group).