FIG 9.

PKA, Sin3, and Mig1/2 contribute to the lactate-enhanced virulence of C. albicans. C. albicans strains were grown either on GYNB (Glu) or GYNB containing lactate (GluLac), and then their virulence was examined using the Galleria model. C. albicans cells were harvested, washed, and resuspended at 5 × 10⁶ CFU/mL in PBS, and then 50-μL volumes of these cell suspensions were used to inject the larvae. Control larvae received PBS alone. The survival of the larvae was monitored for 10 days at 37°C in the dark, death and melanin formation were observed daily, and dead insects were removed. Representative graphs from three independent experiments using 15 larvae for each condition are shown. (a) Wild-type strains WTm (SN250) and WTt (SN152HLA): WTm Glu, red; WTm GluLac, blue; WTt Glu, yellow; WTt GluLac, gray. (b) Wild-type WTm (SN250) and mig1Δ mig2Δ mutant: WTm Glu, red; WTm GluLac, blue; mutant Glu, green; mutant GluLac, purple. (c) Wild-type WTm (SN250) and sin3Δ mutant: WTm Glu, red; WTm GluLac, blue; mutant Glu, green; mutant GluLac, purple. (d) Wild-type WTt (SN152HLA) and tpk1Δ tpk2Δ mutant: WTt Glu, red; WTt GluLac, blue; mutant Glu, green; mutant GluLac, purple. Comparisons of survival curves were done using the log rank (Mantel-Cox) test, with comparison of mutants against their respective parental strains: i.e., WTm (SN250) against mig1Δ mig2Δ and sin3Δ mutants and WTt (SN152HLA) against tpk1Δ tpk2Δ mutants (*, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001).