The polymorphic fungus Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a prominent member of the human microbiome. In most healthy individuals C. albicans resides as a lifelong harmless commensal, but in immune compromised individuals, can cause infections that range from superficial skin infections to life threating systemic infections. The pathogenic potential of this fungus is preceded by a morphology change from a commensal budding state to an extended hyphal state capable of penetrating healthy human cells. This morphological switch is attributed to activation of the adenyl cyclase protein Cyr1 via multiple effectors, including the bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan (PG). The PG fragment muramyl tripeptide (MTP) has been shown to bind Cyr1 and trigger hyphal growth. Using chemical crosslinking of reactive groups in combination with the identification of cross-linked sites by mass spectrometry, we aim to probe the binding site of Cyr1p using an MTP-benzophenone (MTP-Bnz) crosslinker. Here we have successfully synthesized an MTP-Bnz crosslinker to probe and map the binding of Cyr1 to its MTP ligand. We have demonstrated that the PG conjugated crosslinker is able to elicit hyphal growth in C. albicans cells and have begun crosslinking studies with purified recombinant protein. To map the binding site of Cyr1, we will further characterize the crosslinked samples via mass spectroscopy.

Probing the binding site of Cyr1 through peptidoglycan crosslinking probes

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.