Overexpression of a cloned IMP dehydrogenase gene of Candida albicans confers resistance to the specific inhibitor mycophenolic acid

The DNA fragment the exhibited a coding region for a protein with high amino acid similarity to IMP dehydrogenases was cloned and sequence from Candida albicans. The Candida albicans IMH3 gene was characterized as a 2.9-kilodalton DNA fragment that encoded an IMP dehydrogenase. The gene also conferred resistance to the specific IMP dehydrogenase inhibitor mycophenolic acid in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, IMH3 was expressed in equal levels in the hyphal and yeast form of Candida albicans.