Asymmetric distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine in C. albicans: possible mediation by CDR1, a multidrug transporter belonging to ATP binding cassette (ABC) superfamily. Yeast 15:111–121

By using two molecular probes, we demonstrate that only 4 % of total phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) in the plasma membrane (PM) of a human pathogenic yeast,Candida albicans,i present in its external half. Evidence is presented to show that the availability of PtdEtn could be related to the expression of a multidrug transporterCDRl of C.albicans,and the process is energy-dependent. A homozygousCDRI di ruptant strain of C.albicanshows almost 23 % reduction in the external labelling of PtdEtn. This report shows that, similar to human MDRs, yeast multidrugtransporter could also be involvedin aminophospholipidtranslocation. '- =- ~- ", KEYWORDS- membrane asymmetry; multidrug resistance; aminophospholipid translocation; ABC transporter; CDRl; C. albican