Capillary Electrophoresis for Protein Profiling of the Dimorphic, Pathogenic Fungus, Penicillium marneffei

Penicillium marneffei is an endemic, dimorphic fungus that exhibits very significant morbidity among immune compromised persons living or having traveled in Southeast Asia. The dimorphic nature of P. marneffei, which is believed to be a major contributing factor to infection by this fungus, is thermally regulated. At 25 °C, the fungus grows as a mold, but converts to a yeast phase when incubated at 37 °C. Hence, protein profiling of these developing forms will help ascertain the underpinning molecular mechanisms associated with this phase transition, and perhaps provide clues to virulence in this pathogenic fungus. This chapter outlines the basic procedures previously used to demonstrate distinct differences in protein expression between the mold and yeast phases of P. marneffei.