The two-component hybrid kinase regulator CaNIK1 of Candida albicans.

Using degenerate primers of highly conserved regions of two-component response regulators for PCR amplification, a two-component response regulator was cloned from Candida albicans that is homologous to nik-1+ of Neurospora crassa. This two-component hybrid kinase, CaNIK1, also shows features of bacterial two-component response regulators, including a putative unorthodox second histidine kinase motif at the carboxy-terminal end. CaNIK1 was expressed at low levels in both the white and opaque switch phenotypes and in the bud and hyphal growth forms of C.