MAPK8 and infection: Since numerous studies have shown that phosphorylation of EGFR and MAPK signaling are critical for the activation of oral epithelial cells in response to C. albicans (20, 25, 41, 42), we next investigated the phosphorylation of EGFR, MAPK (p38, ERK1/2, JNK), c-Fos and NF-κB(p65) in VK2/E6E7 vaginal epithelial cells at different time points post co-culture with SC5314 at 5 of multiplicity of infection (MOI).