Genome plasticity in Candida albicans: A cutting-edge strategy for evolution, adaptation, and survival

Elibe, Ifeanyi; Nweze, Emeka Innocent; Eze, Emmanuel Ikechukwu; Anyaegbunam, Zikora

doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105256

Cited by 25 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 221 publications

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“…We also observe significant downregulation of genes associated with maintaining genomic stability in C. albicans cells in contact with an NSS (Table , Supporting Information Table 1). The role of this downregualtion is unclear; however, in other systems the loss of genomic stability has been shown to increase genetic diversity and potentially may be an adaptive mechanism to this stress. , The observation suggests that NSS may also generate conditions in the cell that favorably lead to greater genetic diversity, which in turn may result in rapid evolution of adaptive traits such as drug resistance.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptional Response of Candida albicans to Nanostructured Surfaces Provides Insight into Cellular Rupture and Antifungal Drug Sensitization

Chivukula,

LaJeunesse

2023

ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng.

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The rise in resistance levels against antifungal drugs has necessitated the development of strategies to combat fungal infections. Nanoscale antimicrobial surfaces, found on the cuticles of insects, have recently emerged as intriguing alternative antifungal strategies that function passively via contact and induced cell rupture. Nanostructured surfaces (NSS) offer a potentially transformative antimicrobial approach to reducing microbial biofilm formation. We examined the transcriptional response of Candida albicans, an opportunistic pathogen that is also a commensal dimorphic fungus, to the NSS found in the wings of Neotibicen spp. cicada and found characteristic changes in the expression of C. albicans genes associated with metabolism, biofilm formation, ergosterol biosynthesis, and DNA damage response after 2 h of exposure to the NSS. Further validation revealed that these transcriptional changes, particularly in the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, sensitize C. albicans to major classes of antifungal drugs. These findings provide insights into NSS as antimicrobial surfaces and as a means of controlling biofilm formation.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptional Response of Candida albicans to Nanostructured Surfaces Provides Insight into Cellular Rupture and Antifungal Drug Sensitization

Chivukula,

LaJeunesse

2023

ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng.

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“…This suggests that the loss of genes involved in the response to farnesol is not the mechanism preferentially selected by evolution to modulate the response for this molecule. However, as reviewed elsewhere [ 40 ], C. albicans , in addition to being able to modulate its gene repertoire, has a myriad of other mechanisms that allow it to modify its genome and thus adapt to various environments and adjust its virulence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amino acid substitutions in specific proteins correlate with farnesol unresponsiveness in Candida albicans

et al. 2023

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Background The quorum-sensing molecule farnesol, in opportunistic yeast Candida albicans, modulates its dimorphic switch between yeast and hyphal forms, and biofilm formation. Although there is an increasing interest in farnesol as a potential antifungal drug, the molecular mechanism by which C. albicans responds to this molecule is still not fully understood. Results A comparative genomic analysis between C. albicans strains that are naturally unresponsive to 30 µM of farnesol on TYE plates at 37 °C versus responsive strains uncovered new molecular determinants involved in the response to farnesol. While no signature gene was identified, amino acid changes in specific proteins were shown to correlate with the unresponsiveness to farnesol, particularly with substitutions in proteins known to be involved in the farnesol response. Although amino acid changes occur primarily in disordered regions of proteins, some amino acid changes were also found in known domains. Finally, the genomic investigation of intermediate-response strains showed that the non-response to farnesol occurs gradually following the successive accumulation of amino acid changes at specific positions. Conclusion It is known that large genomic changes, such as recombinations and gene flow (losses and gains), can cause major phenotypic changes in pathogens. However, it is still not well known or documented how more subtle changes, such as amino acid substitutions, play a role in the adaptation of pathogens. The present study shows that amino acid changes can modulate C. albicans yeast’s response to farnesol. This study also improves our understanding of the network of proteins involved in the response to farnesol, and of the involvement of amino acid substitutions in cellular behavior.

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“…Examination of the genome of C. albicans has identified orthologs of several genes involved in meiosis in other fungi, including DMC1 ( DLH1 ), SPO11 , and HOP1 [ 5 •, 35 , 36 ]. Conversely, several important meiosis genes appear to be missing in the genome of C. albicans , suggesting that if meiosis occurs in C. albicans its structure and regulation is significantly different from that of other fungi [ 26 , 37 , 38 ].Aspects of mating and its regulation specific to C. albicans may have evolved to limit mating to specific locations in the mammalian body or to allow mating to take place under less than-optimal conditions [ 24 , 29 , 34 , 39 ].…”

Section: Mating In Candida Albicans and ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is There a Relationship Between Mating and Pathogenesis in Two Human Fungal Pathogens, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata?

Bedekovic

Usher

2023

Curr Clin Micro Rpt

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Purpose of Review Human fungal pathogens are rapidly increasing in incidence and readily able to evade the host immune responses. Our ability to study the genetic behind this has been limited due to the apparent lack of a sexual cycle and forward genetic tools. In this review, we discuss the evolution of mating, meiosis, and pathogenesis and if these processes are advantageous to pathogens. Recent Findings This review summarises what is currently known about the sexual cycles of two important human fungal pathogens, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. This includes the identification of parasexual cycle in C. albicans and the observed low levels of recombination in C. glabrata populations. Summary In this review, we present what is currently known about the mating types and mating/sexual cycles of two clinically important human fungal pathogens, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. We discuss the evolution of meiosis using the knowledge that has been amassed from the decades of studying Saccharomyces cerevisiae and how this can be applied to fungal pathogens. We further discuss how the evolution of pathogenesis has played a role in influencing mating processes in human fungal pathogens and compare sexual cycles between C. albicans and C. glabrata, highlighting knowledge gaps and suggesting how these two fungi have evolved distinct mating niches to allow the development of disease in a human host.

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Genome plasticity in Candida albicans: A cutting-edge strategy for evolution, adaptation, and survival

Cited by 25 publications

References 221 publications

Transcriptional Response of Candida albicans to Nanostructured Surfaces Provides Insight into Cellular Rupture and Antifungal Drug Sensitization

Transcriptional Response of Candida albicans to Nanostructured Surfaces Provides Insight into Cellular Rupture and Antifungal Drug Sensitization

Amino acid substitutions in specific proteins correlate with farnesol unresponsiveness in Candida albicans

Is There a Relationship Between Mating and Pathogenesis in Two Human Fungal Pathogens, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata?

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