Transcriptional Response of Candida auris to the Mrr1 Inducers Methylglyoxal and Benomyl

Biermann, Amy R.; Hogan, Deborah A.

doi:10.1128/msphere.00124-22

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 137 publications

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“…The link between MDR1 transcript levels and susceptibility to clioquinol is also supported by recent work on the transcriptional regulator Mrr1. Two independent studies reported that a hyperactive Mrr1 allele (N647T) found in several clade III C. auris isolates results in upregulation of MDR1 ; of particular interest is the observation that MDR1 transcript levels are approximately 18-fold higher in the clade III strain AR-383 than the clade I strain AR-390 ( 65 , 66 ). Consistent with increases of MDR1 expression reducing clioquinol susceptibility, we note that AR-383 is less susceptible to clioquinol than AR-390 (IC 50 of 0.56 µM versus 0.12 µM, File S1 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad susceptibility of Candida auris strains to 8-hydroxyquinolines and mechanisms of resistance

Lohse

Laurie

Levan

et al. 2023

mBio

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The fungal pathogen Candida auris represents a severe threat to hospitalized patients. Its resistance to multiple classes of antifungal drugs and ability to spread and resist decontamination in healthcare settings make it especially dangerous. We screened 1,990 clinically approved and late-stage investigational compounds for the potential to be repurposed as antifungal drugs targeting C. auris and narrowed our focus to five Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds with inhibitory concentrations under 10 µM for C. auris and significantly lower toxicity to three human cell lines. These compounds, some of which had been previously identified in independent screens, include three dihalogenated 8-hydroxyquinolines: broxyquinoline, chloroxine, and clioquinol. A subsequent structure-activity study of 32 quinoline derivatives found that 8-hydroxyquinolines, especially those dihalogenated at the C5 and C7 positions, were the most effective inhibitors of C. auris . To pursue these compounds further, we exposed C. auris to clioquinol in an extended experimental evolution study and found that C. auris developed only twofold to fivefold resistance to the compound. DNA sequencing of resistant strains and subsequent verification by directed mutation in naive strains revealed that resistance was due to mutations in the transcriptional regulator CAP1 (causing upregulation of the drug transporter MDR1 ) and in the drug transporter CDR1 . These mutations had only modest effects on resistance to traditional antifungal agents, and the CDR1 mutation rendered C. auris more susceptible to posaconazole. This observation raises the possibility that a combination treatment involving an 8-hydroxyquinoline and posaconazole might prevent C. auris from developing resistance to this established antifungal agent. IMPORTANCE The rapidly emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris represents a growing threat to hospitalized patients, in part due to frequent resistance to multiple classes of antifungal drugs. We identify a class of compounds, the dihalogenated 8-hydroxyquinolines, with broad fungistatic ability against a diverse collection of 13 strains of C. auris . Although this compound has been identified in previous screens, we extended the analysis by showing that C. auris developed only modest twofold to fivefold increases in resistance to this class of compounds despite long-term exposure; a noticeable difference from the 30- to 500-fold increases in resistance reported for similar studies with commonly used antifungal drugs. We also identify the mutations underlying the resistance. These results suggest that the dihalogenated 8-hydroxyquinolines are working inside the fungal cell and should be developed further to combat C. auris and other fungal pathogens. Lohse and colleagues characterize a class of compounds that inhibit the fungal pathogen C. auris . Unlike many other antifungal drugs, C. auris does not readily develop resistance to this class of compounds.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad susceptibility of Candida auris strains to 8-hydroxyquinolines and mechanisms of resistance

Lohse

Laurie

Levan

et al. 2023

mBio

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Adaptation of Candida albicans to specific host environments by gain-of-function mutations in transcription factors

Morschhäuser

2024

PLoS Pathog

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The yeast Candida albicans is usually a harmless member of the normal microbiota in healthy persons but is also a major fungal pathogen that can colonize and infect almost every human tissue. A successful adaptation to environmental changes encountered in different host niches requires an appropriate regulation of gene expression. The zinc cluster transcription factors are the largest family of transcriptional regulators in C. albicans and are involved in the control of virtually all aspects of its biology. Under certain circumstances, mutations in these transcription factors that alter their activity and the expression of their target genes confer a selective advantage, which results in the emergence of phenotypically altered variants that are better adapted to new environmental challenges. This review describes how gain-of-function mutations in different zinc cluster transcription factors enable C. albicans to overcome antifungal therapy and to successfully establish itself in specific host niches.

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Transcriptional Response of Candida auris to the Mrr1 Inducers Methylglyoxal and Benomyl

Cited by 2 publications

References 137 publications

Broad susceptibility of Candida auris strains to 8-hydroxyquinolines and mechanisms of resistance

Broad susceptibility of Candida auris strains to 8-hydroxyquinolines and mechanisms of resistance

Adaptation of Candida albicans to specific host environments by gain-of-function mutations in transcription factors

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