Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Candida albicans comparing fluconazole treated cells with fluconazole- and berberine-treated cells, as well untreated cells with berberine treated cells Three different clinical FLC-resistant strains (0304103, 01010 and 632) were selected to carry out the expression profile microarray. Two-condition experiment, fluconazole-treated vs. fluconazole- and berberine-treated cells, and untreated cells vs. berberine-treated cells. Biological replicates: 3 control, 3 transfected, independently grown and harvested. One replicate per array.
Project description:Transcriptional profiling of Candida albicans comparing fluconazole treated cells with fluconazole- and berberine-treated cells, as well untreated cells with berberine treated cells
Project description:Azoles are commonly used for the treatment of fungal infections and the ability of human fungal pathogens to rapidly respond to azole treatment is critical for the development of antifungal resistance. While the role of genetic mutations, chromosomal rearrangements and transcriptional mechanisms in azole resistance has been well-characterized, very little is known about post-transcriptional and translation mechanisms that drive this process. In addition, most previous genome-wide studies have focused on transcriptional responses to azole treatment, and likely serve as an inaccurate proxies due to extensive post-transcriptional and translational regulation. In this study we use ribosome profiling to provide the first picture of the global translational response of a major human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, to treatment with fluconazole, one of the most widely used azole drugs. We identify sets of genes showing significantly altered translational efficiency (TE), including genes associated with a variety of biological processes such as the cell cycle, DNA repair, cell wall/cell membrane biosynthesis, transport, signaling, DNA- and RNA-binding activities and protein synthesis. Importantly, while there are similarities and differences among gene categories that are regulated by fluconazole at the translational vs. transcriptional levels, we observe very little overlap among individual genes controlled by these mechanisms. Our findings suggest that C. albicans possesses distinct translational mechanisms that are important for the response to antifungal treatment, which could eventually be targeted by novel antifungal therapies.
Project description:Aneuploidy and the evolution of aneuploid karyotypes of Candida albicans strains was identified using aCGH. Whole chromosome and segmental aneuploidies, (specifically on the left arm of chromosome 5 - shown to be due to isochromosome formation) are associated with the appearance of resistance to the antifungal drug fluconazole. Keywords: Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Project description:Candida albicans lab strain SC5314 was daily passaged in YPD broth supplemented with fluconazole. Some fluconazole-resistant and some fluconazole-tolerant adaptors were sequenced.
Project description:QUANT-seq approach was utilized to determine the gene expression in the transcriptome of C. albicans treated with the solvent control DMSO or the antifungal drug fluconazole (FLC). Biological triplicates of C. albicans grown in YPD medium treated with either DMSO or 3 µg/ml fluconazole for 30 minutes at 37˚C were harvested and total RNA was isolated using standard procedures (hot phenol method).
Project description:In Candida albicans, the transcription factor Upc2 is central to the regulation of ergosterol biosynthesis. UPC2-activating mutations contribute to azole resistance, whereas disruption increases azole susceptibility. In the present study, we investigated the relationship of UPC2 to fluconazole susceptibility, particularly in azole-resistant strains. In addition to the reduced fluconazole MIC previously observed with UPC2 disruption, we observed a lower minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for a upc2M-NM-^T/M-NM-^T mutant than for its azole-susceptible parent, SC5314. Moreover, the upc2M-NM-^T/M-NM-^T mutant was unable to grow on a solid medium containing 10 M-BM-5g/ml fluconazole and exhibited increased susceptibility and a clear zone of inhibition by Etest. Time-kill analysis showed higher fungistatic activity against the upc2M-NM-^T/M-NM-^T mutant than against SC5314. UPC2 disruption in strains carrying specific resistance mutations also resulted in reduced MICs and MFCs. UPC2 disruption in a highly azole resistant clinical isolate containing multiple resistance mechanisms likewise resulted in a reduced MIC and MFC. This mutant was unable to grow on a solid medium containing 10 M-BM-5g/ml fluconazole and exhibited increased susceptibility and a clear zone of inhibition by Etest. Time-kill analysis showed increased fungistatic activity against the upc2M-NM-^T/M-NM-^T mutant in the resistant background. Microarray analysis showed attenuated induction by fluconazole of genes involved in sterol biosynthesis, iron transport, or iron homeostasis in the absence of UPC2. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the UPC2 transcriptional network is universally essential for azole resistance in C. albicans and represents an attractive target for enhancing azole antifungal activity. We examined the genome-wide gene expression profiles of the wild-type parent strain SC5314 and its upc2M-NM-^T/M-NM-^T derivative in response to fluconazole in order to identify genes whose expression in response to fluconazole is influenced by Upc2.