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Zhang H, Jin P, Kong Y, Jia C, Qiao P, Dong Y, Zhou Y, Hu J, Yang Z, Jung G. Mutations across Diverse Domains of CjXDR1 Lead to Multidrug Resistance in Clarireedia jacksonii. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 39352294 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c05106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Recently, Clarireedia jacksonii has emerged as a significant pathogen threatening turfgrass, and its escalating resistance to multiple drugs often undermines field interventions. This study highlighted the critical role of the fungus-specific transcription factor CjXDR1 (formerly ShXDR1) in regulating multidrug resistance (MDR) in C. jacksonii. This was demonstrated through experiments involving CjXDR1-knockout and CjXDR1-complemented strains. Our sequence analysis revealed five mutations in CjXDR1: G445D, K453E, S607F, D676H, and V690A. All five gain-of-function (GOF) mutations were confirmed to directly contribute to MDR against three different classes of fungicides (propiconazole: demethylation inhibitor, boscalid: succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor, and iprodione: dicarboximide) using the genetic transformation system and in vitro fungicide-sensitivity assay. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that CjXDR1 and its GOF mutations led to the overexpression of downstream genes encoding a Phase I metabolizing enzyme (CYP68) and two Phase III transporters (CjPDR1 and CjAtrD) previously reported. Knockout mutants of CYP68, CjPDR1, CjAtrD, and double-knockout mutants of CjPDR1 and CjAtrD exhibited increased sensitivity to all three fungicides tested. Among these, the CYP68-knockout mutants displayed the highest sensitivity to propiconazole, while the CjPDR1 knockout mutant exhibited significantly increased sensitivity to all three fungicides. Double-knockout mutants of CjPDR1 and CjAtrD displayed greater sensitivity than the single knockouts. In conclusion, multiple GOF mutants in CjXDR1 contribute to MDR by upregulating the expression of CjPDR1, CjAtrD, and CYP68. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying MDR in plant pathogenic fungi, providing valuable insights into GOF mutation structures and advancing the development of antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huangwei Zhang
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Peiyuan Jin
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yixuan Kong
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chenchen Jia
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Panpan Qiao
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yinglu Dong
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yuxin Zhou
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jian Hu
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Zhimin Yang
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Geunhwa Jung
- Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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Conway TP, Vu BG, Beattie SR, Krysan DJ, Moye-Rowley WS. Similarities and distinctions in the activation of the Candida glabrata Pdr1 regulatory pathway by azole and non-azole drugs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.19.613905. [PMID: 39345512 PMCID: PMC11429959 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.19.613905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Incidences of fluconazole (FLC) resistance among Candida glabrata clinical isolates is a growing issue in clinics. The pleiotropic drug response (PDR) network in C . glabrata confers azole resistance and is defined primarily by the Zn 2 Cys 6 zinc cluster-containing transcription factor Pdr1 and target genes such as CDR1 , that encodes an ATP-binding cassette transporter protein thought to act as a FLC efflux pump. Mutations in the PDR1 gene that render the transcription factor hyperactive are the most common cause of fluconazole resistance among clinical isolates. The phenothiazine class drug fluphenazine and a molecular derivative, CWHM-974, which both exhibit antifungal properties, have been shown to induce the expression of Cdr1 in Candida spp. We have used a firefly luciferase reporter gene driven by the CDR1 promoter to demonstrate two distinct patterns of CDR1 promoter activation kinetics: gradual promoter activation kinetics that occur in response to ergosterol limitations imposed by exposure to azole and polyene class antifungals and a robust and rapid CDR1 induction occurring in response to the stress imposed by fluphenazines. We can attribute these different patterns of CDR1 induction as proceeding through the promoter region of this gene since this is the only segment of the gene included in the luciferase reporter construct. Genetic analysis indicates that the signaling pathways responsible for phenothiazine and azole induction of CDR1 overlap but are not identical. The short time course of phenothiazine induction suggests that these compounds may act more directly on the Pdr1 protein to stimulate its activity. Importance Candida glabrata has emerged as the second-leading cause of candidiasis due in part to its ability to acquire high level resistance to azole drugs, a major class of antifungal, that acts to block the biosynthesis of the fungal sterol ergosterol. The presence of azole drugs causes the induction of a variety of genes involved in controlling susceptibility to this drug class including drug transporters and ergosterol biosynthetic genes such as ERG11 . We found that the presence of azole drugs leads to an induction of genes encoding drug transporters and ERG11 , while exposure of C. glabrata cells to antifungals of the phenothiazine class of drugs caused a much faster and larger induction of drug transporters but not ERG11 . Coupled with further genetic analyses of the effects of azole and phenothiazine drugs, our data indicate that these compounds are sensed and responded to differentially in the yeast cell.
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Conway TP, Simonicova L, Moye-Rowley WS. Overlapping coactivator function is required for transcriptional activation by the Candida glabrata Pdr1 transcription factor. Genetics 2024; 228:iyae115. [PMID: 39028831 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyae115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Azole resistance in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata is a serious clinical complication and increasing in frequency. The majority of resistant organisms have been found to contain a substitution mutation in the Zn2Cys6 zinc cluster-containing transcription factor Pdr1. These mutations typically lead to this factor driving high, constitutive expression of target genes like the ATP-binding cassette transporter-encoding gene CDR1. Overexpression of Cdr1 is required for the observed elevated fluconazole resistance exhibited by strains containing one of these hyperactive PDR1 alleles. While the identity of hyperactive PDR1 alleles has been extensively documented, the mechanisms underlying how these gain-of-function (GOF) forms of Pdr1 lead to elevated target gene transcription are not well understood. We have used a tandem affinity purification-tagged form of Pdr1 to identify coactivator proteins that biochemically purify with the wild-type and 2 different GOF forms of Pdr1. Three coactivator proteins were found to associate with Pdr1: the SWI/SNF complex Snf2 chromatin remodeling protein and 2 different components of the SAGA complex, Spt7 and Ngg1. We found that deletion mutants lacking either SNF2 or SPT7 exhibited growth defects, even in the absence of fluconazole challenge. To overcome these issues, we employed a conditional degradation system to acutely deplete these coactivators and determined that loss of either coactivator complex, SWI/SNF or SAGA, caused defects in Pdr1-dependent transcription. A double degron strain that could be depleted for both SWI/SNF and SAGA exhibited a profound defect in PDR1 autoregulation, revealing that these complexes work together to ensure high-level Pdr1-dependent gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Conway
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Lucia Simonicova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - W Scott Moye-Rowley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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Xia H, Song N, Liu D, Zhou R, Shangguan L, Chen X, Dai J. Exploring the stress response mechanisms to 2-phenylethanol conferred by Pdr1p mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:109. [PMID: 39090744 PMCID: PMC11295549 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02559-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) tolerance phenotype is crucial to the production of 2-PE, and Pdr1p mutation can significantly increase the tolerance of 2-PE in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, its underlying molecular mechanisms are still unclear, hindering the rational design of superior 2-PE tolerance performance. RESULTS Here, the physiology and biochemistry of the PDR1_862 and 5D strains were analyzed. At 3.5 g/L 2-PE, the ethanol concentration of PDR1_862 decreased by 21%, and the 2-PE production of PDR1_862 increased by 16% than those of 5D strain. Transcriptome analysis showed that at 2-PE stress, Pdr1p mutation increased the expression of genes involved in the Ehrlich pathway. In addition, Pdr1p mutation attenuated sulfur metabolism and enhanced the one-carbon pool by folate to resist 2-PE stress. These metabolic pathways were closely associated with amino acids metabolism. Furthermore, at 3.5 g/L 2-PE, the free amino acids content of PDR1_862 decreased by 31% than that of 5D strain, among the free amino acids, cysteine was key amino acid for the enhancement of 2-PE stress tolerance conferred by Pdr1p mutation. CONCLUSIONS The above results indicated that Pdr1p mutation enhanced the Ehrlich pathway to improve 2-PE production of S. cerevisiae, and Pdr1p mutation altered the intracellular amino acids contents, in which cysteine might be a biomarker in response to Pdr1p mutation under 2-PE stress. The findings help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms for 2-PE stress tolerance by Pdr1p mutation in S. cerevisiae, identify key metabolic pathway responsible for 2-PE stress tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Xia
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, 463000, Henan, China
| | - Na Song
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Daoqi Liu
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian, 463000, Henan, China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingling Shangguan
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiong Chen
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Dai
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
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Saha D, Gregor JB, Hoda S, Eastman KE, Navarrete M, Wisecaver JH, Briggs SD. Candida glabrata maintains two Hap1 homologs, Zcf27 and Zcf4, for distinct roles in ergosterol gene regulation to mediate sterol homeostasis under azole and hypoxic conditions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.20.599910. [PMID: 38979343 PMCID: PMC11230168 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.20.599910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Candida glabrata exhibits innate resistance to azole antifungal drugs but also has the propensity to rapidly develop clinical drug resistance. Azole drugs, which target Erg11, is one of the three major classes of antifungals used to treat Candida infections. Despite their widespread use, the mechanism controlling azole-induced ERG gene expression and drug resistance in C. glabrata has primarily revolved around Upc2 and/or Pdr1. In this study, we determined the function of two zinc cluster transcription factors, Zcf27 and Zcf4, as direct but distinct regulators of ERG genes. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed C. glabrata Zcf27 and Zcf4 as the closest homologs to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hap1. Hap1 is a known zinc cluster transcription factor in S. cerevisiae in controlling ERG gene expression under aerobic and hypoxic conditions. Interestingly, when we deleted HAP1 or ZCF27 in either S. cerevisiae or C. glabrata, respectively, both deletion strains showed altered susceptibility to azole drugs, whereas the strain deleted for ZCF4 did not exhibit azole susceptibility. We also determined that the increased azole susceptibility in a zcf27Δ strain is attributed to decreased azole-induced expression of ERG genes, resulting in decreased levels of total ergosterol. Surprisingly, Zcf4 protein expression is barely detected under aerobic conditions but is specifically induced under hypoxic conditions. However, under hypoxic conditions, Zcf4 but not Zcf27 was directly required for the repression of ERG genes. This study provides the first demonstration that Zcf27 and Zcf4 have evolved to serve distinct roles allowing C. glabrata to adapt to specific host and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Scott D. Briggs
- Department of Biochemistry
- Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research
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6
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López-Marmolejo AL, Hernández-Chávez MJ, Gutiérrez-Escobedo G, Selene Herrera-Basurto M, Mora-Montes HM, De Las Peñas A, Castaño I. Microevolution of Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata) during an infection. Fungal Genet Biol 2024; 172:103891. [PMID: 38621582 DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2024.103891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Candida glabrata (Nakaseomyces glabrata) is an emergent and opportunistic fungal pathogen that colonizes and persists in different niches within its human host. In this work, we studied five clinical isolates from one patient (P7), that have a clonal origin, and all of which come from blood cultures except one, P7-3, obtained from a urine culture. We found phenotypic variation such as sensitivity to high temperature, oxidative stress, susceptibility to two classes of antifungal agents, and cell wall porosity. Only isolate P7-3 is highly resistant to the echinocandin caspofungin while the other four isolates from P7 are sensitive. However, this same isolate P7-3, is the only one that displays susceptibility to fluconazole (FLC), while the rest of the isolates are resistant to this antifungal. We sequenced the PDR1 gene which encodes a transcription factor required to induce the expression of several genes involved in the resistance to FLC and found that all the isolates encode for the same Pdr1 amino acid sequence except for the last isolate P7-5, which contains a single amino acid change, G1099C in the putative Pdr1 transactivation domain. Consistent with the resistance to FLC, we found that the CDR1 gene, encoding the main drug efflux pump in C. glabrata, is highly overexpressed in the FLC-resistant isolates, but not in the FLC-sensitive P7-3. In addition, the resistance to FLC observed in these isolates is dependent on the PDR1 gene. Additionally, we found that all P7 isolates have a different proportion of cell wall carbohydrates compared to our standard strains CBS138 and BG14. In P7 isolates, mannan is the most abundant cell wall component, whereas β-glucan is the most abundant component in our standard strains. Consistently, all P7 isolates have a relatively low cell wall porosity compared to our standard strains. These data show phenotypic and genotypic variability between clonal isolates from different niches within a single host, suggesting microevolution of C. glabrata during an infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L López-Marmolejo
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí CP 78216, Mexico
| | - Marco J Hernández-Chávez
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí CP 78216, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe Gutiérrez-Escobedo
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí CP 78216, Mexico
| | - M Selene Herrera-Basurto
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí CP 78216, Mexico
| | - Héctor M Mora-Montes
- Departamento de Biología, División de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad de Guanajuato, Noria Alta s/n Col. Noria Alta, Guanajuato, Gto CP36050, Mexico
| | - Alejandro De Las Peñas
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí CP 78216, Mexico
| | - Irene Castaño
- IPICYT, División de Biología Molecular, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José No. 2055, Col. Lomas 4a Sección, San Luis Potosí CP 78216, Mexico
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7
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Conway TP, Simonicova L, Moye-Rowley WS. Overlapping coactivator function is required for transcriptional activation by the Candida glabrata Pdr1 transcription factor. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595833. [PMID: 38853834 PMCID: PMC11160619 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Azole resistance in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata is a serious clinical complication and increasing in frequency. The majority of resistant organisms have been found to contain a substitution mutation in the Zn2Cys6 zinc cluster-containing transcription factor Pdr1. These mutations typically lead to this factor driving high, constitutive expression of target genes like the ATP-binding cassette transporter-encoding gene CDR1 . Overexpression of Cdr1 is required for the observed elevated fluconazole resistance exhibited by strains containing one of these hyperactive PDR1 alleles. While the identity of hyperactive PDR1 alleles has been extensively documented, the mechanisms underlying how these gain-of-function (GOF) forms of Pdr1 lead to elevated target gene transcription are not well understood. We have used a tandem affinity purification (TAP)-tagged form of Pdr1 to identify coactivator proteins that biochemically purify with the wild-type and two different GOF forms of Pdr1. Three coactivator proteins were found to associate with Pdr1: the SWI/SNF complex Snf2 chromatin remodeling protein and two different components of the SAGA complex, Spt7 and Ngg1. We found that deletion mutants lacking either SNF2 or SPT7 exhibited growth defects, even in the absence of fluconazole challenge. To overcome these issues, we employed a conditional degradation system to acutely deplete these coactivators and determined that loss of either coactivator complex, SWI/SNF or SAGA, caused defects in Pdr1-dependent transcription. A double degron strain that could be depleted for both SWI/SNF and SAGA exhibited a profound defect in PDR1 autoregulation, revealing that these complexes work together to ensure high level Pdr1-dependent gene transcription.
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8
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Maroc L, Shaker H, Shapiro RS. Functional genetic characterization of stress tolerance and biofilm formation in Nakaseomyces ( Candida) glabrata via a novel CRISPR activation system. mSphere 2024; 9:e0076123. [PMID: 38265239 PMCID: PMC10900893 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00761-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The overexpression of genes frequently arises in Nakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata via gain-of-function mutations, gene duplication, or aneuploidies, with important consequences on pathogenesis traits and antifungal drug resistance. This highlights the need to develop specific genetic tools to mimic and study genetic amplification in this important fungal pathogen. Here, we report the development, validation, and applications of the first clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) activation (CRISPRa) system in N. glabrata for targeted genetic overexpression. Using this system, we demonstrate the ability of CRISPRa to drive high levels of gene expression in N. glabrata, and further assess optimal guide RNA targeting for robust overexpression. We demonstrate the applications of CRISPRa to overexpress genes involved in fungal pathogenesis and drug resistance and detect corresponding phenotypic alterations in these key traits, including the characterization of novel phenotypes. Finally, we capture strain variation using our CRISPRa system in two commonly used N. glabrata genetic backgrounds. Together, this tool will expand our capacity for functional genetic overexpression in this pathogen, with numerous possibilities for future applications.IMPORTANCENakaseomyces (formerly Candida) glabrata is an important fungal pathogen that is now the second leading cause of candidiasis infections. A common strategy that this pathogen employs to resist antifungal treatment is through the upregulation of gene expression, but we have limited tools available to study this phenomenon. Here, we develop, optimize, and apply the use of CRISPRa as a means to overexpress genes in N. glabrata. We demonstrate the utility of this system to overexpress key genes involved in antifungal susceptibility, stress tolerance, and biofilm growth. This tool will be an important contribution to our ability to study the biology of this important fungal pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Maroc
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Hajer Shaker
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Rebecca S Shapiro
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
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9
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Wang Y, Xu J, Ben Abid F, Salah H, Sundararaju S, Al Ismail K, Wang K, Sara Matthew L, Taj-Aldeen S, Ibrahim EB, Tang P, Perez-Lopez A, Tsui CKM. Population genomic analyses reveal high diversity, recombination and nosocomial transmission among Candida glabrata ( Nakaseomyces glabrata) isolates causing invasive infections. Microb Genom 2024; 10:001179. [PMID: 38226964 PMCID: PMC10868614 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is a commensal yeast of the gastrointestinal tract and skin of humans. However, it causes opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients, and is the second most common Candida pathogen causing bloodstream infections. Although there are many studies on the epidemiology of C. glabrata infections, the fine- and large-scale geographical nature of C. glabrata remain incompletely understood. Here we investigated both the fine- and large-scale population structure of C. glabrata through genome sequencing of 80 clinical isolates obtained from six tertiary hospitals in Qatar and by comparing with global collections. Our fine-scale analyses revealed high genetic diversity within the Qatari population of C. glabrata and identified signatures of recombination, inbreeding and clonal expansion within and between hospitals, including evidence for nosocomial transmission among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. In addition to signatures of recombination at the population level, both MATa and MATα alleles were detected in most hospitals, indicating the potential for sexual reproduction in clinical environments. Comparisons with global samples showed that the Qatari C. glabrata population was very similar to those from other parts of the world, consistent with the significant role of recent anthropogenic activities in shaping its population structure. Genome-wide association studies identified both known and novel genomic variants associated with reduced susceptibilities to fluconazole, 5-flucytosine and echinocandins. Together, our genomic analyses revealed the diversity, transmission patterns and antifungal drug resistance mechanisms of C. glabrata in Qatar as well as the relationships between Qatari isolates and those from other parts of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jianping Xu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fatma Ben Abid
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- Communicable Disease Centre, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Husam Salah
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Khalil Al Ismail
- Communicable Disease Centre, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Kun Wang
- Research Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Saad Taj-Aldeen
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Emad B. Ibrahim
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Patrick Tang
- Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Andres Perez-Lopez
- Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Clement K. M. Tsui
- Division of Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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10
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Boyce KJ. The Microevolution of Antifungal Drug Resistance in Pathogenic Fungi. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2757. [PMID: 38004768 PMCID: PMC10673521 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The mortality rates of invasive fungal infections remain high because of the limited number of antifungal drugs available and antifungal drug resistance, which can rapidly evolve during treatment. Mutations in key resistance genes such as ERG11 were postulated to be the predominant cause of antifungal drug resistance in the clinic. However, recent advances in whole genome sequencing have revealed that there are multiple mechanisms leading to the microevolution of resistance. In many fungal species, resistance can emerge through ERG11-independent mechanisms and through the accumulation of mutations in many genes to generate a polygenic resistance phenotype. In addition, genome sequencing has revealed that full or partial aneuploidy commonly occurs in clinical or microevolved in vitro isolates to confer antifungal resistance. This review will provide an overview of the mutations known to be selected during the adaptive microevolution of antifungal drug resistance and focus on how recent advances in genome sequencing technology have enhanced our understanding of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie J Boyce
- School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3085, Australia
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11
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Miron-Ocampo A, Beattie SR, Guin S, Conway T, Meyers MJ, Moye-Rowley WS, Krysan DJ. CWHM-974 is a fluphenazine derivative with improved antifungal activity against Candida albicans due to reduced susceptibility to multidrug transporter-mediated resistance mechanisms. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0056723. [PMID: 37702508 PMCID: PMC10583685 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00567-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) transporters such as ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) and Major Facilitator Superfamily proteins are important mediators of antifungal drug resistance, particularly with respect to azole class drugs. Consequently, identifying molecules that are not susceptible to this mechanism of resistance is an important goal for new antifungal drug discovery. As part of a project to optimize the antifungal activity of clinically used phenothiazines, we synthesized a fluphenazine derivative (CWHM-974) with 8-fold higher activity against Candida spp. compared to the fluphenazine and with activity against Candida spp. with reduced fluconazole susceptibility due to increased MDR transporters. Here, we show that the improved C. albicans activity is because fluphenazine induces its own resistance by triggering expression of Candida drug resistance (CDR) transporters while CWHM-974 induces expression but does not appear to be a substrate for the transporters or is insensitive to their effects through other mechanisms. We also found that fluphenazine and CWHM-974 are antagonistic with fluconazole in C. albicans but not in C. glabrata, despite inducing CDR1 expression to high levels. Overall, CWHM-974 is one of the few examples of a molecule in which relatively small structural modifications significantly reduced susceptibility to multidrug transporter-mediated resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aracely Miron-Ocampo
- Microbiology/Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Sarah R. Beattie
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Soumitra Guin
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Thomas Conway
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Marvin J. Meyers
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - W. Scott Moye-Rowley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Damian J. Krysan
- Microbiology/Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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12
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Badrane H, Cheng S, Dupont CL, Hao B, Driscoll E, Morder K, Liu G, Newbrough A, Fleres G, Kaul D, Espinoza JL, Clancy CJ, Nguyen MH. Genotypic diversity and unrecognized antifungal resistance among populations of Candida glabrata from positive blood cultures. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5918. [PMID: 37739935 PMCID: PMC10516878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41509-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The longstanding model is that most bloodstream infections (BSIs) are caused by a single organism. We perform whole genome sequencing of five-to-ten strains from blood culture (BC) bottles in each of ten patients with Candida glabrata BSI. We demonstrate that BCs contain mixed populations of clonal but genetically diverse strains. Genetically distinct strains from two patients exhibit phenotypes that are potentially important during BSIs, including differences in susceptibility to antifungal agents and phagocytosis. In both patients, the clinical microbiology lab recovered a fluconazole-susceptible index strain, but we identify mixed fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant populations. Diversity in drug susceptibility is likely clinically relevant, as fluconazole-resistant strains were subsequently recovered by the clinical laboratory during persistent or relapsing infections. In one patient, unrecognized respiration-deficient small colony variants are fluconazole-resistant and significantly attenuated for virulence during murine candidiasis. Our data suggest a population-based model of C. glabrata genotypic and phenotypic diversity during BSIs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Binghua Hao
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Guojun Liu
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Drishti Kaul
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | - Cornelius J Clancy
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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13
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O'Connor-Moneley J, Alaalm L, Moran GP, Sullivan DJ. The role of the Mediator complex in fungal pathogenesis and response to antifungal agents. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:843-851. [PMID: 37013399 PMCID: PMC10500203 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Mediator is a complex of polypeptides that plays a central role in the recruitment of RNA polymerase II to promoters and subsequent transcriptional activation in eukaryotic organisms. Studies have now shown that Mediator has a role in regulating expression of genes implicated in virulence and antifungal drug resistance in pathogenic fungi. The roles of specific Mediator subunits have been investigated in several species of pathogenic fungi, particularly in the most pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Uniquely, pathogenic yeast also present several interesting examples of divergence in Mediator structure and function, most notably in C. glabrata, which possesses two orthologues of Med15, and in C. albicans, which has a massively expanded family of Med2 orthologues known as the TLO gene family. This review highlights specific examples of recent progress in characterizing the role of Mediator in pathogenic fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O'Connor-Moneley
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Leenah Alaalm
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gary P Moran
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Derek J Sullivan
- Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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14
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Chew KL, Achik R, Osman NH, Octavia S, Teo JWP. Genomic epidemiology of human candidaemia isolates in a tertiary hospital. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen001047. [PMID: 37440287 PMCID: PMC10438824 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive candida infections are significant infections that may occur in vulnerable patients with high rates of mortality or morbidity. Drug-resistance rates also appear to be on the rise which further complicate treatment options and outcomes. The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence, molecular epidemiology, and genetic features of Candida bloodstream isolates in a hospital setting. The resistance mechanisms towards the two most commonly administered antifungals, fluconazole and anidulafungin, were determined. Blood culture isolates between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2021 positive for Candida spp. were included. Susceptibility testing was performed using Etest. Whole-genome-sequencing was performed using Illumina NovaSeq with bioinformatics analysis performed. A total of 203 isolates were sequenced: 56 C. glabrata, 53 C. tropicalis, 44 C. albicans, 36 C. parapsilosis complex (consisting of C. parapsilosis, C. orthopsilosis, and C. metapsilosis), six C. krusei, five C. dubliniensis, and three C. auris. A single cluster of azole-resistant C. tropicalis, and four clusters of C. parapsilosis isolates were observed, suggesting possible transmission occurring over several years. We found 11.3%, and 52.7 % of C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis, respectively, clustered with other isolates, suggesting exogenous sources may play a significant role of transmission, particularly for C. parapsilosis. The clusters spanned over several years suggesting the possibility of environmental reservoirs contributing to the spread. Limited clonality was seen for C. albicans. Several sequence types appeared to be dominant for C. glabrata, however the SNP differences varied widely, indicating absence of sustained transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Lip Chew
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rosemini Achik
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nurul Hudaa Osman
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sophie Octavia
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jeanette W. P. Teo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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15
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Zhu P, Li Y, Guo T, Liu S, Tancer RJ, Hu C, Zhao C, Xue C, Liao G. New antifungal strategies: drug combination and co-delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 198:114874. [PMID: 37211279 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The growing occurrence of invasive fungal infections and the mounting rates of drug resistance constitute a significant menace to human health. Antifungal drug combinations have garnered substantial interest for their potential to improve therapeutic efficacy, reduce drug doses, reverse, or ameliorate drug resistance. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying antifungal drug resistance and drug combination is key to developing new drug combinations. Here we discuss the mechanisms of antifungal drug resistance and elucidate how to discover potent drug combinations to surmount resistance. We also examine the challenges encountered in developing such combinations and discuss prospects, including advanced drug delivery strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China
| | - Yan Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Antimicrobial Agents, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ting Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China
| | - Simei Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 402760, China; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Chongqing 400065, China
| | - Robert J Tancer
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Changhua Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhao
- Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, 400700, PR China.
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Public Health Research Institute and Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Guojian Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400700, China.
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16
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Osset-Trénor P, Pascual-Ahuir A, Proft M. Fungal Drug Response and Antimicrobial Resistance. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9050565. [PMID: 37233275 DOI: 10.3390/jof9050565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antifungal resistance is a growing concern as it poses a significant threat to public health. Fungal infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The limited number of antifungal agents and the emergence of resistance have led to a critical need to understand the mechanisms of antifungal drug resistance. This review provides an overview of the importance of antifungal resistance, the classes of antifungal agents, and their mode of action. It highlights the molecular mechanisms of antifungal drug resistance, including alterations in drug modification, activation, and availability. In addition, the review discusses the response to drugs via the regulation of multidrug efflux systems and antifungal drug-target interactions. We emphasize the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms of antifungal drug resistance to develop effective strategies to combat the emergence of resistance and highlight the need for continued research to identify new targets for antifungal drug development and explore alternative therapeutic options to overcome resistance. Overall, an understanding of antifungal drug resistance and its mechanisms will be indispensable for the field of antifungal drug development and clinical management of fungal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paloma Osset-Trénor
- Department of Biotechnology, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas IBMCP, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Amparo Pascual-Ahuir
- Department of Biotechnology, Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas IBMCP, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Markus Proft
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology and Therapy, Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia IBV-CSIC, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas CSIC, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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17
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Miron-Ocampo A, Beattie SR, Guin S, Conway T, Meyers MJ, Moye-Rowley WS, Krysan DJ. CWHM-974 is a fluphenazine derivative with improved antifungal activity against Candida albicans due to reduced susceptibility to multidrug transporter-mediated resistance mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.01.538946. [PMID: 37205554 PMCID: PMC10187223 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.01.538946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug resistance (MDR) transporters such as ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) and Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) proteins are important mediators of antifungal drug resistance, particularly with respect to azole class drugs. Consequently, identifying molecules that are not susceptible to this mechanism of resistance is an important goal for new antifungal drug discovery. As part of a project to optimize the antifungal activity of clinically used phenothiazines, we synthesized a fluphenazine derivative (CWHM-974) with 8-fold higher activity against Candida spp. compared to the fluphenazine and with activity against Candida spp. with reduced fluconazole susceptibility due to increased multidrug resistance transporters. Here, we show that the improved C. albicans activity is because fluphenazine induces its own resistance by triggering expression of CDR transporters while CWHM-974 induces expression but does not appear to be a substrate for the transporters or is insensitive to their effects through other mechanisms. We also found that fluphenazine and CWHM-974 are antagonistic with fluconazole in C. albicans but not in C. glabrata , despite inducing CDR1 expression to high levels. Overall, CWHM-974 represents a unique example of a medicinal chemistry-based conversion of chemical scaffold from MDR-sensitive to MDR-resistant and, hence, active against fungi that have developed resistance to clinically used antifungals such as the azoles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aracely Miron-Ocampo
- Microbiology/Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Sarah R. Beattie
- Department of Pediatrics Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Soumitra Guin
- Department of Chemistry, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis MO
| | - Thomas Conway
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 52242
| | | | - W. Scott Moye-Rowley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 52242
| | - Damian J. Krysan
- Microbiology/Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Department of Pediatrics Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA 52242
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18
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Badrane H, Cheng S, Dupont CL, Hao B, Driscoll E, Morder K, Liu G, Newbrough A, Fleres G, Kaul D, Espinoza JL, Clancy CJ, Nguyen MH. Genotypic diversity and unrecognized antifungal resistance among populations of Candida glabrata from positive blood cultures. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2706400. [PMID: 37066226 PMCID: PMC10104189 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2706400/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The longstanding paradigm is that most bloodstream infections (BSIs) are caused by a single organism. We performed whole genome sequencing of five-to-ten strains from blood culture (BC) bottles in each of ten patients with Candida glabrata BSI. We demonstrated that BCs contained mixed populations of clonal but genetically diverse strains. Genetically distinct strains from two patients exhibited phenotypes that were potentially important during BSIs, including differences in susceptibility to antifungal agents and phagocytosis. In both patients, the clinical microbiology lab recovered a fluconazole-susceptible index strain, but we identified mixed fluconazole-susceptible and â€"resistant populations. Diversity in drug susceptibility was likely clinically relevant, as fluconazole-resistant strains were subsequently recovered by the clinical laboratory during persistent or relapsing infections. In one patient, unrecognized respiration-deficient small colony variants were fluconazole-resistant and significantly attenuated for virulence during murine candidiasis. Our data suggest a new population-based paradigm of C. glabrata genotypic and phenotypic diversity during BSIs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shaoji Cheng
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Binghua Hao
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Guojun Liu
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Cornelius J Clancy
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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19
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Conway TP, Moye-Rowley WS. Conditional Protein Depletion in the Analysis of Antifungal Drug Resistance in Candida glabrata. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2658:191-200. [PMID: 37024703 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3155-3_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
This chapter illustrates a method to generate Candida glabrata conditional depletion mutants for SNF2, an ATPase subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex with potential roles in the response to azole drugs. The strategy employed utilizes a plant-specific proteolysis pathway which allows for the rapid degradation of a target protein in the presence of the phytohormone, auxin. The steps taken to generate strains expressing the auxin-inducible plant F-box protein, Tir1, and in which the auxin-binding target, IAA17, is C-terminally fused to Snf2 are described. This acute depletion strategy is suitable for studying the effects of the loss of growth-critical proteins. The rapid depletion afforded by the auxin-induced degradation avoids the potential complications of a null allele causing a severe growth defect and allows a more rapid assessment of the consequences of reduced levels of a protein of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P Conway
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - W Scott Moye-Rowley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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20
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Simonicova L, Moye-Rowley WS. Characterizing Candida glabrata Pdr1, a Hyperactive Transcription Factor Involved in Azole Resistance. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2658:169-179. [PMID: 37024701 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3155-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
This chapter illustrates how to prepare isogenic strains carrying gain-of-function forms of transcription factor Pdr1 in the human pathogen Candida glabrata. Simple steps are described that lead from a characterized plasmid-borne PDR1-GOF allele to its integration into the yeast genome in a markerless manner. Pdr1-GOF strains constructed by this approach are suitable for virulence studies in an animal host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Simonicova
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - W Scott Moye-Rowley
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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21
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Xia H, Kang Y, Ma Z, Hu C, Yang Q, Zhang X, Yang S, Dai J, Chen X. Evolutionary and reverse engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a Pdr1p mutation-dependent mechanism for 2-phenylethanol tolerance. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:269. [PMID: 36564756 PMCID: PMC9789650 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01996-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 2-Phenylethanol (2-PE), a higher alcohol with a rose-like odor, inhibits growth of the producer strains. However, the limited knowledge regarding 2-PE tolerance mechanisms renders our current knowledge base insufficient to inform rational design. RESULTS To improve the growth phenotype of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under a high 2-PE concentration, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was used to generate an evolved 19-2 strain. Under 2-PE stress, its OD600 and growth rate increased by 86% and 22% than that of the parental strain, respectively. Through whole genome sequencing and reverse engineering, transcription factor Pdr1p mutation (C862R) was revealed as one of the main causes for increased 2-PE tolerance. Under 2-PE stress condition, Pdr1p mutation increased unsaturated fatty acid/saturated fatty acid ratio by 42%, and decreased cell membrane damage by 81%. Using STRING website, we identified Pdr1p interacted with some proteins, which were associated with intracellular ergosterol content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the ATP-binding cassette transporter. Also, the results of transcriptional analysis of genes encoded these proteins confirmed that Pdr1p mutation induced the expression of these genes. Compared with those of the reference strain, the ergosterol content of the PDR1_862 strain increased by 72%-101%, and the intracellular ROS concentration decreased by 38% under 2-PE stress. Furthermore, the Pdr1p mutation also increased the production of 2-PE (11% higher). CONCLUSIONS In the present work, we have demonstrated the use of ALE as a powerful tool to improve yeast tolerance to 2-PE. Based on the reverse engineering, transcriptional and physiological analysis, we concluded that Pdr1p mutation significantly enhanced the 2-PE tolerance of yeast by regulating the fatty acid proportion, intracellular ergosterol and ROS. It provides new insights on Pdr1p mediated 2-PE tolerance, which could help in the design of more robust yeasts for natural 2-PE synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Xia
- grid.411410.10000 0000 8822 034XKey Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue Kang
- grid.411410.10000 0000 8822 034XKey Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zilin Ma
- grid.411410.10000 0000 8822 034XKey Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068 People’s Republic of China
| | - Cuiyu Hu
- grid.411410.10000 0000 8822 034XKey Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068 People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiao Yang
- grid.443668.b0000 0004 1804 4247ABI Group, College of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022 Zhejiang China
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- grid.443668.b0000 0004 1804 4247ABI Group, College of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022 Zhejiang China
| | - Shihui Yang
- grid.34418.3a0000 0001 0727 9022State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062 Hubei China
| | - Jun Dai
- grid.411410.10000 0000 8822 034XKey Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068 People’s Republic of China ,grid.443668.b0000 0004 1804 4247ABI Group, College of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022 Zhejiang China ,grid.34418.3a0000 0001 0727 9022State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062 Hubei China
| | - Xiong Chen
- grid.411410.10000 0000 8822 034XKey Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (Ministry of Education), Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), National “111” Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, College of Bioengineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068 People’s Republic of China
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22
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Salazar SB, Pinheiro MJF, Sotti-Novais D, Soares AR, Lopes MM, Ferreira T, Rodrigues V, Fernandes F, Mira NP. Disclosing azole resistance mechanisms in resistant Candida glabrata strains encoding wild-type or gain-of-function CgPDR1 alleles through comparative genomics and transcriptomics. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac110. [PMID: 35532173 PMCID: PMC9258547 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata is intrinsically resilient to azoles and rapidly acquires resistance to these antifungals, in vitro and in vivo. In most cases azole-resistant C. glabrata clinical strains encode hyperactive CgPdr1 variants, however, resistant strains encoding wild-type CgPDR1 alleles have also been isolated, although remaining to be disclosed the underlying resistance mechanism. In this study, we scrutinized the mechanisms underlying resistance to azoles of 8 resistant clinical C. glabrata strains, identified along the course of epidemiological surveys undertaken in Portugal. Seven of the strains were found to encode CgPdr1 gain-of-function variants (I392M, E555K, G558C, and I803T) with the substitutions I392M and I803T being herein characterized as hyper-activating mutations for the first time. While cells expressing the wild-type CgPDR1 allele required the mediator subunit Gal11A to enhance tolerance to fluconazole, this was dispensable for cells expressing the I803T variant indicating that the CgPdr1 interactome is shaped by different gain-of-function substitutions. Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of the sole azole-resistant C. glabrata isolate encoding a wild-type CgPDR1 allele (ISTB218) revealed that under fluconazole stress this strain over-expresses various genes described to provide protection against this antifungal, while also showing reduced expression of genes described to increase sensitivity to these drugs. The overall role in driving the azole-resistance phenotype of the ISTB218 C. glabrata isolate played by these changes in the transcriptome and genome of the ISTB218 isolate are discussed shedding light into mechanisms of resistance that go beyond the CgPdr1-signalling pathway and that may alone, or in combination, pave the way for the acquisition of resistance to azoles in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara B Salazar
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico—Department of Bioengineering, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Maria Joana F Pinheiro
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico—Department of Bioengineering, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Danielle Sotti-Novais
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico—Department of Bioengineering, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Ana R Soares
- Department of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810, Portugal
| | - Maria M Lopes
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1649-003, Portugal
| | - Teresa Ferreira
- Laboratório de Microbiologia, Hospital Dona Estefânia (Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central), Lisboa 1169-045, Portugal
| | - Vitória Rodrigues
- Seção de Microbiologia, Laboratório SYNLAB—Lisboa, Grupo SYNLAB Portugal, Lisboa 1070-061, Portugal
| | - Fábio Fernandes
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico—Department of Bioengineering, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Nuno P Mira
- iBB, Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico—Department of Bioengineering, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
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23
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Shahi G, Kumar M, Khandelwal NK, Banerjee A, Sarkar P, Kumari S, Esquivel BD, Chauhan N, Chattopadhyay A, White TC, Gaur NA, Singh A, Prasad R. Inositol Phosphoryl Transferase, Ipt1, Is a Critical Determinant of Azole Resistance and Virulence Phenotypes in Candida glabrata. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8070651. [PMID: 35887407 PMCID: PMC9322651 DOI: 10.3390/jof8070651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we have specifically blocked a key step of sphingolipid (SL) biosynthesis in Candida glabrata by disruption of the orthologs of ScIpt1 and ScSkn1. Based on their close homology with S. cerevisiae counterparts, the proteins are predicted to catalyze the addition of a phosphorylinositol group onto mannosyl inositolphosphoryl ceramide (MIPC) to form mannosyl diinositolphosphoryl ceramide (M(IP)2C), which accounts for the majority of complex SL structures in S. cerevisiae membranes. High throughput lipidome analysis confirmed the accumulation of MIPC structures in ΔCgipt1 and ΔCgskn1 cells, albeit to lesser extent in the latter. Noticeably, ΔCgipt1 cells showed an increased susceptibility to azoles; however, ΔCgskn1 cells showed no significant changes in the drug susceptibility profiles. Interestingly, the azole susceptible phenotype of ΔCgipt1 cells seems to be independent of the ergosterol content. ΔCgipt1 cells displayed altered lipid homeostasis, increased membrane fluidity as well as high diffusion of radiolabeled fluconazole (3H-FLC), which could together influence the azole susceptibility of C. glabrata. Furthermore, in vivo experiments also confirmed compromised virulence of the ΔCgipt1 strain. Contrarily, specific functions of CgSkn1 remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Shahi
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Integrative Science and Health, Amity University Gurgaon, Gurgaon 122412, India; (G.S.); (M.K.); (A.B.)
| | - Mohit Kumar
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Integrative Science and Health, Amity University Gurgaon, Gurgaon 122412, India; (G.S.); (M.K.); (A.B.)
- Yeast Biofuel Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.K.); (N.A.G.)
| | | | - Atanu Banerjee
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Integrative Science and Health, Amity University Gurgaon, Gurgaon 122412, India; (G.S.); (M.K.); (A.B.)
| | - Parijat Sarkar
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India; (P.S.); (A.C.)
| | - Sonam Kumari
- Yeast Biofuel Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.K.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Brooke D. Esquivel
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Missouri at Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; (B.D.E.); (T.C.W.)
| | - Neeraj Chauhan
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA;
| | - Amitabha Chattopadhyay
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500007, India; (P.S.); (A.C.)
| | - Theodore C. White
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Missouri at Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; (B.D.E.); (T.C.W.)
| | - Naseem A. Gaur
- Yeast Biofuel Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi 110067, India; (S.K.); (N.A.G.)
| | - Ashutosh Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lucknow, Lucknow 226007, India
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (R.P.)
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology and Integrative Science and Health, Amity University Gurgaon, Gurgaon 122412, India; (G.S.); (M.K.); (A.B.)
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (R.P.)
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24
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Banerjee A, Rahman H, Prasad R, Golin J. How Fungal Multidrug Transporters Mediate Hyperresistance Through DNA Amplification and Mutation. Mol Microbiol 2022; 118:3-15. [PMID: 35611562 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A significant portion of clinically observed antifungal resistance is mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) and major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transport pumps that reside in the plasma membrane. We review the mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon. Hyperresistance is often brought about by several kinds of DNA amplification or by gain-of-function mutations in a variety of transcription factors. Both of these result in overexpression of ABC and MFS transporters. Recently, however, several additional modes of resistance have been observed. These include mutations in non-conserved nucleotides leading to altered mRNA stability and a mutation in yeast transporter Pdr5, which improves cooperativity between drug-binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atanu Banerjee
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India
| | - Hadiar Rahman
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Rajendra Prasad
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India.,Amity Institute of Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University Haryana, Gurugram, India
| | - John Golin
- Department of Biology, Stern College, Yeshiva University, New York, NY
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25
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Azole-resistant alleles of
ERG11
in
Candida glabrata
trigger activation of the Pdr1 and Upc2A transcription factors. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0209821. [DOI: 10.1128/aac.02098-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Azoles, the most commonly used antifungal drugs, specifically inhibit the fungal lanosterol α-14 demethylase enzyme, which is referred to as Erg11. Inhibition of Erg11 ultimately leads to a reduction in ergosterol production, an essential fungal membrane sterol. Many
Candida
species, such as
Candida albicans
, develop mutations in this enzyme which reduces the azole binding affinity and results in increased resistance.
Candida glabrata
is also a pathogenic yeast that has low intrinsic susceptibility to azole drugs and easily develops elevated resistance. In
C. glabrata
, these azole resistant mutations typically cause hyperactivity of the Pdr1 transcription factor and rarely lie within the
ERG11
gene. Here, we generated
C. glabrata
ERG11
mutations that were analogous to azole resistance alleles from
C. albicans
ERG11
. Three different Erg11 forms (Y141H, S410F, and the corresponding double mutant (DM)) conferred azole resistance in
C. glabrata
with the DM Erg11 form causing the strongest phenotype. The DM Erg11 also induced cross-resistance to amphotericin B and caspofungin. Resistance caused by the DM allele of
ERG11
imposed a fitness cost that was not observed with hyperactive
PDR1
alleles. Crucially, the presence of the DM
ERG11
allele was sufficient to activate the Pdr1 transcription factor in the absence of azole drugs. Our data indicate that azole resistance linked to changes in
ERG11
activity can involve cellular effects beyond an alteration in this key azole target enzyme. Understanding the physiology linking ergosterol biosynthesis with Pdr1-mediated regulation of azole resistance is crucial for ensuring the continued efficacy of azole drugs against
C. glabrata
.
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26
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Szymankiewicz M, Kamecki K, Jarzynka S, Koryszewska-Bagińska A, Olędzka G, Nowikiewicz T. Case Report: Echinocandin-Resistance Candida glabrata FKS Mutants From Patient Following Radical Cystoprostatectomy Due to Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 11:794235. [PMID: 34976835 PMCID: PMC8714647 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.794235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Invasive Candida glabrata infections are not common complications after radical cystoprostatectomy. Furthermore, resistance to echinocandins arising during the course of a patient’s treatment is rarely recognised. We described a case of development of echinocandin resistance in a patient with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (pT2b N0 M0, high grade) diagnosis, subjected to radical cystoprostatectomy and exposed to echinocandins. A male patient with a previous surgical history after a traffic accident, who was operated on due to bladder cancer, underwent an episode of candidemia and mixed postoperative wound and urinary tract infection caused by C. glabrata and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli during hospital treatment. The patient was started on caspofungin. Repeat blood cultures showed clearance of the bloodstream infection; however, infection persisted at the surgical site. Resistance to echinocandins developed within 2 months from the day of initiation of therapy with caspofungin in the C. glabrata strain obtained from the surgical site. The isolates sequentially obtained during the patient’s treatment demonstrated resistance to echinocandins due to the mutation in hotspot 1 FKS2. Although resistance to echinocandins is relatively rare, it should be considered in oncological patients with increased complexity of treatment and intestinal surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Szymankiewicz
- Department of Microbiology, Prof. F. Łukaszczyk Oncology Centre, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kamecki
- Department of Urological Oncology, Prof. F. Łukaszczyk Oncology Centre, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Sylwia Jarzynka
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Gabriela Olędzka
- Department of Medical Biology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Nowikiewicz
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Nicolaus Copernicus University Ludwik Rydygier's Collegium Medicum, Bydgoszcz, Poland.,Department of Clinical Breast Cancer and Reconstructive Surgery, Prof. F. Łukaszczyk Oncology Centre, Bydgoszcz, Poland
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27
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Loss-of-Function ROX1 Mutations Suppress the Fluconazole Susceptibility of upc2AΔ Mutation in Candida glabrata, Implicating Additional Positive Regulators of Ergosterol Biosynthesis. mSphere 2021; 6:e0083021. [PMID: 34935446 PMCID: PMC8694151 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00830-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Two of the major classes of antifungal drugs in clinical use target ergosterol biosynthesis. Despite its importance, our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of ergosterol biosynthesis genes in pathogenic fungi is essentially limited to the role of hypoxia and sterol-stress-induced transcription factors such as Upc2 and Upc2A as well as homologs of sterol response element binding (SREB) factors. To identify additional regulators of ergosterol biosynthesis in Candida glabrata, an important human fungal pathogen with reduced susceptibility to ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors relative to other Candida spp., we used a serial passaging strategy to isolate suppressors of the fluconazole hypersusceptibility of a upc2AΔ deletion mutant. This led to the identification of loss-of-function mutations in two genes: ROX1, the homolog of a hypoxia gene transcriptional suppressor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and CST6, a transcription factor that is involved in the regulation of carbon dioxide response in C. glabrata. Here, we describe a detailed analysis of the genetic interaction of ROX1 and UPC2A. In the presence of fluconazole, loss of Rox1 function restores ERG11 expression to the upc2AΔ mutant and inhibits the expression of ERG3 and ERG6, leading to increased levels of ergosterol and decreased levels of the toxic sterol 14α methyl-ergosta-8,24(28)-dien-3β, 6α-diol, relative to the upc2AΔ mutant. Our observations establish that Rox1 is a negative regulator of ERG gene biosynthesis and indicate that a least one additional positive transcriptional regulator of ERG gene biosynthesis must be present in C. glabrata. IMPORTANCECandida glabrata is one of the most important human fungal pathogens and has reduced susceptibility to azole-class inhibitors of ergosterol biosynthesis. Although ergosterol is the target of two of the three classes of antifungal drugs, relatively little is known about the regulation of this critical cellular pathway. Sterols are both essential components of the eukaryotic plasma membrane and potential toxins; therefore, sterol homeostasis is critical for cell function. Here, we identified two new negative regulators in C. glabrata of ergosterol (ERG) biosynthesis gene expression. Our results also indicate that in addition to Upc2A, the only known activator of ERG genes, additional positive regulators of this pathway must exist.
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28
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Wang Q, Li Y, Cai X, Li R, Zheng B, Yang E, Liang T, Yang X, Wan Z, Liu W. Two Sequential Clinical Isolates of Candida glabrata with Multidrug-Resistance to Posaconazole and Echinocandins. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10101217. [PMID: 34680798 PMCID: PMC8532709 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10101217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida glabrata is one of the most prevalent causative pathogens of invasive candidiasis, and multidrug-resistant strains are emerging. We identified two clinical isolates of C. glabrata, BMU10720 and BMU10722 sequentially isolated from one patient with multidrug-resistance to posaconazole (POS), caspofungin (CAS), micafungin (MCF), and anidulafungin (ANF). Overexpression of ERG11 in BMU10720 and CDR1 in BMU10722 were detected at basal level. When exposed to POS, CDR1 was significantly up-regulated in both isolates compared with susceptible reference strain, while ERG11 was up-regulated considerably only in BMU10720. PDR1 sequencing revealed that both isolates harbored P76S, P143T, and D243N substitutions, while ERG11 was intact. Cdr1 inhibitor FK520 reversed POS-resistance by down-regulating ERG11 expression. FKS sequencing revealed that both isolates harbored S663P substitution in FKS2, and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) existed in FKS2 genes between BMU10720 and BMU10722, while FKS1 was intact. Both FKS1 and FKS2 were up-regulated by CAS in BMU10720 and BMU10722. FK520 down-regulated FKS2 expression induced by CAS through inhibiting calcineurin, resulting in synergic effect with echinocandins as well as Congo Red and Calcofluor White, two cell wall-perturbing agents. In conclusion, the multidrug-resistance of C. glabrata isolates in our study was conferred by different mechanisms. CDR1 and ERG11 overexpression in one isolate and only CDR1 overexpression in the other isolate may mediate POS-resistance. S663P mutation in FKS2 and up-regulation of FKS2 may contribute to echinocandin-resistance in both isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiqi Wang
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Q.W.); (R.L.); (T.L.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.)
- National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, Beijing 100034, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Yun Li
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Y.L.); (B.Z.)
| | - Xuan Cai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China;
| | - Ruoyu Li
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Q.W.); (R.L.); (T.L.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.)
- National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, Beijing 100034, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Bo Zheng
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Y.L.); (B.Z.)
| | - Ence Yang
- Department of Microbiology & Infectious Disease Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China;
| | - Tianyu Liang
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Q.W.); (R.L.); (T.L.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.)
- National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, Beijing 100034, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Q.W.); (R.L.); (T.L.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.)
- National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, Beijing 100034, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Zhe Wan
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Q.W.); (R.L.); (T.L.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.)
- National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, Beijing 100034, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing 100034, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China; (Q.W.); (R.L.); (T.L.); (X.Y.); (Z.W.)
- National Clinical Research Center for Skin and Immune Diseases, Beijing 100034, China
- Research Center for Medical Mycology, Peking University, Beijing 100034, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis on Dermatoses, Beijing 100034, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-10-8357-3075
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29
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Frías-De-León MG, Hernández-Castro R, Conde-Cuevas E, García-Coronel IH, Vázquez-Aceituno VA, Soriano-Ursúa MA, Farfán-García ED, Ocharán-Hernández E, Rodríguez-Cerdeira C, Arenas R, Robledo-Cayetano M, Ramírez-Lozada T, Meza-Meneses P, Pinto-Almazán R, Martínez-Herrera E. Candida glabrata Antifungal Resistance and Virulence Factors, a Perfect Pathogenic Combination. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13101529. [PMID: 34683822 PMCID: PMC8538829 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13101529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a progressive increase in the incidence of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) caused by Candida glabrata has been observed. The objective of this literature review was to study the epidemiology, drug resistance, and virulence factors associated with the C. glabrata complex. For this purpose, a systematic review (January 2001-February 2021) was conducted on the PubMed, Scielo, and Cochrane search engines with the following terms: "C. glabrata complex (C. glabrata sensu stricto, C. nivariensis, C. bracarensis)" associated with "pathogenicity" or "epidemiology" or "antibiotics resistance" or "virulence factors" with language restrictions of English and Spanish. One hundred and ninety-nine articles were found during the search. Various mechanisms of drug resistance to azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins were found for the C. glabrata complex, depending on the geographical region. Among the mechanisms found are the overexpression of drug transporters, gene mutations that alter thermotolerance, the generation of hypervirulence due to increased adhesion factors, and modifications in vital enzymes that produce cell wall proteins that prevent the activity of drugs designed for its inhibition. In addition, it was observed that the C. glabrata complex has virulence factors such as the production of proteases, phospholipases, and hemolysins, and the formation of biofilms that allows the complex to evade the host immune response and generate fungal resistance. Because of this, the C. glabrata complex possesses a perfect pathogenetic combination for the invasion of the immunocompromised host.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Guadalupe Frías-De-León
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico; (M.G.F.-D.-L.); (M.R.-C.)
| | - Rigoberto Hernández-Castro
- Departamento de Ecología de Agentes Patógenos, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (R.H.-C.); (V.A.V.-A.)
| | - Esther Conde-Cuevas
- Maestría en Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (E.C.-C.); (I.H.G.-C.); (P.M.-M.)
| | - Itzel H. García-Coronel
- Maestría en Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (E.C.-C.); (I.H.G.-C.); (P.M.-M.)
| | - Víctor Alfonso Vázquez-Aceituno
- Departamento de Ecología de Agentes Patógenos, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico; (R.H.-C.); (V.A.V.-A.)
| | - Marvin A. Soriano-Ursúa
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (M.A.S.-U.); (E.D.F.-G.); (E.O.-H.)
| | - Eunice D. Farfán-García
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (M.A.S.-U.); (E.D.F.-G.); (E.O.-H.)
| | - Esther Ocharán-Hernández
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (M.A.S.-U.); (E.D.F.-G.); (E.O.-H.)
| | - Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira
- Efficiency, Quality, and Costs in Health Services Research Group (EFISALUD), Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain; (C.R.-C.); (R.A.)
- Dermatology Department, Hospital Vithas Ntra. Sra. de Fátima and University of Vigo, 36206 Vigo, Spain
- Campus Universitario, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Roberto Arenas
- Efficiency, Quality, and Costs in Health Services Research Group (EFISALUD), Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain; (C.R.-C.); (R.A.)
- Sección de Micología, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Tlalpan, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
| | - Maura Robledo-Cayetano
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico; (M.G.F.-D.-L.); (M.R.-C.)
| | - Tito Ramírez-Lozada
- Servicio de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico;
| | - Patricia Meza-Meneses
- Maestría en Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (E.C.-C.); (I.H.G.-C.); (P.M.-M.)
- Servicio de Infectología, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Pinto-Almazán
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico; (M.G.F.-D.-L.); (M.R.-C.)
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (M.A.S.-U.); (E.D.F.-G.); (E.O.-H.)
- Correspondence: (R.P.-A.); (E.M.-H.); Tel.: +52-555-972-9800 (R.P.-A. or E.M.-H.)
| | - Erick Martínez-Herrera
- Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca 56530, Mexico; (M.G.F.-D.-L.); (M.R.-C.)
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico; (M.A.S.-U.); (E.D.F.-G.); (E.O.-H.)
- Efficiency, Quality, and Costs in Health Services Research Group (EFISALUD), Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain; (C.R.-C.); (R.A.)
- Correspondence: (R.P.-A.); (E.M.-H.); Tel.: +52-555-972-9800 (R.P.-A. or E.M.-H.)
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