Erg251 has complex and pleiotropic effects on sterol composition, azole susceptibility, filamentation, and stress response phenotypes.

ABSTRACT: Ergosterol is essential for fungal cell membrane integrity and growth, and numerous antifungal drugs target ergosterol. Inactivation or modification of ergosterol biosynthetic genes can lead to changes in antifungal drug susceptibility, filamentation and stress response. Here, we found that the ergosterol biosynthesis gene ERG251 is a hotspot for point mutations during adaptation to antifungal drug stress within two distinct genetic backgrounds of Candida albicans. Heterozygous point mutations led to single allele dysfunction of ERG251 and resulted in azole tolerance in both genetic backgrounds. This is the first known example of point mutations causing azole tolerance in C. albicans. Importantly, single allele dysfunction of ERG251 in combination with recurrent chromosome aneuploidies res

SUBMITTER: Zhou X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11315318 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature