biostudies-literatureHu TNIGMS NIH HHSe3003062https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11960876biostudies-literatureUnknown23(4)The human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis is widely distributed in clinical and natural environments. It is known to be an obligate diploid organism with an incomplete and atypical sexual cycle. Azole-resistant C. tropicalis isolates have been observed with increasing prevalence in many countries in recent years. Here, we report that tebuconazole (TBZ), a triazole fungicide widely used in agriculture, can induce ploidy plasticity and the formation of haploid cells in C. tropicalis. The evolved C. tropicalis strains with ploidy variations exhibit a cross-resistance between TBZ and standard azoles used in clinical settings (such as fluconazole and voriconazole). Similar to its diploid cells, these newly discovered C. tropicalis haploid cells are capable of undergoing filamentation, white-PLoS biologyAn agricultural triazole induces genomic instability and haploid cell formation in the human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis.PMC11960876R35 GM124594Hu THuang GJi LCao CZheng QNobile CJBing JPerry AMGuan ZLi SHuang YDu HChu HLi BfalseAn agricultural triazole induces genomic instability and haploid cell formation in the human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis.The human fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis is widely distributed in clinical and natural environments. It is known to be an obligate diploid organism with an incomplete and atypical sexual cycle. Azole-resistant C. tropicalis isolates have been observed with increasing prevalence in many countries in recent years. Here, we report that tebuconazole (TBZ), a triazole fungicide widely used in agriculture, can induce ploidy plasticity and the formation of haploid cells in C. tropicalis. The evolved C. tropicalis strains with ploidy variations exhibit a cross-resistance between TBZ and standard azoles used in clinical settings (such as fluconazole and voriconazole). Similar to its diploid cells, these newly discovered C. tropicalis haploid cells are capable of undergoing filamentation, white-2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Apr2026-06-01T18:07:13.843Z2025-07-01T03:05:33.82ZS-EPMC119608764016839410.1371/journal.pbio.3003062