Effect of Fluconazole on HWP1 and PLB Genes Expression and Antifungal Resistant Status in Candida albicans

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Ammar Abdulrazzaq Suhail, Hayder M. Samaka

Abstract

This study aims to consider the impacts of Fluconazole on HWP1 and PLB genes in Candida albicans. Six Candida
albicans isolates were included In this study; three isolates were obtained from clinical cases of systemic
Candidiasis, while the other three isolates were collected randomly from the mouth of healthy children aged 3-12
years old; all isolates were grown in two different conditions with and without Fluconazole for 24 hours (The
sensibility dose for Fluconazole was detected by the MIC method). The Vitek 2 Compact system was used to
recognize the antifungal sensitivity before and after exposure to the Fluconazole, and the qPCR technique was
used to detect gene expression levels of HWP1 and PLB genes in these conditions.
Data showed that all sensitized Candida albicansisolates to Fluconazole exhibited no statistical
differences from non-sensitized isolates and no difference between clinical and non-clinical isolates. Still, a
significant increase in the MIC cut point was noticed for Fluconazole, Voriconazole, Caspofungin and
Amphotericin-B but not Micafungin andFlucytosine. On the other hand, evident overexpression levels of the
HWP1 genes (2.95 fold-up)and PLB genes (5.9 fold up) was noticed in the sensitized isolates to the Fluconazole.
This study indicates that exposure of C. albicans isolates to a low concentration of Fluconazole leads to
an overexpression of HWP1 and PLB genes as two crucial virulence genes in C. albicans. At the same time,
Fluconazole increased the MIC for Fluconazole, Voriconazole, Caspofungin and Amphotericin-B but not
Micafungin and Flucytosine.

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