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Regulatory Role of ERG3 and Efg1 in Azoles-Resistant Strains of Candida albicans Isolated from Patients Diagnosed with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis

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Abstract

Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), caused by Candida albicans, affects women’s health and life. We aimed to explore the correlation between ERG3 as well as Efg1 mutation/overexpression and azoles-resistance, and the correlation between ERG3 and Efg1 mRNA expression in C. albicans. First, C. albicans was isolated from clinical VVC patients. ERG3 and Efg1 mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, and the expression levels of these two genes were also identified by qRT-PCR. Correlations between mutation/overexpression of ERG3/Efg1 and azoles-resistance as well as ERG3 and Efg1 mRNA expression were analyzed. Based on the ERG3 sequencing, the results showed that there were 2 missense mutation sites, 1 nonsense mutation site, and 4 silent mutation sites, while 1 missense mutation sites, 1 nonsense mutation site, and 12 silent mutation sites were found in Efg1. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of ERG3 gene in the strains sensitive to FCA, ITR or VRC were higher than those in the strains resistant to FCA, ITR, VRC (P < 0.05). While for the mRNA levels of Efg1, susceptible strains were lower than resistant strains. Besides, there was a significant linear negative correlation between ERG3 and Efg1 mRNA expression (r = − 0.614, P < 0.001).

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Basic Research Project supported by Shanxi Province, China (Program No. 201701D121171), Research and Development Key Projects of Shanxi Province (Program No. 201603D321063), Research Project Supported by Health and Family Planning Commission of Shanxi Province, China (Program No. 201601050). Meanwhile, the project was supported by the Science & Technology Innovation Foundation for Univerisities in Shanxi Province, China (Program No. 20161118).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Dermatovenereology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, NO. 382, Wuyi Road, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi Province, China

    Wenli Feng, Jing Yang, Zhiqin Xi, Ying Ji, Xin Zhu, Lu Yang & Yan Ma

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Feng, W., Yang, J., Xi, Z. et al. Regulatory Role of ERG3 and Efg1 in Azoles-Resistant Strains of Candida albicans Isolated from Patients Diagnosed with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Indian J Microbiol 59, 514–524 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-019-00833-x

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