Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: The emergence of Candida strains carrying FKS1 hotspot mutations associated with resistance to echinocandins is cause for concern. However, to assess the potential of such strains to spread within the community and cause lethal infection, the impact of FKS1 mutations on Candida fitness must be determined. We present evidence that C. albicans fks1 mutations carry significant fitness and virulence costs, which are associated with the production of a thickened, chitin-rich cell wall, impaired filamentation and induction of a dampened inflammatory response. If these phenotypic changes remain stable, they can serve as a basis for rational design of strategies to control the spread of echinocandin resistance.
Source: Virulence
Authors: Ronen Ben-Ami, Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis
Institution: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,557
OpenAlex ID: W1992670593