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The lipid composition of azole-sensitive and azole-resistant strains of Candida albicans.

The lipid compositions of two azole-sensitive (A and B2630) and two azole-resistant (AD and KB) strains of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans were studied by using several lipid extraction procedures: no differences were observed between the lipid content or total phospholipid/neutral lipid ratios of the four strains. All contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine as major phospholipids, with smaller amounts of phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol; the relative proportions of these lipids differed between all four strains. The fatty acid composition of each major phospholipid within each strain differed, and there were also interstrain differences. A marked effect of culture growth phase in batch culture on lipid composition was observed. The major neutral lipids in each strain were triacylglycerol, non-esterified sterol and non-esterified fatty acid. The fatty acid compositions of the three fatty-acid-containing neutral lipids were distinct from each other and the phospholipids, and there were also interstrain differences. All strains possessed (lyso)phospholipase activity, which was non-specific. The proportions of triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acid did not vary between strains, but the azole-resistant strains AD and KB contained more non-esterified sterol, giving them a phospholipid/sterol ratio approximately half that of azole-sensitive strains. There appeared to be a relationship between the phospholipid/sterol ratio of exponentially growing sensitive strains and their ability to take up azole; this did not extend to the resistant strains, which either did not take up azole (AD and KB) or took it up at a faster rate (Darlington) than sensitive strains.

Candida albicans

Defective sterol C5-6 desaturation and azole resistance: a new hypothesis for the mode of action of azole antifungals.

Two azole resistant isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae carried mutations allelic to erg 3 and were blocked to differing degrees at the C5-6 desaturation step of ergosterol biosynthesis. When treated with the sterol 14 alpha-demethylation inhibitor fluconazole the wild-type sensitive strain accumulated lanosterol and 14 alpha-methyl-erogosta-8,24(28)-dien-3 beta, 6 alpha-diol (14-methyl-3,6 diol). The stringent desaturase mutant, A2, accumulated 14 alpha-methyl-8,24(28)-dien-3 beta-ol (14-methyl fecosterol) and lanosterol as the major sterol components when treated with fluconazole. Resistant isolate A3 accumulated 14-methyl-3,6-diol, 14-methyl fecosterol, and lanosterol and was only partially blocked at sterol C5-6 desaturation. We conclude that functional sterol C5-6 desaturase is required for the synthesis of 14-methyl-3,6-diol under conditions of azole inhibition. We present a new hypothesis for the mode of action of azole antifungals based on the inability of 14-methyl-3,6-diol to support growth, and suggest that growth can occur through utilisation of 14-methyl fecosterol, produced by a combination of azole inhibition and defective sterol C5-6 desaturation.

Antifungal Agents

The lipid composition and permeability to azole of an azole- and polyene-resistant mutant of Candida albicans.

Candida albicans 6.4, which is resistant to both polyene and azole groups of antifungal antibiotics, has a larger lipid content and lower polar lipid to neutral lipid ratio compared with other strains that are sensitive or resistant only to azoles. C. albicans 6.4 contains a relatively greater proportion of triacylglycerol in its neutral lipid in the exponential phase of batch culture compared with other strains, but, unlike them, does not accumulate triacylglycerols or any other stored lipid in the stationary phase. Like other strains, in C. albicans 6.4 the major phospholipids are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol, but sphingomyelin is absent; the major fatty acids are palmitic, palmitoleic, oleic and linoleic acids. In common with other C. albicans strains, strain 6.4 contains non-specific (lyso)phospholipase activity. The main distinctive feature of the lipid composition of C. albicans 6.4 is the absence of ergosterol, which is replaced by methylated sterol; mainly lanosterol, 24-methylene-24,25-dihydrolanosterol and 4-methylergostadiene-3-ol. It is suggested that the altered membrane sterol pattern provides a common basis for the double resistance by preventing polyene binding and reducing azole permeability.

Antifungal Agents

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of azole-resistant and azole-susceptible Candida albicans strains.

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was performed with the endonucleases EcoRI, BglII, and HinfI on a collection of Candida albicans strains comprising eight strains randomly selected from clinical microbiology laboratory specimens, three reported azole-resistant strains from treatment failures, and several subcultures of the azole-resistant strain NCPF 3310 (also known as the Darlington strain) received from different laboratories. The results demonstrated a diversity of the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns that were obtained and revealed that two of the proposed Darlington subcultures had patterns distinct from each other and from those of the other Darlington isolates; both were also found to have lost their azole resistance.

Azoles

Identification and characterization of non-canonical azole antifungal resistance pathways in Aspergillus fumigatus.

UNLABELLED: Human fungal infections, especially those caused by Aspergillus fumigatus, pose a significant global health threat, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Azole antifungals are the primary treatment for this pathogen; however, the prevalence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus strains is steadily increasing. Mutations in cyp51A, which encodes an enzyme involved in ergosterol biosynthesis and the molecular target of the azoles, are well established to confer resistance in this fungal species. However, additional mechanisms governing resistance to this antifungal class remain understudied and poorly characterized, despite growing recognition of their importance in clinical resistance. In this study, we investigated the genetic basis of azole resistance in A. fumigatus isolates from clinical settings worldwide, with a particular focus on mechanisms independent of cyp51A (non-canonical). Using a combination of genomic and functional approaches, including whole-genome sequencing and transcriptomic analysis, we identified novel genetic variants and characterized population structure, advancing our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of resistance in A. fumigatus. By expanding our understanding of the complex genetic and molecular factors underlying azole resistance in this important human fungal pathogen, this research is poised to inform the development of novel antifungal strategies and contribute to global efforts to combat fungal infections. IMPORTANCE: Azole antifungals are the frontline therapy for infections caused by the opportunistic mold Aspergillus fumigatus, yet resistance to these drugs is rapidly increasing worldwide. Most studies have focused on mutations in cyp51A, the canonical target of azoles; however, a growing proportion of resistant clinical isolates lack these mutations, indicating that alternative resistance mechanisms are emerging. Here, we integrate population genomics, transcriptomics, and functional analyses across a global collection of isolates to define the architecture of cyp51-independent (non-canonical) azole resistance. We show that this resistance phenotype is strongly associated with a distinct population lineage and is driven by a highly polygenic network of metabolic, mitochondrial, and regulatory adaptations rather than single target site mutations. These isolates exhibit extensive transcriptional rewiring and metabolic remodeling under azole stress, suggesting distinct survival strategies beyond canonical resistance. Our findings reveal that azole resistance in A. fumigatus can evolve through diverse evolutionary routes and emphasize the need to monitor and therapeutically target non-canonical pathways that may increasingly contribute to antifungal treatment failure.

Aspergillus fumigatus

Sterols in Candida albicans mutants resistant to polyene or azole antifungals, and of a double mutant C. albicans 6.4.

Investigations of resistant mutants could help resolve differences and similarities in the action of azole and polyene antifungals whose modes of action are related; both disrupt membrane properties, such as permeability, by interfering with membrane sterols--polyenes by direct binding and azoles by inhibiting their synthesis. Studies of laboratory-derived mutants of Candida albicans which have an altered sterol content and/or an altered sterol composition do not provide evidence for a unified mechanism of polyene resistance. Clinical isolates of azole-resistant C. albicans have an increased or unaltered content of ergosterol and are impermeable to azoles. C. albicans 6.4, a laboratory-derived mutant resistant to both polyenes and azoles, is impermeable to azoles and has an increased content of methylated sterols. This unusual sterol composition resembles that of sensitive strains grown in the presence of azoles and may prevent polyene binding.

Antifungal Agents

Cytochrome P450 of fungi: primary target for azole antifungal agents.

Cytochromes of fungi are essentially similar to those of animals. Cytochromes of fungi constitute two electron transport systems occurring in mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. The former system, called the respiratory chain, contributes to cellular respiration and ATP generation, whereas the later system, named the microsomal electron transport system, is responsible for biosynthesis of several cellular components. The oxidative metabolism of lanosterol, that is included in the biosynthetic pathway of ergosterol, is one of the important functions of the microsomal electron transport system, which is catalyzed by P450(14DM). Many azole antifungal agents avidly combine with P450(14DM) and inhibit the oxidative removal of C-32 (the 14 alpha-demethylation) of lanosterol. This inhibition causes depletion of ergosterol and accumulation of 14-methylsterols in the membrane of fungal cells. Such change in sterol composition disturbs membrane function and results in growth inhibition and death of the fungal cells. Accordingly, P450(14DM) is considered as the primary target for azole antifungal agents. Cytochrome P450, which mediates the 14 alpha-demethylation of lanosterol, is also present in mammalian cells. Mammalian cells contain various species of cytochrome P450 which are responsible for many important cellular metabolic functions. If azole antifungal agents inhibit mammalian cytochrome P450 too, their systemic use may result in potentially significant adverse reactions. The high selectivity of azole antifungal agents for fungal P450(14DM) will be necessary for their systemic application. Binding ability of an azole antifungal agent to P450(14DM) is predominantly determined by the substituent at N-1 of the azole group, and the substituent must interact with the substrate site of the cytochrome. Extensive modification of the N-1 substituents and the screening of newly developed compounds with respect to the selectivity to fungal P450(14DM) with some conventional methods will be necessary. For this project, a biochemical understanding of cytochrome P450 and other cytochromes is important.

Animals

Interaction of azole antifungal agents with cytochrome P-45014DM purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae microsomes.

Mechanism of action of azole antifungal agents was studied by analyzing interaction of ketoconazole, itraconazole, triadimefon and triadimenol with a purified yeast cytochrome P-450 which catalyzes lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation (P-45014DM). These antifungal agents formed low-spin complexes with P-45014DM, indicating the interaction of their azole nitrogens with the heme iron. Affinity of these antifungal agents for the cytochrome was extremely high compared with usual nitrogenous ligands. Upon reduction with sodium dithionite, the azole complexes of ferric P-45014DM were converted to the corresponding ferrous derivatives. Spectral analysis of these complexes suggested that geometric orientation of the azole moiety of an antifungal agent to the ferrous heme iron was regulated by the interaction between the N-1 substituent and the heme environment. CO could not readily replace ketoconazole or itraconazole co-ordinating to the heme iron of ferrous P-45014DM while triadimefon and triadimenol complexes of the cytochrome were promptly converted to the CO complexes. The inhibitory effects of ketoconazole and itraconazole on the P-45014DM-dependent lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylation were higher than that of triadimenfon. The substituents at N-1 of the azole moieties of ketoconazole and itraconazole are extremely large while those of triadimefon and triadimenol are relatively small. Accordingly, observations described above suggest that the N-1 substituent of an azole antifungal agent regulates the mobility of the molecule in the heme crevice of ferrous P-45014DM and determines the inhibitory effect of the compound.

Antifungal Agents

Reduced azole susceptibility of oral isolates of Candida albicans from HIV-positive patients and a derivative exhibiting colony morphology variation.

Approximately 50% (15/28) of a selection of oral isolates of Candida albicans from separate individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exhibited low susceptibility to ketoconazole as determined by hyphal elongation assessment. Nine of these isolates exhibited colony morphology variation or switching at 37 degrees C, of which six expressed low ketoconazole susceptibility. To determine whether colony morphology variation could give rise to derivatives with reduced azole susceptibility, several high-frequency switching variants of three HIV-patient isolates were recovered and assessed. All but one of the variants expressed similar azole susceptibility profiles to their respective parental strains. However, the C. albicans derivative 132ACR expressed significantly reduced susceptibility to ketoconazole in comparison to its parental strain 132A. In whole cells, on the basis of total growth the switched derivative 132ACR was markedly less susceptible than its parental isolate 132A to ketoconazole at 10 microM. A much smaller difference was observed with fluconazole at 10 microM, with the switched derivative 132ACR exhibiting a threefold lower susceptibility compared with the parental isolate 132A. The incorporation of [14C]acetate in control and azole-treated cells of both organisms was higher for the parental strain. When cell lysates of strain 132A and its derivative 132ACR were incubated with [14C]mevalonic acid and ketoconazole, the IC50 for 14C-label incorporation into C-4 demethyl sterols was fivefold higher for lysates of the switched derivative 132ACR compared with those of the parental strain 132A. With fluconazole the IC50 value for the derivative 132ACR was 25-fold higher than for strain 132A. The 14-sterol demethylase of the switched derivative 132ACR was possibly less sensitive to azole inhibition than that of the enzyme of strain 132A. These studies indicated that colony morphology variation in vitro can generate derivatives with stable, reduced azole susceptibility without prior exposure to azoles.

Candida albicans

Functional characterization of SHC-like triterpene cyclase genes in azole response and virulence-related traits of Aspergillus fumigatus.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a major opportunistic fungal pathogen, and increasing azole resistance poses a challenge for aspergillosis treatment. Squalene is an upstream precursor of ergosterol biosynthesis and may also be utilized by SHC-like triterpene cyclases, suggesting a potential link between squalene-associated metabolism, membrane adaptation, and azole response. However, the roles of SHC-like triterpene cyclase genes in A. fumigatus remain unclear. Here, we characterized three candidates, shc1, shc2, and shc3, using comparative bioinformatic analysis, gene deletion, phenotypic assays, azole susceptibility testing, transcriptomics, and host-interaction models. Sequence, genomic-context, phylogenetic, and structural analyses suggested divergence among the three candidates. Individual shc deletion caused limited effects on vegetative growth, whereas loss of shc1 mildly reduced susceptibility to voriconazole and posaconazole, as reflected by twofold MIC increases and lower inhibition rates. Transcriptomic analysis revealed distinct remodeling patterns, with Δshc3 showing the broadest transcriptional changes despite no detectable MIC shift. Targeted metabolite profiling and PI uptake analysis further supported an association between shc deletion, sterol/hopane-type triterpenoid balance, and membrane-associated properties. shc deletion also altered epithelial cell interaction phenotypes, while Δshc1 showed reduced lethality in Galleria mellonella. In clinical isolates, elevated shc transcription was associated with azole-resistant backgrounds. These findings suggest functional diversification among SHC-like triterpene cyclase genes and indicate that shc1 may contribute to azole-associated adaptation and virulence-related traits in A. fumigatus.

Aspergillus fumigatus

Detection of TR34/L98H pan-azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in poultry farm environments.

INTRODUCTION: Poultry farms have been recognized as environments prone to fungal contamination. However, the occurrence of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus and its cytotoxic potential remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to characterize the occurrence, cytotoxic potential, and azole-resistance profile ofAspergillus section Fumigati in poultry farms. METHODS: A total of 420 samples, including air (n = 47), electrostatic dust cloths (n = 87), bedding (n = 87), feed (n = 95), swabs (n = 87), workers' masks (n = 2), and broiler breast (n = 15), were obtained. Fungal characterization was performed through culture-based methods (27 °C and 37 °C), followed by azole resistance screening according to EUCAST guidelines. Resistant isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing and a targeted analysis of cyp51A mutations. The cytotoxicity potential of fungal isolates and environmental samples was evaluated using selected cell lines representing respiratory organs (human alveolar [A549]) and detoxification organs (swinekidney [SK]/hepatocellular carcinoma [HepG2]). RESULTS: Seven putative Aspergillus fumigatus isolates exhibited pan-azole resistance (MICs: ≥ 2 mg/L ITR/VOR; ≥ 1mg/L for POS). Four isolates carried the TR34/L98H mutation and were recovered from bedding (n = 3) and air (n = 1), suggesting the presence of resistant A. fumigatus in poultry farm matrices. Although 12% of isolates induced toxicity on both cell lines (17/145), no significant association was observed between isolate cytotoxicity and environmental sample toxicity, suggesting that additional biological and chemical components may contribute to the overall toxicological profile of farm environments. DISCUSION: The study highlights the occurrence of azole-resistant A. fumigatus in poultry farms and support integrated surveillance approaches addressing antifungal resistance and environmental exposure risks in poultry production.

Aspergillus fumigatus

Interaction of azole antifungal antibiotics with cytochrome P-450-dependent 14 alpha-sterol demethylase purified from Candida albicans.

The interaction of azole antifungal antibiotics with purified Candida albicans cytochrome P-450-dependent 14 alpha-sterol demethylase (P-450DM) was measured spectrophotometrically and by inhibition of enzyme activity. Ketoconazole and ICI 153066 (a triazole derivative) formed low-spin complexes with the ferric cytochrome and induced type II difference spectra. These spectra are indicative of an interaction between the azole moiety and the sixth co-ordination position of P-450DM haem. Both azoles inhibited the binding of CO to the sodium dithionite-reduced ferrous cytochrome, and inhibited reconstituted P-450DM activity by binding to the cytochrome with a one-to-one stoichiometry. Similarly, total inhibition of enzyme activity occurred when equimolar amounts of clotrimazole, miconazole or fluconazole were added to reconstituted P-450DM. These results correlated with the inhibition of P-450DM in broken cell preparations, confirming that all five azoles are potent inhibitors of ergosterol biosynthesis in C. albicans.

Antifungal Agents

Azole antifungal agents.

The discovery of the antifungal activity of azole compounds represented an important therapeutic advance. Miconazole, ketoconazole, and fluconazole are currently commercially available, and itraconazole has undergone extensive clinical evaluation. Because of its limited activity and toxicity, miconazole has been replaced by newer agents. Ketoconazole has proven useful in therapy for superficial infections and invasive infections caused by the pathogenic fungi. Among its disadvantages are limited absorption in the absence of gastric acid and its potential for drug-drug interactions. Fluconazole is the only azole available as oral and intravenous preparations. Unlike other azoles, it is only minimally metabolized in the liver and largely excreted in the urine as active drug. It is more effective than ketoconazole against superficial candidal infections and is the drug of choice for maintenance therapy for cryptococcal meningitis in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus. An advantage of itraconazole is its activity against aspergillosis. It is also active against many infections caused by pathogenic fungi. Other azole compounds are at varying stages of preclinical and clinical investigation.

Animals

Synergistic action of nikkomycin X/Z with azole antifungals on Candida albicans.

Fluconazole, ketoconazole and tioconazole were shown to act synergistically in vitro with the antibiotic nikkomycin X/Z on the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. The phenomenon was demonstrated using a checkerboard technique and growth inhibition experiments. The azole antifungal agents, even at concentrations not affecting growth, decreased the incorporation of the 14C-label from [14C]glucose into chitin of the candidal cell wall. After 3 h incubation with tioconazole, 1 microgram ml-1, the incorporation of the radiolabelled glucose into chitin of intact cells and regenerating spheroplasts of C. albicans was inhibited by 43% and 30%, respectively. Moreover, the relative chitin content was approximately 45% lower than that of control cells. The chitin content increased after prolonged incubation with azoles, thus confirming the known phenomenon of azole-induced uncoordinated chitin synthesis and deposition. On the other hand, azole derivatives had very little effect on the rate of nikkomycin transport into C. albicans cells. A sequential blockade mechanism of synergism is proposed.

Aminoglycosides

Positive interaction of nikkomycins and azoles against Candida albicans in vitro and in vivo.

Nikkomycins X and Z (NZ), competitive inhibitors of fungal chitin synthetase, were combined with azoles in a series of in vitro checkerboard assays to test for synergism against Candida spp. All combinations of nikkomycins and azoles tested resulted in marked synergistic activity against an isolate of Candida albicans, with fractional inhibitory concentration indices ranging from 0.016 to 0.28. No synergistic effect was demonstrable with isolates of C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, or C. krusei, though results for the latter two were suggestive of an additive effect. In survival models of mice infected intravenously with C. albicans, NZ administered singly in doses ranging from 5 to 50 mg/kg of body weight twice a day was able to delay the onset of mortality but showed no dose-response effect. The combination of NZ and the azole R 3783 administered orally in a ratio of 8:1 to 40:1 or greater (wt/wt) enhanced survival better than did the drugs given individually, but this effect was less evident for combinations involving fluconazole. In short-term organ load assays with outbred mice infected intravenously with C. albicans, high ratios of NZ to R 3783 reduced the CFU per gram in kidneys more significantly than did the drugs individually. Statistically significant reductions were not seen for short-term fungal burden assays using combinations of NZ and fluconazole in outbred mice or in inbred mice more susceptible to candidiasis. In a model of rat vaginal candidiasis, the combination of NZ and R 3783 administered either orally or vaginally was more effective than the drugs used singly. Thus, under certain conditions, combination therapy with nikkomycin and select azoles may offer promise for an increased therapeutic effect in candidiasis.

Aminoglycosides

Effects of antimycotic azoles on growth and sterol biosynthesis of Leishmania promastigotes.

Promastigotes of 36 World Health Organization reference (and other) strains of 6 species and 10 subspecies of Leishmania were cultured in the presence of 3 antimycotic azole drugs (ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole) and their population growth determined. A representative of each subspecies was also analyzed for its sterol composition. For all strains the order of azole drug activity with respect to both growth and sterol biosynthesis inhibition was itraconazole greater than or equal to ketoconazole greater than fluconazole. The inhibitory actions of the three azole drugs were greater on L. donovani and L. braziliensis subspecies and on L. mexicana amazonensis than on L. aethiopica, L. major, L. tropica and L. mexicana mexicana. The nature of the changes in sterol composition caused by the drugs was the same for all strains. The normal, major endogenous sterols of the promastigotes (5-dehydroepisterol and ergosterol) were reduced in amount to 1-2% of the total free sterols and were replaced by endogenous 14 alpha-methyl sterols and exogenous cholesterol. The changes occurred rapidly, were drug concentration dependent and coincided with growth inhibition. Six strains of those Leishmania species less sensitive to the azole drugs could be subcultured indefinitely at reduced growth rates in the presence of a ketoconazole concentration causing the same extraordinary alterations in sterol composition. This suggested that the bulk membrane functions of sterols in leishmanias can be served by 14 alpha-methyl sterols and cholesterol, albeit imperfectly, while traces of 14 alpha-desmethyl sterols are needed for uncharacterized metabolic functions.

Animals

Comparison of azoles against aspergilli in vitro and in an experimental model of pulmonary aspergillosis.

Current treatment modalities for bronchopulmonary aspergillosis are not very satisfying. We determined the in vitro activity of recently available azoles against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger. Subsequently, these agents were evaluated in an animal model of bronchopulmonary aspergillosis using A. fumigatus as test organism. In vitro, detectable activity was only found for itraconazole (all minimal inhibitory concentrations, MICs, less than or equal to 3.2 micrograms/ml). The MICs for SCH39304 were greater than or equal to 12.8 micrograms/ml and greater than or equal to 25.6 micrograms/ml for ketoconazole and fluconazole. In vivo, amphotericin B was the most active agent tested, and SCH39304 was the most active azole in terms of survival and reduction in lung weight, followed by itraconazole. Ketoconazole and fluconazole did not improve survival nor reduce the lung weight of infected animals. We conclude, (1) that in vitro activity of azoles against aspergilli does not always correlate with in vivo activity; (2) that in vivo, SCH39304 was the most active azole tested, followed by itraconazole; (3) that for those agents for which data about effectiveness in human pulmonary aspergillosis are available (amphotericin B, ketoconazole, itraconazole) antifungal activity in our model corresponds to activity as seen in human beings, and (4) that SCH39304 and itraconazole are rational choices for clinical trials in human pulmonary aspergillosis.

Amphotericin B

Inhibition of 14 alpha-sterol demethylase activity in Candida albicans Darlington does not correlate with resistance to azole.

The 14 alpha-sterol demethylase in the azole-resistant Candida albicans, strain Darlington, is less sensitive to the triazole ICI 153066 than are two azole-sensitive strains, A and B. However, there is no direct correlation between the IC50 values for triazole inhibition of the demethylase and IC50 values for growth. It appears that the basis of azole resistance in strain Darlington may not be explained solely on the basis of a lack of sensitivity of its 14 alpha-sterol demethylase enzyme, but that other target sites for azole may be altered or absent.

Antifungal Agents