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  • An expanded toolkit of drug resistance cassettes for Candida glabrata , Candida auris , and Candida albicans leads to new insights into the ergosterol pathway
Title: An expanded toolkit of drug resistance cassettes for Candida glabrata , Candida auris , and Candida albicans leads to new insights into the ergosterol pathway
ABSTRACT The World Health Organization recently published the first list of priority fungal pathogens highlighting multipleCandidaspecies, includingCandida glabrata,Candida albicans, andCandida auris. However, prior studies in these pathogens have been mainly limited to the use of two drug resistance cassettes,NatMXandHphMX, limiting genetic manipulation capabilities in prototrophic laboratory strains and clinical isolates. In this study, we expanded the toolkit forC. glabrata,C. auris, andC. albicansto includeKanMXandBleMXwhen coupled with anin vitroassembled CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based system. Repurposing these drug resistance cassettes forCandida, we were able to make single gene deletions, sequential and simultaneous double gene deletions, epitope tags, and rescue constructs. We applied these drug resistance cassettes to interrogate the ergosterol pathway, a critical pathway for both the azole and polyene antifungal drug classes. Using our approach, we determined for the first time that the deletion ofERG3inC. glabrata,C. auris,andC. albicansprototrophic strains results in azole drug resistance, which further supports the conservation of the Erg3-dependent toxic sterol model. Furthermore, we show that anERG5deletion inC. glabratais azole susceptible at subinhibitory concentrations, suggesting that Erg5 could act as an azole buffer for Erg11. Finally, we identified a synthetic growth defect when bothERG3andERG5are deleted inC. glabrata,which suggests the possibility of another toxic sterol impacting growth. Overall, we have expanded the genetic tools available to interrogate complex pathways in prototrophic strains and clinical isolates. IMPORTANCEThe increasing problem of drug resistance and emerging pathogens is an urgent global health problem that necessitates the development and expansion of tools for studying fungal drug resistance and pathogenesis. Prior studies inCandida glabrata,Candida auris, andCandida albicanshave been mainly limited to the use ofNatMX/SAT1andHphMX/CaHygfor genetic manipulation in prototrophic strains and clinical isolates. In this study, we demonstrated thatNatMX/SAT1, HphMX, KanMX,and/orBleMXdrug resistance cassettes when coupled with a CRISPR-ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-based system can be efficiently utilized for deleting or modifying genes in the ergosterol pathway ofC. glabrata,C. auris, andC. albicans. Moreover, the utility of these tools has provided new insights intoERGgenes and their relationship to azole resistance inCandida. Overall, we have expanded the toolkit forCandidapathogens to increase the versatility of genetically modifying complex pathways involved in drug resistance and pathogenesis.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2150331
PAR ID:
10492813
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Mitchell, Aaron P.
Publisher / Repository:
American Society for Microbiology
Date Published:
Journal Name:
mSphere
Volume:
8
Issue:
6
ISSN:
2379-5042
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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