Candida glabrata mutants demonstrating paradoxical reduced caspofungin susceptibility but increased micafungin susceptibility

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2011 Aug;55(8):3947-9. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00044-11. Epub 2011 May 31.

Abstract

Echinocandins, including caspofungin (CSP) and micafungin (MCF), are highly active versus Candida glabrata (MIC of ≤0.06 μg/ml). True resistance (MIC of ≥1 μg/ml) is a rare event and strictly associated with mutations in β-1,3-glucan synthase gene FKS1 or FKS2. In contrast, we show here that mutants exhibiting reduced susceptibility to CSP (CRS; MICs of 0.12 to 0.5 μg/ml) are readily selected in vitro and, paradoxically, demonstrate increased susceptibility to MCF (MIS) ranging from 4- to 32-fold. CRS-MIS mutants were generated from all 10 C. glabrata strains tested and were tentatively identified within a collection of clinical isolates. Intriguingly, sequencing and gene disruption demonstrated that CRS-MIS is Fks independent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Candida glabrata / drug effects*
  • Candida glabrata / genetics*
  • Caspofungin
  • Drug Resistance, Fungal / genetics
  • Echinocandins / pharmacology*
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Lipopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Micafungin
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Echinocandins
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Lipopeptides
  • Caspofungin
  • Micafungin

Associated data

  • GENBANK/HQ845283
  • GENBANK/HQ845284
  • GENBANK/HQ845285