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Effect of commonly used herbicides on the virulence factor CDR1 in Candida albicans

Martin Schmidt1, Stephanie Barker, Michael Essmann

  • 1Biochemistry and Nutrition, Des Moines University, 3200 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312, USA. mschmidt@dmu.edu

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
|May 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Common herbicides, like antifungal azole drugs, increase Candida albicans virulence factor CDR1 expression only at toxic doses. This suggests herbicides do not promote fungal infections without harming the yeast.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Candida albicans is a common yeast that can cause infections.
  • Virulence factors, such as the drug efflux pump Cdrlp, help C. albicans cause disease.
  • CDR1 gene expression is induced by various stimuli, including antifungal drugs and hormones.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of common herbicides on the expression of the CDR1 gene in Candida albicans.
  • To determine if herbicides induce CDR1 expression similarly to antifungal azole drugs or hormones.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a reporter strain of C. albicans where green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression is controlled by the CDR1 promoter.
  • Quantified CDR1 expression using flow cytometry after exposing yeast cultures to varying doses of herbicides and azole drugs.
  • Correlated CDR1 expression with cell growth and survival rates.

Main Results:

  • Herbicides induced CDR1 expression in C. albicans, but only at concentrations that inhibited yeast growth and survival.
  • This induction pattern by herbicides mirrors that of antifungal azole drugs.
  • Unlike hormones, herbicides did not increase virulence without reducing yeast viability.

Conclusions:

  • The tested herbicides do not appear to enhance Candida albicans virulence in a manner similar to steroid hormones.
  • Herbicides induce CDR1 expression only at inhibitory concentrations, suggesting a stress response rather than a virulence-promoting mechanism.
  • These findings are crucial for understanding the environmental impact of herbicides on pathogenic fungi.

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