A comparative study on virulence factors of Candida albicans under hyphal form induced by different inducers

Abstract

Candida albicans exhibit eight genes in ALS gene family (Agglutinin-like sequence) that encode eight large cell-surface glycoproteins involved in adhesion to host cells. We have made an attempt to understand expression pattern of eight ALS family genes under hyphal form induced by environmental (Temperature (37and#730;C) and neutral pH) and nutritional (Serum, Proline, glucose and N-acetyl glucosamine) factors. Expression analysis was also correlated with structural peculiarities of ALS family genes and proteins using in silico analysis. Based on expression analysis, we could group these ALS family genes in three groups i.e. gene expressed under yeast form, hyphal form and yeast and hyphal form specific while third group is microenvironment and morphological form specific. Wherein genes were over-expressed in yeast (ALS1, ALS2 and ALS4) and hyphal (ALS3) form respectively. Third group is modulated by both microenvironment and morphological form (ALS5, ALS7 and ALS9). In general, ALS3 gene is the only gene which over-expresses under hyphal form and work as an adhesin (invasin). As the microenvironmental conditions used in this study mimic some of the In vivo microenvironment, our data can be correlated with in vivo expression of ALS family genes. Cell surface hydrophobicity increased in response to inducers at 30and#778; C while decreased at 37and#778; C in response to all inducers indicating that there is a correlation between cell surface hydrophobicity and adherence. We have made an attempt to understand structural/ molecular peculiarities of ALS family genes, using in silico analysis to correlate their over-expression under those microenvironmental conditions. However further studies are needed to validate the claim. newline