Estrogen effects on Candida albicans: a potential virulence-regulating mechanism.
Three Candida albicans strains were tested in the presence of 17-beta-estradiol (10-6 M and 10-9 M) for increased growth and for enhanced survival during incubation at nonpermissive temperatures. All 3 test organisms showed increased growth in the presence of estradiol compared with estrogen-free controls. Likewise, all 3 strains, when treated with estradiol, survived incubation at 48 degrees C better than did controls. Cytoplasmic extracts were probed with an anti-hsp90 antibody, and results suggested that intracellular hsp90 was up-regulated in the presence of 10-9 M 17-beta-estradiol. The results were confirmed by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with primers specific for C. albicans hsp90. A kinetic study revealed that peak hsp90 expression occurred within 2 h of exposure to 17-beta-estradiol. In addition, estrogen increased the amount of cdr1 (Candida multidrug resistance) mRNA compared with cells not treated with estrogen. Coumarin and phenol also up-regulated hsp90 and cdr1 mRNAs, indicating that the estrogen-sensing and -response systems in C. albicans may lack specificity.
Zhang
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X
Division of University Research, Infectious Disease Research Laboratory, Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center, Des Moines, IA 50312, USA.
Essmann
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M
Burt
E T
ET
Larsen
B
B
D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003374:Coumarins / Q000494:pharmacology; D017931:DNA Primers; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D019800:Phenol / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation
C094693:CDR1 protein, Candida albicans; D003374:Coumarins; D017931:DNA Primers; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019800:Phenol; D004958:Estradiol; C030123:coumarin