Role of catalase overproduction in drug resistance and virulence in Candida albicans.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of Cat1 overproduction in Candida albicans.


METHODS
Strains overproducing the CAT1 gene were constructed.


RESULTS
Cells overproducing CAT1 were found to be more resistant to some oxidants and mammalian phagocytic cells. They also showed reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species generated by amphotericin B or ciclopirox olamine. CAT1 overproduction did not change the minimum inhibitory concentration of fungal cells to fungistatic or fungicidal azoles nor to amphotericin B although increased twofold the minimum inhibitory concentration to caspofungin. The role of Cat1 overproduction in virulence and colonization was also analyzed in mouse models.


CONCLUSIONS
The overproduction of Cat1 protects against oxidants, phagocytes and certain antifungals at subinhibitory concentration but does not increase virulence in a systemic infection mouse model.
Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Elvira
E
Román
Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Daniel
D
Prieto
Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Ry
R
Martin
Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Inês
I
Correia
Group of Investigative Dermatology, University of Antioquía, Medellín, Colombia.
Ana Cecilia
AC
Mesa Arango
Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Rebeca
R
Alonso-Monge
Mycology Reference Laboratory, National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
Oscar
O
Zaragoza
Departamento de Microbiología II, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal s/n, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
Jesús
J
Pla
  ; amphotericin B; catalase; fluconazole; oxidative stress