The impact of ERG20 and ERG9 genes on quorum-sensing and virulence traits in Candida auris

• Grant number: 24/07516-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: January 15, 2025
• End date: December 14, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy
• Principal Investigator: Kelly Ishida
• Grantee: Murilo Moreira dos Santos
• Supervisor: Leah Cowen
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Toronto (U of T), Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/08516-5 - Investigation of molecules with antifungal potential on Candida auris and Candida tropicalis: antifungal, morphophysiological and molecular effects, BP.DR

Abstract

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant species that can cause serious illnesses and public healthcare outbreaks. After its discovery in 2009, extensive research has been carried out to understand its biology, resistance profile and virulence factors. Since the description of quorum sensing molecules (QSMs) in Candida spp., farnesol and tyrosol are the most studied QSMs in signaling systems during the development of cellular communities, such as biofilms. After detection for the first time of farnesol and tyrosol in a Candida auris biofilm, data obtained in the doctorate project (FAPESP - 2022/08516-5), we now aim to study the role of key genes of farnesol biosynthesis (ERG20 and ERG9) on the expression of virulence genes, production of additional QSM's and pathogenesis in C. auris mutant strain and propose Erg9 and/or Erg20 as targets for antifungal therapy.