| Title | The novel antifungal agent AB-22 displays in vitro activity against hyphal growth and biofilm formation in Candida albicans and potency for treating systemic candidiasis |
|---|---|
| Author | Kyung-Tae Lee1, Dong-Gi Lee2, Ji Won Choi3,4, Jong-Hyun Park3,4, Ki Duk Park3,4, Jong-Seung Lee2*, and Yong-Sun Bahn1* |
| Address | 1Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea, 2AmtixBio Co., Ltd., Hanam 12925, Republic of Korea, 3Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science & Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea, 4Division of Bio-Med Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology, Seoul 02792, Republic of Korea |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 60(4),438-443, 2022, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-022-2016-0 |
| Key Words | systemic candidiasis, biofilm, antifungal drug efficacy |
| Abstract | Systemic candidiasis, which is mainly caused by Candida albicans, is a serious acute fungal infection in the clinical setting. In a previous study, we reported that compound 22h (designated as AB-22 in this study), a vinyl sulfate compound, is a fast-acting fungicidal agent against a broad spectrum of fungal pathogens. In this study, we aimed to further analyze the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of AB-22 against filamentation, biofilm formation, and virulence of C. albicans. Under in vitro hyphal growth-inducing condition, AB-22 effectively inhibited germ tube formation and hyphal growth, which are required for the initiation of biofilm formation. Indeed, AB-22 significantly suppressed C. albicans biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, AB-22 treatment inhibited the normal induction of ALS3, HWP1, and ECE1, which are all required for hyphal transition in C. albicans. Furthermore, AB-22 treatment increased the survival of mice systemically infected with C. albicans. In conclusion, in addition to its fungicidal activity, AB-22 inhibits filamentation and biofilm formation in C. albicans, which could collectively contribute to its potent in vivo efficacy against systemic candidiasis. |