Abstract
We studied the cell wall of a Candida albicans laboratory mutant exhibiting a high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; 8 μg ml−1) for caspofungin without bearing FKS1 mutations. This strain showed a reduced level of ß 1,3 D glucan (0.43×) and a higher chitin content (2.3×) than a control strain even when grown without caspofungin. No significant over- or under-expression of chitin synthase or chitinase genes was observed. However, point mutations were detected in the chitinase 2 and 3 genes. These mutations, which may affect the enzymatic activity of the encoded protein products involved in the degradation of the chitin, could have led to an increased concentration of that component, allowing the strain to compensate for its low ß 1,3 D glucan content and the effect of caspofungin.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.
This paper was first published online on Early Online on 1 December 2010.