Ergosterol-depleted clinical isolates of Nakaseomyces glabratus can develop multi-drug resistance without apparent fitness and virulence defects.

Aldejohann AM, Thielemann N, Zurita AM, Müller C, Gräfenhan T, Kriz R, Lagler H, Behr IS, Reus N, Schöninger A, Walther G, Mazan LM, Wilhelm H, Willinger B, Cuomo CA, Kurzai O, Martin R (2025) Ergosterol-depleted clinical isolates of Nakaseomyces glabratus can develop multi-drug resistance without apparent fitness and virulence defects. bioRxiv ,

Abstract

Nakaseomyces glabratus (formerly Candida glabrata) is a leading cause of invasive candidiasis and rapidly develops antifungal drug resistance during treatment. An increasing number of clinical isolates shows reduced susceptibility to echinocandins and azoles, leaving amphotericin B (AMB) as a last therapeutic option. Resistance of N. glabratus to this drug is rare and its underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. Here, we describe two independent multidrug resistant (MDR) bloodstream isolates displaying resistance to AMB and anidulafungin (ANF) as well as a reduced susceptibility to azoles.

Leibniz-HKI-Authors

Oliver Kurzai
Grit Walther

Identifier

doi: 10.1101/2025.08.28.672802

PMID: 40909714