Hwp۱ gene Expression of Candida albicans and Study its role in adherence

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen found as mycoflora in the human body surfaces. Sevral genes play a crucial rule in its virulence including Hwp۱ (hyphal wall protein ۱), BCR۱ and ALS gene family. Hwp۱ gene is a responsible for coding a cell surface protein, which mediates biofilm formation in candida albicans. Here we investigated the presence of the HWP۱gene was characterised among Candida albicans isolates in women with recurrent vaginal canididasis and further we studies its role in cell adherence. We used ۵۰ Candida albicans clinical isolates resistant to Fluconazole. RNA (of samples were extracted using glass bead and lysis buffer and cDNA was synthesized using reverse transcriptase enzyme. Expression of (HWP۱) gene was analysed using reverse transcriptase-plolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The ability of adherence of the isolates with or without the expression of HWP۱ were characterized using Hela cells. Statistical analysis were performed using t-test and two-way ANOVA SPSS software. Our results showed that the HWP۱ gene were present in ۴۷ samples (۹۴%) out of ۵۰ isolates, ۲۷ samples (۵۷%) had expression of HWP۱. The result of adherence assay revealed that the isolates with the expression of HWP۱ gene and control isolates was statistically different (p<۰.۰۵). In conclusion, the isolates with the expression of HWP۱ gene has the higher ability to adhere the epithelial mucosal cell surface. Our data support a positive correlation between the expression of HWP۱ gene and the ability of adherence to epithelial cells.

Keywords:

Candida albicans , vaginal candidiasis , Hwp۱ , adherence