Treatment with fluconazole can lead to genetic changes in Candida albicans that make the fungus capable of mating. (Image: Bernardo Ramírez-Zavala/Universität Würzburg)
Under the influence of the drug fluconazole, the fungus Candida albicans can change its mode of reproduction and thus become even more resistant. Scientists at the University of Würzburg report this in the journal mBio. The yeast Candida albicans occurs in most healthy people as a harmless colonizer in the digestive tract. However, it can also cause life-threatening infections, especially in immunocompromised patients. These infections are usually treated with the drug fluconazole, which inhibits the synthesis of ergosterol in Candida . Ergosterol fulfils similar important functions in fungi as cholesterol in humans. Candida albicans can, however, become resistant to this drug.
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