{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Comparative Genomics of the First Resistant Candida auris Strain Isolated in Mexico: Phylogenomic and Pan-Genomic Analysis and Mutations Associated with Antifungal Resistance.
{Author}: Casimiro-Ramos A;Bautista-Crescencio C;Vidal-Montiel A;González GM;Hernández-García JA;Hernández-Rodríguez C;Villa-Tanaca L;
{Journal}: J Fungi (Basel)
{Volume}: 10
{Issue}: 6
{Year}: 2024 May 30
{Factor}: 5.724
{DOI}: 10.3390/jof10060392
{Abstract}: Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant and opportunistic pathogenic yeast. Whole-genome sequencing analysis has defined five major clades, each from a distinct geographic region. The current study aimed to examine the genome of the C. auris 20-1498 strain, which is the first isolate of this fungus identified in Mexico. Based on whole-genome sequencing, the draft genome was found to contain 70 contigs. It had a total genome size of 12.86 Mbp, an N50 value of 1.6 Mbp, and an average guanine-cytosine (GC) content of 45.5%. Genome annotation revealed a total of 5432 genes encoding 5515 proteins. According to the genomic analysis, the C. auris 20-1498 strain belongs to clade IV (containing strains endemic to South America). Of the two genes (ERG11 and FKS1) associated with drug resistance in C. auris, a mutation was detected in K143R, a gene located in a mutation hotspot of ERG11 (lanosterol 14-α-demethylase), an antifungal drug target. The focus on whole-genome sequencing and the identification of mutations linked to the drug resistance of fungi could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets and new antifungal compounds.