Investigations of ALS1 and HWP1 genes in clinical isolates of Candida albicans

Abstract

Aim: To explore the presence of ALS1 and HWP1 genes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Candida albicans strains. Materials and methods: By using the multiplex PCR method, the presence of agglutinin-like sequence 1 (ALS1) and hyphal wall protein 1 (HWP1) genes were investigated in 206 C. albicans strains that were isolated from various clinical samples. Phenotypic identification of slime formation by microplate and tube adherence tests was performed. Results: The presence of the ALS1 gene was detected in 53.9% of all strains, while the HWP1 gene was present in 5.3%. Slime formation was phenotypically detected in the 62.2% of the strains in which the ALS1 and/or the HWP1 gene was found, using the microplate and/ or tube adherence test. The genes evaluated were found to be present in the 76.7% of strains in which slime formation was detected by phenotypic tests. There was a moderate correlation between the presence of the ALS1 gene and the microplate method, yet there was no correlation when using the tube adherence test. Conclusion: It was concluded that various genes other than those evaluated could be present in slime formation of C. albicans, and the presence of the genes may not always be represented in the phenotype. © TÜBİTAK.