Mating type and genotyping of Candida albicans isolated from different samples
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Candida albicans is a common opportunistic pathogen. Genotyping based on the 25S rDNA and mating type locus (MTL) allows for epidemiological and genetic profiling. This study aimed to characterize the genotypes and mating types of C. albicans isolates from various clinical sources in Iran.
Materials and Methods: Ninety-four isolates from clinical samples (saliva, urine, vaginal swabs, and skin scrapings) were cultured on CHROMagar Candida and identified by standard phenotypic methods. Genotyping was performed using CA-INT primers, and mating type analysis was conducted using MTLa1 and MTLα1 primers.
Results: In this study, 94 isolates of C. albicans from various sources were analyzed. Genotype A was the most frequent (65%), followed by genotypes C (24.5%), B (9.6%), and D (1.1%). Most isolates (97.9%) were heterozygous at the MTL locus, only two isolates homozygous (α/α).
Conclusion: Genotype A and MTL-heterozygous strains were predominant among C. albicans isolates, suggesting a consistent molecular pattern across different clinical sources and regions.
1. Bennett RJ, Johnson AD. Mating in Candida albicans and the search for a sexual cycle. Annu Rev Microbiol 2005; 59: 233-255.
2. Liang SH, Bennett RJ. The impact of gene dosage and heterozygosity on the diploid pathobiont Candida albicans. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 6: 10.
3. Kim J, Sudbery P. Candida albicans, a major human fungal pathogen. J Microbiol 2011; 49: 171-177.
4. Talapko J, Juzbasic M, Matijevic T, Pustijanac E, Bekic S, Kotris I, et al. Candida albicans-The virulence factors and clinical manifestations of infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7: 79.
5. Nobile CJ, Johnson AD. Candida albicans biofilms and human disease. Annu Rev Microbiol 2015; 69: 71-92.
6. Tamura M, Watanabe K, Mikami Y, Yazawa K, Nishimura K. Molecular characterization of new clinical isolates of Candida albicans and C. dubliniensis in Japan: analysis reveals a new genotype of C. albicans with group I intron. J Clin Microbiol 2001; 39: 4309-4315.
7. Sawadogo PM, Zida A, Soulama I, Serme SS, Guiguemde KT, Junior R, et al. Genotype analysis of clinical Candida albicans isolates using PCRs targeting 25S rDNA and ALT repeat Ssequences of the RPS and antifungal susceptibility in ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Infect Drug Resist 2019; 12: 3859-3866.
8. Jafarian H, Gharaghani M, Asnafi AA, Hardani AK, Zarei-Mahmoudabadi A. Phenotype, genotype, and mating type determination in oral Candida albicans isolates from pediatric patients with neutropenia. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36(9): e24664.
9. Mahmoodi M, Nouraei H, Nasr R, Zomorodian K, Khodadadi H, Pakshir K. Phenotypes characterization and ABC genotypes distribution of clinical Candida albicans isolates. J Clin Lab Anal 2023; 37(7): e24888.
10. Shinobu CS, Ogatta SFY, Bizerra F, Furlaneto L, Peralta RM, Svidzinski TIE, et al. Lack of association between genotypes and virulence factors in C. albicans strains isolated from vaginal secretion. Braz J Microbiol 2007; 38: 467-471.
11. Abdulrahim MH, McManus BA, Flint SR, Coleman DC. Genotyping Candida albicans from Candida leukoplakia and non-Candida leukoplakia shows no enrichment of multilocus sequence typing clades but enrichment of ABC genotype C in Candida leukoplakia. PLoS One 2013; 8(9): e73738.
12. Takagi Y, Fukano H, Shimozato K, Tanaka R, Horii T, Kawamoto F, et al. Genotypes of Candida albicans isolated from healthy individuals and their distribution in patients with oral candidiasis. J Infect Chemother 2013; 19: 1072-1079.
13. Soll DR. Mating-type locus homozygosis, phenotypic switching and mating: a unique sequence of dependencies in Candida albicans. Bioessays 2004; 26: 10-20.
14. Wu W, Pujol C, Lockhart SR, Soll DR. Chromosome loss followed by duplication is the major mechanism of spontaneous mating-type locus homozygosis in Candida albicans. Genetics 2005; 169: 1311-1327.
15. Alby K, Bennett RJ. Sexual reproduction in the Candida clade: cryptic cycles, diverse mechanisms, and alternative functions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2010; 67: 3275-3285.
16. Srikantha T, Daniels KJ, Pujol C, Sahni N, Yi S, Soll DR. Nonsex genes in the mating type locus of Candida albicans play roles in a/alpha biofilm formation, including impermeability and fluconazole resistance. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8(1): e1002476.
17. Magee PT, Magee BB. Through a glass opaquely: the biological significance of mating in Candida albicans. Curr Opin Microbiol 2004; 7: 661-665.
18. Gharaghani M, Ghatee MA, Aramesh S, Mousavizadeh A, Shokoohi G, Ansari S, et al. Antifungal susceptibility profile and molecular epidemiology of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis in Yasuj, southwestern Iran. Acta Microbiol 2021; 66: 167-175.
19. Looke M, Kristjuhan K, Kristjuhan A. Extraction of genomic DNA from yeasts for PCR-based applications. Biotechniques 2011; 50: 325-328.
20. Gurbuz M, Kaleli I. Molecular analysis of Candida albicans isolates from clinical specimens. Mycopathologia 2010; 169: 261-267.
21. Illyaaseen Z, Ngeow YF, Yap SF, Ng HF. 25S rDNA genotyping and multi-locus sequence typing of Candida albicans of pathogenic and commensal origins in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Malays J Pathol 2021; 43: 55-61.
22. Karahan ZC, Akar N. Subtypes of genotype A Candida albicans isolates determined by restriction endonuclease and sequence analyses. Microbiol Res 2005; 160: 361-366.
23. Dalvand A, Katiraee F, Jafari Joozani R, Shokri H. Genotyping of Candida albicans isolated from animals using 25S ribosomal DNA and ALT repeats polymorphism in repetitive sequence. Curr Med Mycol 2018; 4: 12-19.
24. Legrand M, Lephart P, Forche A, Mueller FM, Walsh T, Magee PT, et al. Homozygosity at the MTL locus in clinical strains of Candida albicans: karyotypic rearrangements and tetraploid formation. Mol Microbiol 2004; 52: 1451-1462.
2. Liang SH, Bennett RJ. The impact of gene dosage and heterozygosity on the diploid pathobiont Candida albicans. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 6: 10.
3. Kim J, Sudbery P. Candida albicans, a major human fungal pathogen. J Microbiol 2011; 49: 171-177.
4. Talapko J, Juzbasic M, Matijevic T, Pustijanac E, Bekic S, Kotris I, et al. Candida albicans-The virulence factors and clinical manifestations of infection. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7: 79.
5. Nobile CJ, Johnson AD. Candida albicans biofilms and human disease. Annu Rev Microbiol 2015; 69: 71-92.
6. Tamura M, Watanabe K, Mikami Y, Yazawa K, Nishimura K. Molecular characterization of new clinical isolates of Candida albicans and C. dubliniensis in Japan: analysis reveals a new genotype of C. albicans with group I intron. J Clin Microbiol 2001; 39: 4309-4315.
7. Sawadogo PM, Zida A, Soulama I, Serme SS, Guiguemde KT, Junior R, et al. Genotype analysis of clinical Candida albicans isolates using PCRs targeting 25S rDNA and ALT repeat Ssequences of the RPS and antifungal susceptibility in ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Infect Drug Resist 2019; 12: 3859-3866.
8. Jafarian H, Gharaghani M, Asnafi AA, Hardani AK, Zarei-Mahmoudabadi A. Phenotype, genotype, and mating type determination in oral Candida albicans isolates from pediatric patients with neutropenia. J Clin Lab Anal 2022; 36(9): e24664.
9. Mahmoodi M, Nouraei H, Nasr R, Zomorodian K, Khodadadi H, Pakshir K. Phenotypes characterization and ABC genotypes distribution of clinical Candida albicans isolates. J Clin Lab Anal 2023; 37(7): e24888.
10. Shinobu CS, Ogatta SFY, Bizerra F, Furlaneto L, Peralta RM, Svidzinski TIE, et al. Lack of association between genotypes and virulence factors in C. albicans strains isolated from vaginal secretion. Braz J Microbiol 2007; 38: 467-471.
11. Abdulrahim MH, McManus BA, Flint SR, Coleman DC. Genotyping Candida albicans from Candida leukoplakia and non-Candida leukoplakia shows no enrichment of multilocus sequence typing clades but enrichment of ABC genotype C in Candida leukoplakia. PLoS One 2013; 8(9): e73738.
12. Takagi Y, Fukano H, Shimozato K, Tanaka R, Horii T, Kawamoto F, et al. Genotypes of Candida albicans isolated from healthy individuals and their distribution in patients with oral candidiasis. J Infect Chemother 2013; 19: 1072-1079.
13. Soll DR. Mating-type locus homozygosis, phenotypic switching and mating: a unique sequence of dependencies in Candida albicans. Bioessays 2004; 26: 10-20.
14. Wu W, Pujol C, Lockhart SR, Soll DR. Chromosome loss followed by duplication is the major mechanism of spontaneous mating-type locus homozygosis in Candida albicans. Genetics 2005; 169: 1311-1327.
15. Alby K, Bennett RJ. Sexual reproduction in the Candida clade: cryptic cycles, diverse mechanisms, and alternative functions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2010; 67: 3275-3285.
16. Srikantha T, Daniels KJ, Pujol C, Sahni N, Yi S, Soll DR. Nonsex genes in the mating type locus of Candida albicans play roles in a/alpha biofilm formation, including impermeability and fluconazole resistance. PLoS Pathog 2012; 8(1): e1002476.
17. Magee PT, Magee BB. Through a glass opaquely: the biological significance of mating in Candida albicans. Curr Opin Microbiol 2004; 7: 661-665.
18. Gharaghani M, Ghatee MA, Aramesh S, Mousavizadeh A, Shokoohi G, Ansari S, et al. Antifungal susceptibility profile and molecular epidemiology of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis in Yasuj, southwestern Iran. Acta Microbiol 2021; 66: 167-175.
19. Looke M, Kristjuhan K, Kristjuhan A. Extraction of genomic DNA from yeasts for PCR-based applications. Biotechniques 2011; 50: 325-328.
20. Gurbuz M, Kaleli I. Molecular analysis of Candida albicans isolates from clinical specimens. Mycopathologia 2010; 169: 261-267.
21. Illyaaseen Z, Ngeow YF, Yap SF, Ng HF. 25S rDNA genotyping and multi-locus sequence typing of Candida albicans of pathogenic and commensal origins in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Malays J Pathol 2021; 43: 55-61.
22. Karahan ZC, Akar N. Subtypes of genotype A Candida albicans isolates determined by restriction endonuclease and sequence analyses. Microbiol Res 2005; 160: 361-366.
23. Dalvand A, Katiraee F, Jafari Joozani R, Shokri H. Genotyping of Candida albicans isolated from animals using 25S ribosomal DNA and ALT repeats polymorphism in repetitive sequence. Curr Med Mycol 2018; 4: 12-19.
24. Legrand M, Lephart P, Forche A, Mueller FM, Walsh T, Magee PT, et al. Homozygosity at the MTL locus in clinical strains of Candida albicans: karyotypic rearrangements and tetraploid formation. Mol Microbiol 2004; 52: 1451-1462.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 18 No 3 (2026) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v18i3.21669 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Candida albicans Genotyping Mating type Homozygosity Heterozygosity | ||
| Rights and permissions | |
|
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Karimpour A, Gharaghani M, Hardani AK, Jafarian H, Zarei Mahmoudabadi A. Mating type and genotyping of Candida albicans isolated from different samples. Iran J Microbiol. 2026;18(3):422-427.
