Systems biology approach to understanding azole resistance mechanisms in Candida albicans

Paul K. Yu

De La Salle University

"Systems biology approach to understanding azole resistance mechanisms in Candida albicans"

The significant increase in fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans calls for a need to search for other possible drug targets. In this study, we constructed a mathematical model, based from the data collected from the literature, of the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway in C. albicans. Interestingly, we found an increase in the susceptibility of C. albicans to fluconazole with increasing concentrations of the sterol-methyltransferase enzyme, making it a potential drug target as an adjunct to fluconazole.
Additional authors: Angelyn R. Lao (Department of Mathematics and Statistics, De La Salle University); Llewelyn M. Espiritu (Department of Biology, De La Salle University)

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