Exploring the effect of estrogen on Candida albicans hyphal cell wall glycans and ergosterol synthesis

Increased levels of 17-β estradiol (E2) due to pregnancy in young women or to hormonal replacement therapy in postmenopausal women have long been associated with an increased risk of yeast infections. Nevertheless, the effect underlying the role of E2 in Candida albicans infections is not well understood. To address this issue, functional, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were performed on C. albicans cells subjected to temperature and serum induction in the presence or absence of E2. Increased filament formation was observed in E2 treated cells. Surprisingly, cells treated with a combination of E2 and serum showed decreased filament formation. Furthermore, the transcriptomic analysis revealed that serum and E2 treatment is associated with downregulated expression of genes involved in filamentation, including HWP1, ECE1, IHD1, MEP1, SOD5, and ALS3, in comparison with cells treated with serum or estrogen alone. Moreover, glucose transporter genes HGT20 and GCV2 were downregulated in cells receiving both serum and E2. Functional pathway enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) suggested major involvement of E2 signaling in several metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The metabolomic analysis determined differential secretion of 36 metabolites based on the different treatments’ conditions, including structural carbohydrates and fatty acids important for hyphal cell wall formation such as arabinonic acid, organicsugar acids, oleic acid, octadecanoic acid, 2-keto-D-gluconic acid, palmitic acid, and steriacstearic acid with an intriguing negative correlation between D-turanose and ergosterol under E2 treatment. In conclusion, these findings suggest that E2 signaling impacts the expression of several genes and the secretion of several metabolites that help regulate C. albicans morphogenesis and virulence

Effect of energy band alignments in carbon doped ZnO/TiO2 hybrid heterojunction photocatalyst on the photodegradation of ofloxacin

The present study highlights the influence and efficacy of a self-doped carbon (C)–ZnO/TiO2 hybrid heterojunction for the photocatalytic degradation of ofloxacin (OFX) in aqueous media. The flower-like hybrid heterojunction was prepared via hydrothermal treatment at varying concentrations of ZnO and TiO2. C doping was internally introduced to the ZnO lattice by the decomposition of polyvinylpyrrolidone as a source to achieve better band alignment. A systematic investigation was performed to elucidate the mechanism of photodegradation by the heterojunction via analyzing the parameters such as composition, dosage, and pH of the system. The optimized sample 1:2 (Zn: Ti) ratio exhibited a photodegradation efficiency of 99.9% for OFX within 60 min, demonstrating a reaction rate 1.6 times higher than that of C–ZnO. Moreover, the involvement of charge carriers was analyzed through scavenging experiments. The results showed that trapping superoxide anions resulted in a 57.8% reduction in photoactivity, confirming their significant involvement in the process. The n-doping of C and subsequent defects level formation in the heterojunction hybrid was supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanism for the effective and extended photodegradation of hybrid heterojunctions was proposed by investigating band-gap using Tauc plot and valence band spectra using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The valence band spectra verified the uplift of energy bands via doping, confirming the strong reducing power of the heterojunction hybrids. Additionally, liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy was employed to perform the identification of the degradation pathway and intermediates

DataSheet_1_Exploring the effect of estrogen on Candida albicans hyphal cell wall glycans and ergosterol synthesis.docx

Increased levels of 17-β estradiol (E2) due to pregnancy in young women or to hormonal replacement therapy in postmenopausal women have long been associated with an increased risk of yeast infections. Nevertheless, the effect underlying the role of E2 in Candida albicans infections is not well understood. To address this issue, functional, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were performed on C. albicans cells subjected to temperature and serum induction in the presence or absence of E2. Increased filament formation was observed in E2 treated cells. Surprisingly, cells treated with a combination of E2 and serum showed decreased filament formation. Furthermore, the transcriptomic analysis revealed that serum and E2 treatment is associated with downregulated expression of genes involved in filamentation, including HWP1, ECE1, IHD1, MEP1, SOD5, and ALS3, in comparison with cells treated with serum or estrogen alone. Moreover, glucose transporter genes HGT20 and GCV2 were downregulated in cells receiving both serum and E2. Functional pathway enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) suggested major involvement of E2 signaling in several metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. The metabolomic analysis determined differential secretion of 36 metabolites based on the different treatments’ conditions, including structural carbohydrates and fatty acids important for hyphal cell wall formation such as arabinonic acid, organicsugar acids, oleic acid, octadecanoic acid, 2-keto-D-gluconic acid, palmitic acid, and steriacstearic acid with an intriguing negative correlation between D-turanose and ergosterol under E2 treatment. In conclusion, these findings suggest that E2 signaling impacts the expression of several genes and the secretion of several metabolites that help regulate C. albicans morphogenesis and virulence.</p