Quorum-Sensing Quenching Compounds Allium sativum, Allium hirtifolium and Allium cepa: The Probable Quorum-Sensing Quenching Compounds against Candida albicans

Abdollah Sadri¹, Alireza Khodavandi²* and Fahimeh Alizadeh³

¹Young Researchers and Elite Club, Yasooj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasooj, Iran.

²Department of Microbiology, Gachsaran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gachsaran, Iran.

³Department of Microbiology, Yasooj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasooj, Iran.

Corresponding Author E-mail: alireza_khodavandi@yahoo.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2289

ABSTRACT: Quorum-sensing quenching activityof Allium sativum, A. hirtifolium and A. cepawere screened againstCandida albicans.  The morphological responseand expression patternsofselected genes involved in quorum-sensing including transcriptional repressor gene,TUP1 and hypha-specific genesHWP1, ALS1 and ALS3were examined in C. albicansatdifferent concentrations oftested extracts based on MICs. The data indicated that all extracts exerted antifungal effects through reducing the number of yeast form and inhibiting the transition from yeast to hyphae cells. Furthermore, the expression level of transcriptional repressor gene was up-regulated at different concentrations of tested extracts, which correlated with the qualitative and quantitative assessment of C. albicans. We find hypha-specific genesexhibited changes in expression at the time intervals of tested extracts exerted antifungal effectson C. albicans. These changes are in the opposite direction exhibited in transcriptional repressor gene. These are likely to be key genes in the quorum-sensing quenchingin C. albicansduring treated with tested extracts. Together, the results provide a valuable resource to quorum-sensing quenchingmechanism in C. albicans.Given the capability of A. sativum, A. hirtifolium and A. cepaextracts to effectson C. albicans and differentially expression of transcriptional repressor and hypha-specific genes, it is suggested that the tested extractsprobably have the potential to be to be used as quorum-sensing quenchers. The A. sativum, A. hirtifolium and A. cepaextracts can be usedto develop powerful new therapeutic approaches.

KEYWORDS: ALS1; ALS3; Candidaalbicans;HWP1; TUP1

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