Abstract: Objectives To compare the difference of ERG11 partial promoter sequence(-440～-1)between yeast-form and hypha-form of Candida albicans,and the relation between the mutation of ERG11 promoter and the susceptibility of C.albicans to fluconazole.Methods Yeast-form and hypha-form of C.albicans genome DNA were extracted from 4 substrains C.albicans,which were isolated from a single HIV-sero-positive patient.Partial ERG11 promoters of yeast-form and hypha-form of these 4 substrains were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products were sequenced.Results There was no sequence difference between the yeast-form and the hypha-form of C.albicans in this region.Heterogeneities at position -365,-353,-328,-310,-308,-299,-295,-293,-292,290,-289 and a single base deletion (-284 delT) were found on one allele of ERG11 promoter region of fluconazole-susceptible substrains.No heterogeneities were observed in dose-dependent fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant substrains.Conclusions There is no difference of ERG11 partial promoter sequence between the yeast-form and the hypha-form C.albicans.The mutation of ERG11 promoter may be associated with the resistance of C.albicans to fluconazole.

Key words: Yeast-form, Hyphae, Candida albicans, Promoter regions(Genetics), DNA mutational analysis, Fluconazole