Effect of Propranolol on Hyphae Formation Signal in Candida albicans

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is known as an opportunistic pathogen that changes from a yeast form to a hyphae form in response to various outside environmental signals. The addition of propranolol inhibited hyphae formation of C albicans. Propranolol inhibited the expression of agglutinin like sequence 3 (ALS3) and ALS8mRNA, which are regulated by the cAMP-EFG1 pathway in C albicans. Propranolol did not affect the expression of CST20, HST7 or CPH1mRNA, which are components of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade in C albicans. The expression of CYR1mRNA, which encodes adenylate cyclase of C albicans, was not affected by propranolol. These findings indicated that the interruption of hyphae formation by propranolol is caused by inhibition of the cAMP-EFG1 pathway, but not effects on the MAP kinase cascade.