Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are closely related pathogenic Candida species. Comparative genomic analysis has revealed striking similarities between the two, yet significant differences exist.
The key difference between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis is their tolerance to thermal, osmotic, and oxidative stress. Candida albicans is a pathogenic species that is far more tolerant of thermal, osmotic, and oxidative stress, while Candida dubliniensis is a pathogenic species that is less tolerant of thermal, osmotic, and oxidative stress. In addition, C. albicans is far more prevalent in human infection and has been shown to be more pathogenic.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Candida Albicans
3. What is Candida Dubliniensis
4. Similarities – Candida Albicans and Candida Dubliniensis
5. Candida Albicans vs Candida Dubliniensis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Candida Albicans and Candida Dubliniensis
7. FAQ – Candida Albicans and Candida Dubliniensis
What is Candida Albicans?
Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast species found in human gut flora. It is usually a commensal. It is also possible to find it outside the human body, and it can be detected in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth in 40–60% of healthy adults as well. C. albicans can become pathogenic in immunocompromised individuals under different conditions. It is the most common Candida species that causes candidiasis due to the overgrowth of this fungus. Furthermore, it is the most common fungal species isolated from biofilms formed on permanently implanted medical devices or on human tissue.
What is Candida Dubliniensis?
Candida dubliniensis is an opportunistic pathogen originally isolated from AIDS patients. It can also be found in immunocompetent individuals. It is most commonly isolated from oral cavities and occasionally from other anatomical sites. C. dubliniensis is found around the world and has been described as a separate species in 1995. C. dubliniensis is closely related to C. albicans and shares a number of characteristics. However, most C. albicans strains grow at 42 °C temperature while C. dubliniensis does not grow at temperatures above this.
C. dubliniensisisolates are susceptible to itraconazole, ketoconazole and amphotericin B. Furthermore, many isolates of C. dubliniensis are sensitive to fluconazole.
What are the Similarities Between Candida Albicans and Candida Dubliniensis?
- Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are highly related pathogenic Candida species.
- Both are categorized under the genus Candida.
- They are opportunistic fungal pathogens.
- Both are mainly found in immunocompromised people.
- They are sensitive to antifungal drugs.
Comparing the Difference Between Candida Albicans and Candida Dubliniensis
Definition
- Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast species in the Candida genus with a 16Mb genome.
- Candida dubliniensis is an opportunistic pathogenic yeast species in the Candida genus with a 14.6 Mb genome.
Prevalence and Pathogenicity
- Candida albicans is far more prevalent in human infection and has been shown to be more pathogenic.
- Candida dubliniensis is less prevalent in human infection and has been shown to be less pathogenic.
Genome Characteristics
- Candida albicans shows the expansion of virulence-related gene families (e.g., ALS and SAP).
- Candida dubliniensis shows increased levels of pseudogenisation.
Diseases Caused
- Candida albicans cause superficial and local infections in the mouth and vagina, systemic fungal infections in immunocompromised patients and Crohn’s disease.
- Candida dubliniensis cause vulvovaginal candidiasis and infectious meningitis.
Sensitive to
- Candida albicans is sensitive to Amphotericin B, echinocandin, fluconazole, nystatin and clotrimazole.
- Candida dubliniensis is sensitive to Itraconazole, ketoconazoleand amphotericin B and fluconazole.
The infographic below presents the differences between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Candida Albicans vs Candida Dubliniensis
Candida is a genus of yeasts. Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis are highly related pathogenic Candida species categorized under the genus Candida. Both are opportunistic fungal pathogens. However, Candida albicans is far more tolerant to thermal, osmotic, and oxidative stress, while Candida dubliniensis is less tolerant to thermal, osmotic, and oxidative stress. Moreover, C. albicans has a 16 Mb genome, whereas C. dubliniensis has a 16 Mb genome. This summarises the difference between Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis.
FAQ: Candida Albicans and Candida Dubliniensis
1. What are the symptoms of Candida dubliniens?
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Diarrheal illness, thrush, bloating, gas, intestinal cramps, rectal itching, altered bowel habits, chronic fatigue, mood disorders, and malaise are different symptoms associated with different diseases caused by the infection of dubliniensis.
2. Is Candida dubliniensis resistant to fluconazole?
- C. dubliniensis is inherently susceptible to commonly used antifungal drugs. Therefore, many isolates of C. dubliniens are sensitive to fluconazole. Fluconazole is an oral tablet used to treat a variety of fungal and yeast infections.
3. Is Candida albicans also called thrush?
- Candida can grow, multiply, and infect the mouth, throat, and esophagus. When candida infection happens in the mouth and throat, it is known as thrush or oropharyngeal candidiasis.
4. Which Candida is most drug-resistant?
Among different Candida species, C. auris is the most multidrug-resistant species. C. auris is known to cause invasive infections and healthcare-associated outbreaks around the world.
5. What are the strongest antifungal drugs for Candida?
Fluconazole, nystatin, miconazole nitrate, and clotrimazole are strong antifungal drugs that can be used to treat fungal infections, especially infections caused by Candida.
Reference:
1. Sullivan, D, and D Coleman. “Candida Dubliniensis: Characteristics and Identification.” Journal of Clinical Microbiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
2. “Candida Albicans: Infections, Symptoms, and Treatments.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Candida albicans (optic microscope)” By David Arqueas – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Candida dubliniensis growing on ChromID Candida 2 Agar” By Nathan Reading (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED) via Flickr