Unveiling the Molecular Architecture of Candida auris Ribosome

Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen causing life-threatening invasive candidiasis and bloodstream infections (candidemia), posing significant global health challenges. Despite its importance, the protein translation in pathogenic fungi is poorly characterized. Using cryo-electron microscopy and single-particle reconstruction, we resolved high-resolution structures of the 80S ribosome from C. auris in its vacant state and in complexes with three inhibitors: cycloheximide (CHX), blasticidin-S (BLS), and geneticin (G418). We uncovered a unique substitution of a key nucleotide in the P-site of the small ribosomal subunit (C1160 in C. auris ), which may influence ribosome-tRNA interactions and translation fidelity. Comparative analysis of ribosome inhibitor interactions showed that resistance to CHX was observed in only two Candida species examined, while BLS binding displayed no significant differences between C. auris and S. cerevisiae , although C. auris was more sensitive to it. We identified that G418 exhibits promiscuous binding across multiple nonspecific sites, yet its primary interaction site at the decoding center remains highly conserved among Candida species.

These findings provide a previously uncharacterized structure of the C. auris ribosome, highlighting novel features that may be leveraged for the development of targeted antifungal therapies to combat multidrug resistance. These insights not only enhance our understanding of ribosomal inhibitor interactions but also suggest potential biomarkers for predicting antifungal susceptibility in clinical applications.