Evolution bypass of thermotolerance-associated essential genes in Candida albicans

Gene deletion mutants of Candida albicans genes GAR1 and HTR1, which are essential at human febrile temperatures, were evolved under restrictive conditions. Evolved mutants that could bypass the high-temperature essentiality of GAR1 or HTR1 were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. The majority of the HTR1-bypass mutants regained the high-temperature growth defect phenotype after being passaged at permissive temperatures. Lineages with restored high-temperature sensitivity were also subjected to whole-genome sequencing.