Lineage-specific adaptation and resistance in Candida albicans.

Lineage-specific adaptation and resistance in Candida albicans are linked to distinct genomic signatures, with resistance variants concentrated in specific clades and ecological adaptations showing lineage markers.

• Why it matters: Understanding the relationship between population structure, ecological niches, and antifungal resistance in C. albicans is crucial for developing targeted treatments and managing resistance.
• What they did: Whole-genome sequencing of 591 isolates was combined with phylogenomic, ecological, and resistance gene analyses, revealing 18 nuclear clusters, admixed lineages, and gene-specific resistance patterns.
• The result: Resistance-associated variants are rare but cluster within specific lineages, and ecological adaptations correlate with diversifying selection in mitochondrial residues, highlighting lineage-specific evolutionary processes.