Deciphering druggability potential of some proteins of Candida albicans biofilm using subtractive proteomics approach

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that lives as a commensal microorganism that transforms into a pathogenic form and builds a protective community called biofilms upon getting favorable conditions. The narrow range and debilitated efficiency of drug arsenals against the limited druggable target of C. albicans attracted the attention of researchers around the globe. From the proteomic database of C. albicans, 261 proteins playing functional roles during biofilm development were scrutinized through a literature survey. Upon further scrutiny, the proteins were first checked for non-homology with human proteome. After the establishment of non-homology, the protein's essentiality was established by constructing a protein–protein interaction network. Essentiality was found with two different confidence scores [High (0.7) and Highest (0.9)], and 45 and 15 proteins were selected, respectively. The highest confidence scorer 15 proteins were 3D modeled, and ligand binding grooves were predicted after structural validation. Lastly, the half-life of these 15 essential proteins was deduced, and expression levels during biofilm development were measured through a literature survey and web databases. Through the in-silico application, we established the 15 proteins as new druggable targets. The result of the study could further indicate the design of some effective antifungal drug candidates. However, these potential druggable targets need to be extended in vitro experiments and validation.