Comparative analyses of the biological characteristics, fluconazole resistance, and heat adaptation mechanisms of <i>Candida auris</i> and members of the <i>Candida haemulonii</i> complex

<i>Candida auris</i> and the <i>Candida haemulonii</i> complex are multidrug-resistant fungi that have emerged in recent years, posing a significant threat to human health. The biological characteristics of two strains of the <i>Candida haemulonii</i> complex and one strain of <i>C. auris</i> isolated from clinical patient samples were analyzed. Our primary focus was to compare the heat resistance between <i>C. auris</i> and the <i>C. haemulonii</i> complex, with a particular emphasis on understanding the differences in the heat resistance mechanisms. The main distinction between environmental and pathogenic fungi is that the latter can survive at human body temperature. Despite their close phylogenetic relationship, the <i>C. haemulonii</i> complex and <i>C. auris</i> exhibit significant differences in heat resistance. Studying these heat resistance mechanisms may aid in our understanding of the evolutionary process of environmental fungi transforming into pathogenic fungi.