Self-splicing of group I intron from the 26S rRNA of Candida albicans is 
essential for maturation of the host RNA. Here, we demonstrated that the 
co-transcriptional splicing of the intron in vitro was blocked by antisense 
oligonucleotides (AONs) targeting the P3-P7 core of the intron. The 
core-targeted AON effectively and specifically inhibited the intron splicing 
from its host RNA in living C. albicans. Furthermore, flow cytometry experiments 
showed that the growth inhibition was caused by a fungicidal effect. For the 
first time, we showed that an AON targeting the ribozyme core folding 
specifically inhibits the endogenous ribozyme splicing in living cells and 
specifically kills the intron-containing fungal strains, which sheds light on 
the development of antifungal drugs in the future.