title: Interspecies variation in Candida biofilm formation studied using the Calgary biofilm device.
abstract: An in vitro assay to study multiple Candida biofilms, in parallel, has been carried out using the Calgary biofilm device (CBD). We here report: i) standardization of the CBD for Candida albicans biofilm formation, ii) kinetics of C. albicans biofilm formation, iii) biofilm formation by five Candida species, and iv) effect of dietary carbohydrates on biofilm formation. The biofilm metabolic activity on all CBD pegs was similar (p=0.6693) and C. albicans biofilm formation revealed slow growth up to 36 h and significantly higher growth up to 48 h (p<0.001). Significant differences in total biofilm metabolic activity were seen for glucose, fructose and lactose grown C. albicans compared with sucrose and maltose grown yeasts. Candida krusei developed the largest biofilm mass (p<0.05) relative to C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. dubliniensis and C. tropicalis. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that C. krusei produced a thick multilayered biofilm of pseudohyphal forms embedded within the polymer matrix, whereas C. albicans, C. dubliniensis and C. tropicalis biofilms consisted of clusters or chains of cells with sparse extracellular matrix material. We conclude that CBD is a useful, simple, low cost miniature device for parallel study of Candida biofilms and factors modulating this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Oral Bio-sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Parahitiyawa
authors.forename: Y H
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Samaranayake
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Samaranayake
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: P W K
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Tsang
authors.forename: B P K
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: J Y Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.forename: S K W
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000592:standards*; D002175:Candida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates