Biofilm formation by fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans strains is inhibited by fluconazole.
OBJECTIVE
The fungal pathogen Candida albicans forms biofilms on implanted medical devices, resulting in infections with high mortality. Fully developed biofilms, which are adherent communities of microorganisms, characteristically exhibit high resistance to antimicrobial drugs, making treatment of device-associated infection problematic. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the addition of the azole antifungal fluconazole on the initiation of biofilm formation by both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant C. albicans strains.


RESULTS
Our data reported here show that biofilm formation by both fluconazole-susceptible and fluconazole-resistant C. albicans strains was inhibited when fluconazole was present. For the fluconazole-susceptible strains, inhibition of growth due to the presence of the antifungal drug probably prevented the acquisition of high-level fluconazole resistance. However, for fluconazole-resistant strains, the inhibition of biofilm development was unexpected.


CONCLUSIONS
Unexpectedly, fluconazole inhibited biofilm formation by a variety of laboratory isolated and clinically isolated fluconazole-resistant strains.
Bruzual
Igor
I
Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Riggle
Perry
P
Hadley
Susan
S
Kumamoto
Carol A
CA
D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D025141:Drug Resistance, Fungal; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C118102:HWP1 protein, Candida albicans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D015725:Fluconazole