Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis in the gut: synergy in commensalism?
The fungus Candida albicans and the gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis are both normal residents of the human gut microbiome and cause opportunistic disseminated infections in immunocompromised individuals. Using a nematode infection model, we recently showed that co-infection resulted in less pathology and less mortality than infection with either species alone and this was partly explained by an interkingdom signaling event in which a bacterial-derived product inhibits hyphal morphogenesis of C. albicans. In this addendum we discuss these findings in the contest of other described bacterial-fungal interactions and recent data suggesting a potentially synergistic relationship between these two species in the mouse gut as well. We suggest that E. faecalis and C. albicans promote a mutually beneficial association with the host, in effect choosing a commensal lifestyle over a pathogenic one.
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; University of Texas Health Science Center; Houston, TX USA.
Danielle A
DA
Garsin
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; University of Texas Health Science Center; Houston, TX USA.
Michael C
MC
Lorenz
D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology*; D060085:Coinfection / Q000382:microbiology*; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000378:metabolism*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism*
C. elegans; Candida; Enterococcus; hyphal morphogenesis; microbiome