title: Competitive Interactions between C. albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei during Biofilm Formation and Development of Experimental Candidiasis.
abstract: In this study, we evaluated the interactions between Candida albicans, Candida krusei and Candida glabrata in mixed infections. Initially, these interactions were studied in biofilms formed in vitro. CFU/mL values of C. albicans were lower in mixed biofilms when compared to the single biofilms, verifying 77% and 89% of C. albicans reduction when this species was associated with C. glabrata and C. krusei, respectively. After that, we expanded this study for in vivo host models of experimental candidiasis. G. mellonella larvae were inoculated with monotypic and heterotypic Candida suspensions for analysis of survival rate and quantification of fungal cells in the haemolymph. In the groups with single infections, 100% of the larvae died within 18 h after infection with C. albicans. However, interaction groups achieved 100% mortality after 72 h of infection by C. albicans-C. glabrata and 96 h of infection by C. albicans-C. krusei. C. albicans CFU/mL values from larvae hemolymph were lower in the interacting groups compared with the monoespecies group after 12 h of infection. In addition, immunosuppressed mice were also inoculated with monotypic and heterotypic microbial suspensions to induce oral candidiasis. C. albicans CFU/mL values recovered from oral cavity of mice were higher in the group with single infection by C. albicans than the groups with mixed infections by C. albicans-C. glabrata and C. albicans-C. krusei. Moreover, the group with single infection by C. albicans had a higher degree of hyphae and epithelial changes in the tongue dorsum than the groups with mixed infections. We concluded that single infections by C. albicans were more harmful for animal models than mixed infections with non-albicans species, suggesting that C. albicans establish competitive interactions with C. krusei and C. glabrata during biofilm formation and development of experimental candidiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodnei Dennis
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Rossoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Júnia Oliveira
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone Furgeri Godinho
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jéssica Diane
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patrícia Pimentel
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: de Barros
authors.affiliation: Embrapa Gado de Leite, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Márcia Cristina de Azevedo
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Prata
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Anbinder
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Beth Burgwyn
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Olavo Cardoso
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mylonakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Oral Diagnosis, Univ Estadual Paulista/UNESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juliana Campos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Junqueira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms; D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D013045:Species Specificity