Dataset Information

Fungal ?-1,3-glucan increases ofloxacin tolerance of Escherichia coli in a polymicrobial E. coli/Candida albicans biofilm.

ABSTRACT: In the past, biofilm-related research has focused mainly on axenic biofilms. However, in nature, biofilms are often composed of multiple species, and the resulting polymicrobial interactions influence industrially and clinically relevant outcomes such as performance and drug resistance. In this study, we show that Escherichia coli does not affect Candida albicans tolerance to amphotericin or caspofungin in an E. coli/C. albicans biofilm. In contrast, ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli is significantly increased in a polymicrobial E. coli/C. albicans biofilm compared to its tolerance in an axenic E. coli biofilm. The increased ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli is mainly biofilm specific, as ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli is less pronounced in polymicrobial E. coli/C. albicans planktonic cultures. Moreover, we found that ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli decreased significantly when E. coli/C. albicans biofilms were treated with matrix-degrading enzymes such as the ?-1,3-glucan-degrading enzyme lyticase. In line with a role for ?-1,3-glucan in mediating ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli in a biofilm, we found that ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli increased even more in E. coli/C. albicans biofilms consisting of a high-?-1,3-glucan-producing C. albicans mutant. In addition, exogenous addition of laminarin, a polysaccharide composed mainly of poly-?-1,3-glucan, to an E. coli biofilm also resulted in increased ofloxacin tolerance. All these data indicate that ?-1,3-glucan from C. albicans increases ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli in an E. coli/C. albicans biofilm.

SUBMITTER: De Brucker K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4432160 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Fungal β-1,3-glucan increases ofloxacin tolerance of Escherichia coli in a polymicrobial E. coli/Candida albicans biofilm.

De Brucker Katrijn K Tan Yulong Y Vints Katlijn K De Cremer Kaat K Braem Annabel A Verstraeten Natalie N Michiels Jan J Vleugels Jef J Cammue Bruno P A BP Thevissen Karin K

Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy 20150309 6

In the past, biofilm-related research has focused mainly on axenic biofilms. However, in nature, biofilms are often composed of multiple species, and the resulting polymicrobial interactions influence industrially and clinically relevant outcomes such as performance and drug resistance. In this study, we show that Escherichia coli does not affect Candida albicans tolerance to amphotericin or caspofungin in an E. coli/C. albicans biofilm. In contrast, ofloxacin tolerance of E. coli is significant ...[more]

PMID: 25753645

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Project description:Polymicrobial biofilms play important roles in oral and systemic infections. The oral plaque bacterium Streptococcus gordonii is known to attach to the hyphal cell wall of the fungus Candida albicans to form corn-cob like structures in biofilms. However, the role of C. albicans in formation of polymicrobial biofilms is not completely understood. The objective of this study was to determine the role of C. albicans transcription factors in regulation of polymicrobial biofilms and antibiotic tolerance of S. gordonii. The proteins secreted by C. albicans and S. gordonii in mixed planktonic cultures were determined using mass spectrometry. Antibiotic tolerance of S. gordonii to ampicillin and erythromycin was determined in mixed cultures and mixed biofilms with C. albicans. Additionally, biofilm formation of S. gordonii with C. albicans knock-out mutants of 45 transcription factors that affect cell wall integrity, filamentous growth and biofilm formation was determined. Furthermore, these mutants were also screened for antibiotic tolerance in mixed biofilms with S. gordonii. Analysis of secreted proteomes resulted in the identification of proteins being secreted exclusively in mixed cultures. Antibiotic testing showed that S. gordonii had significantly increased survival in mixed planktonic cultures with antibiotics as compared to single cultures. C. albicans mutants of transcription factors Sfl2, Brg1, Leu3, Cas5, Cta4, Tec1, Tup1, Rim101 and Efg1 were significantly affected in mixed biofilm formation. Also mixed biofilms of S. gordonii with mutants of C. albicans transcription factors, Tec1 and Sfl2, had significantly reduced antibiotic tolerance as compared to control cultures. Our data indicates that C. albicans may have an important role in mixed biofilm formation as well as antibiotic tolerance of S. gordonii in polymicrobial biofilms. C. albicans may play a facilitating role than being just an innocent bystander in oral biofilms and infections.

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Dataset Information

Fungal ?-1,3-glucan increases ofloxacin tolerance of Escherichia coli in a polymicrobial E. coli/Candida albicans biofilm.

Publications

Fungal β-1,3-glucan increases ofloxacin tolerance of Escherichia coli in a polymicrobial E. coli/Candida albicans biofilm.

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