scholarly journals Identification of Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans with Increased Fitness in Colonization of the Murine Gut

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 695
Author(s):  
Rebeca Alonso-Monge ◽  
Daniel Prieto ◽  
Ioana Coman ◽  
Sara Rochas ◽  
David M. Arana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Fungal Colonization ◽  
Phenotypic Analysis ◽  
Bacterial Microbiota ◽  
Specific Trait ◽  
Strain Sc5314 ◽  
Previously Treated

The commensal and opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans is an important cause of fungal diseases in humans, with the gastrointestinal tract being an important reservoir for its infections. The study of the mechanisms promoting the C. albicans commensal state has attracted considerable attention over the last few years, and several studies have focused on the identification of the intestinal human mycobiota and the characterization of Candida genes involved in its establishment as a commensal. In this work, we have barcoded 114 clinical C. albicans isolates to identify strains with an enhanced fitness in a murine gastrointestinal commensalism model. The 114 barcoded clinical isolates were pooled in four groups of 28 to 30 strains that were inoculated by gavage in mice previously treated with antibacterial therapy. Eight strains that either exhibited higher colonization load and/or remained in the gut after antibiotic removal were selected. The phenotypic analysis of these strains compared to an RFP-tagged SC5314 wild type strain did not reveal any specific trait associated with its increased colonization; all strains were able to filament and six of the eight strains displayed invasive growth on Spider medium. Analysis of one of these strains, CaORAL3, revealed that although mice required previous bacterial microbiota reduction with antibiotics to be able to be colonized, removal of this procedure could take place the same day (or even before) Candida inoculation. This strain was able to colonize the intestine of mice already colonized with Candida without antibiotic treatment in co-housing experiments. CaORAL3 was also able to be established as a commensal in mice previously colonized by another (CaHG43) or the same (CaORAL3) C. albicans strain. Therefore, we have identified C. albicans isolates that display higher colonization load than the standard strain SC5314 which will surely facilitate the analysis of the factors that regulate fungal colonization.

scholarly journals Acquisition of multidrug resistance transposon Tn6061 and IS6100-mediated large chromosomal inversions in Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates

Microbiology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 156 (5) ◽  
pp. 1448-1458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Coyne ◽  
Patrice Courvalin ◽  
Marc Galimand
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Multidrug Resistance ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Chromosomal Inversions ◽  
Gene Acquisition ◽  
Drug Classes ◽  
Horizontal Acquisition

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major human opportunistic pathogen, especially for patients in intensive care units or with cystic fibrosis. Multidrug resistance is a common feature of this species. In a previous study we detected the ant(4′)-IIb gene in six multiresistant clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa, and determination of the environment of the gene led to characterization of Tn6061. This 26 586 bp element, a member of the Tn3 family of transposons, carried 10 genes conferring resistance to six drug classes. The ant(4′)-IIb sequence was flanked by directly repeated copies of ISCR6 in all but one of the strains studied, consistent with ISCR6-mediated gene acquisition. Tn6061 was chromosomally located in six strains and plasmid-borne in the remaining isolate, suggesting horizontal acquisition. Duplication-insertion of IS6100, that ended Tn6061, was responsible for large chromosomal inversions. Acquisition of Tn6061 and chromosomal inversions are further examples of intricate mechanisms that contribute to the genome plasticity of P. aeruginosa.

scholarly journals Robust, Comprehensive Molecular, and Phenotypical Characterisation of Atypical Candida albicans Clinical Isolates From Bogotá, Colombia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Rodríguez-Leguizamón ◽  
Andrés Ceballos-Garzón ◽  
Carlos F. Suárez ◽  
Manuel A. Patarroyo ◽  
Claudia M. Parra-Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Galleria Mellonella ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
High Genetic Diversity ◽  
Cluster Membership ◽  
Protein Mass ◽  
Molecular Tests ◽  
Well Differentiated ◽  
Clade 1

Candida albicans is commensal in human microbiota and is known to be the commonest opportunistic pathogen, having variable clinical outcomes that can lead to up to 60% mortality. Such wide clinical behaviour can be attributed to its phenotypical plasticity and high genetic diversity. This study characterised 10 Colombian clinical isolates which had already been identified as C. albicans by molecular tests; however, previous bioinformatics analysis of protein mass spectra and phenotypical characteristics has shown that this group of isolates has atypical behaviour, sharing characteristics of both C. africana and C. albicans. This study was aimed at evaluating atypical isolates’ pathogenic capability in the Galleria mellonella model; susceptibility profiles were determined and MLST was used for molecular characterisation. Cluster analysis, enabling unbiased bootstrap to classify the isolates and establish their cluster membership and e-BURST, was used for establishing clonal complexes (CC). Both approaches involved using representative MLST data from the 18 traditional C. albicans clades, as well as C. albicans-associated and minor species. Ten atypical isolates were distributed as follows: 6/10 (B71, B41, B60, R6, R41, and R282) were grouped into a statistically well-supported atypical cluster (AC) and constituted a differentiated CC 6; 2/10 of the isolates were clearly grouped in clade 1 and were concurrent in CC 4 (B80, B44). Another 2/10 atypical isolates were grouped in clade 10 and concurred in CC 7 (R425, R111); most atypical isolates were related to geographically distant isolates and some represented new ST. Isolates B41 and R41 in the AC had greater virulence. Isolate B44 was fluconazole-resistant and was grouped in clade 1. The atypical nature of the isolates studied here was demonstrated by the contrast between phenotypical traits (C. africana-like), molecular markers (C. albicans-like), virulence, and antifungal resistance, highlighting the widely described genetic plasticity for this genus. Our results showed that the atypical isolates forming well-differentiated groups belonged to C. albicans. Our findings could contribute towards developing molecular epidemiology approaches for managing hospital-acquired infection.

PCR: An Effective, Faster and Relevant Method for the Detection of Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-218
Author(s):  
Kamal Uddin Zaidi ◽  
Abin Mani ◽  
Richa Parmar ◽  
Vijay Thawani
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Antibiotic Treatment ◽  
Vaginal Swab ◽  
Genetic Identity ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Catheter Tip ◽  
Immunocompetent Patients

Background: Candida albicans is associated with infectious diseases with colonization, in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Antibiotic treatment can develop candidiasis. Objective: Evaluation of ITS 4 and ITS5 primer expression on clinical isolates of C. albicans. Methods: Fifty clinical isolates of C. albicans were collected from different sites viz. Catheter Tip (CT), High Vaginal Swab (HVS) and Urine (U). Results: Using the universal fungal primers ITS4 and ITS5, PCR produced a single monomorphic amplification at 520 bp indicating that the strains are of same genetic identity. Conclusion: This is an effective, faster and relevant method for the detection and characterization of clinically isolated strains of C. albicans.

scholarly journals Enterococcus faecalis Enhances Candida albicans Mediated Tissue Destruction in a Strain-Dependent Manner

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akshaya Lakshmi Krishnamoorthy ◽  
Alex A Lemus ◽  
Adline Princy Solomon ◽  
Alex M Valm ◽  
Prasanna Neelakantan
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Enterococcus Faecalis ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Surface Erosion ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Tissue Destruction ◽  
Fungal Invasion ◽  
Strain Dependent

Candida albicans as an opportunistic pathogen exploits the host immune system and causes a variety of life-threatening infections. The polymorphic nature of this fungus gives it tremendous advantage to breach mucosal barriers and cause a variety of oral and disseminated infections. Enterococcus faecalis, another opportunistic pathogen co-exists with C. albicans in several niches in the human body, including the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract. However, interactions between E. faecalis and C. albicans on oral mucosal surfaces remain unknown. Here, for the first time, we comprehensively characterized the interactive profiles between laboratory and clinical isolates of C. albicans (SC5314 and BF1) and E. faecalis (OG1RF and 846) on an organotypic oral mucosal model. Our results demonstrated that the two species formed robust biofilms on the mucosal tissue surface with profound surface erosion and fungal invasion. Specifically, this effect was more pronounced in the laboratory isolates than in the clinical isolates. Notably, several genes of C. albicans involved in tissue adhesion, hyphal formation, fungal invasion, and biofilm formation were significantly upregulated in the presence of E. faecalis. This study highlights the strain-dependent cross-kingdom interactions between E. faecalis and C. albicans on oral mucosa, demonstrating the requisite to study more substrate-dependent polymicrobial interactions.

scholarly journals Whole-Genome Sequences and Annotation of the Opportunistic Pathogen Candida albicans Strain SC5314 Grown under Two Different Environmental Conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thais Fernanda Bartelli ◽  
Danielle do Carmo Ferreira Bruno ◽  
Marcelo R. S. Briones
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Genetic Variability ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Comparative Genomic ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Adaptive Mechanism ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Strain Sc5314

ABSTRACT The genetic variability of the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans is an important adaptive mechanism. Here, we present the whole-genome sequences of the C. albicans SC5314 strain under two different growth conditions, providing useful information for comparative genomic studies and further intraspecific analysis.

scholarly journals Value of morphotyping for the characterization of Candida albicans clinical isolates

2005 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni M Giammanco ◽  
Maria Manuel Lopes ◽  
Roney S Coimbra ◽  
Sarina Pignato ◽  
Patrick AD Grimont ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Clinical Isolates

scholarly journals Determination of Minimum Inhibitory and Fungicidal Concentrations of Potash Alum Against Clinical Isolates of Candida albicans

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (04) ◽  
pp. 235-238
Author(s):  
Muhammad Irshad ◽  
◽  
Muhamamd Younas ◽  
Asif Ullah Qureshi ◽  
Amir Hameed
Keyword(s):  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Oral Candidiasis ◽  
Opportunistic Pathogen ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
In Vitro Susceptibility ◽  
Fungicidal Action ◽  
Broth Microdilution Method

OBJECTIVE: Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen causing oral candidiasis. Commercially available antifungal agents are effective in eliminating C. albicans, however, their toxicity and high cost are undesirable. Potash Alum is a naturally occurring salt with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Therefore, Potash Alum may be effective against C. albicans. Objective: The main objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro susceptibility of C. albicans to Potash Alum. METHODOLOGY: Swab samples from 19 patients attending the Oral medicine department of Rehman College of Dentistry were transferred to tubes containing Sabouraud Dextrose Broth. After identification of C. albicans by Gram-staining, a solution of 2-5 x 105 CFUs/mL C. albicans was prepared and subjected to MIC and MFC determination by the standard broth microdilution method. Potash alum concentrations of 5, 10 and 20 mg/mL were used. Commercially available Nystatin was used as a positive control. RESULTS: Our results showed that 10 mg/mL of Potash Alum (PA) solution was able to inhibit growth of most of the clinical isolates of C. albicans. In 5 samples, even 5mg/mL was effective in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans. Potash alum demonstrated fungistatic rather than a fungicidal action against C. albicans. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that potash alum has a fungistatic action against C. albicans in vitro. In addition, the optimum in vitro concentration of potash alum solution effective in inhibiting growth of C. albicans was found to be 10mg/mL. KEYWORDS: Candida albicans, potash alum, nystatin, antifungal HOW TO CITE: Irshad M, Younas M, Qureshi AU, Hameed A. Determination of minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations of potash alum against clinical isolates of candida albicans. J Pak Dent Assoc 2020;29(4):235-238.

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