Impact of surface topography on biofilm formation by Candida albicans.

Katherine Lagree,William A Ducker,Htwe H Mon,Aaron P Mitchell,Alix Therese Coste

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197925

Katherine Lagree, William A Ducker + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197925

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Jun 18, 2018
Citations: 32	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Carnegie Mellon University, Virginia Tech

Abstract

Candida albicans is a fungal pathogen that causes serious biofilm-based infections. Here we have asked whether surface topography may affect C. albicans biofilm formation. We tested biofilm growth of the prototypical wild-type strain SC5314 on a series of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) solids. The surfaces were prepared with monolayer coatings of monodisperse spherical silica particles that were fused together into a film using silica menisci. The surface topography was varied by varying the diameter of the silica particles that were used to form the film. Biofilm formation was observed to be a strong function of particle size. In the particle size range 4.0–8.0 μm, there was much more biofilm than in the size range 0.5–2.0 μm. The behavior of a clinical isolate from a clade separate from SC5314, strain p76067, showed results similar to that of SC5314. Our results suggest that topographic coatings may be a promising approach to reduce C. albicans biofilm infections.

Highlights

Candida albicans is a widespread opportunistic fungal pathogen [1]
In this paper we investigate the effects of topography on biofilm formation by the fungal pathogen C. albicans
To determine whether surface topography can alter biofilm formation by C. albicans, we used a panel of colloidal crystal monolayers with particle diameters of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, or 8.0 μm

Summary

Introduction

Candida albicans is a widespread opportunistic fungal pathogen [1]. It colonizes mucosal surfaces of the human body such as the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract, where it is generally a benign commensal. Colonization makes C. albicans available to form biofilms on implanted medical devices such as urinary catheters or intravenous catheters. These biofilms serve as a source of C. albicans cells that disseminate through the bloodstream to cause invasive candidiasis [2]. The biofilm growth form of C. albicans, like that of most bacteria, is recalcitrant to treatment with many conventional antimicrobials [2]. Interventions that inhibit biofilm formation on medical devices hold promise to reduce the frequency of deviceassociated biofilm infections

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Discussion

Conclusion