Candida albicans is the most common human fungal pathogen. Its relationship with various bacterial species has been documented, showing an increase in host mortality in some cases and a decrease in others. The need for new antibiotics and antifungal treatments have led to studies on polymicrobial interactions and how those interactions impact host health. Interactions between microbes within the human body are inevitable, and exploring these relationships can aid in the development of novel antimicrobials and can deepen our understanding of the complex human microbiome. The relationship between C. albicans and Enterobacter bacteria have yet to be explored. Both are commensal organisms, living asymptomatically in immunocompetent individuals. The hypothesis of this study is that C. albicans and both E. aerogenes and E. cloacae have a positive relationship and work together to infect the host. In this study, the physical cell-to-cell interaction was analyzed by utilizing planktonic (free-floating) and biofilm co-cultures, performing live/dead staining, observing the effect of morphology on the interaction, and examining if Enterobacter alters C. albicans morphology. C. albicans was cultured with Enterobacter lysate to determine if Enterobacter can inhibit C. albicans without physical contact. Enzyme-linked immune assays (ELISAs) were performed on C. albicans ALS deficient mutants to ascertain their potential involvement in cell-to-cell adherence. ELISAs were also utilized to screen E. cloacae mutants for deficiency in attachment to C. albicans. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to compare expression of the HWP1 gene in C. albicans when mono-cultured versus co-cultured. Caenorhabditis elegans were used as a host model to examine the effect that co-culture has on survival and microbial burden. It was found that Enterobacter can inhibit C. albicans growth, no matter its morphology, and it is not necessary for Enterobacter cells to be present for inhibition to occur. C. albicans appears to have more hyphae when incubated with Enterobacter for 24 hours than incubated alone. Research involving ELISAs, RT-PCR, and C. elegans is ongoing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:asrf-1804 |
| Date | 07 April 2022 |
| Creators | Cornett, Abigail |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Source | Appalachian Student Research Forum & Jay S. Boland Undergraduate Research Symposium |
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