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This Article Full Text (Papers in Press[PDF]) All Versions of this Article: mic.0.021568-0v1 155/6/1997    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Paramonova, E. Articles by Sharma, P. K Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Paramonova, E. Articles by Sharma, P. K Agricola Articles by Paramonova, E. Articles by Sharma, P. K

Hyphal content determines the compression strength of Candida albicans biofilms

University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen

ABSTRACT

Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated human fungal pathogen among species causing biofilm-related clinical infections. Mechanical properties of Candida biofilms have been given no attention hitherto, despite the fact that mechanical properties are important for selection of treatment or dispersal of biofilm organisms due to a bodily fluid flow. The aim of this study was to identify the factors that determine the compression strength of Candida biofilms. Biofilms of C. albicans wild-type parental strain Caf2-1, mutant strain Chk24, lacking Chk1p , known to be involved in a regulation of morphogenesis (yeast-to-hyphae transition) and gene-reconstructed strain Chk23 were evaluated for their resistance to compression along with biofilms of C. tropicalis GB9/9 and C. parapsilosis GB 2/8, derived from used voice prostheses biofilms. Additionally, cell morphologies within the biofilm, cell surface hydrophobicities, and EPS composition, were determined. Our results suggest that the hyphae-to-yeast ratio influences the compression strength of C. albicans biofilms. Biofilms with hyphal content over 50% possessed significantly higher compressive strength and were more difficult to destroy by vortexing and sonication compared to the biofilms with lower hyphal content. However, when the amount of extracellular DNA in biofilms of C. albicans Caf2-1 and Chk24 increased, biofilms strength declined, suggesting that eDNA may adversely influence biofilms integrity.

¹ E-mail: p.k.sharma{at}med.umcg.nl