Sophie Manner
Director of studies
The use of polyhydroxylated carboxylic acids and lactones to diminish biofilm formation of the pathogenic yeast : Candida albicans
Author
Summary, in English
The vaginal microbiome of healthy women is a diverse and dynamic system of various microorganisms. Any sudden change in microbe composition can increase the vaginal pH and thus lead to vaginal infections, conditions that affect a large percentage of women each year. The most common fungal strains involved in infections belong to the yeast species Candida albicans. The main virulence factor of C. albicans is the ability to transform from planktonic yeast-form cells into a filamentous form (hyphae or pseudohyphae), with the subsequent formation of biofilm. The hyphal form, constituted by filamentous cells, has the ability to invade tissue and induce inflammation. Our hypothesis is that certain polyhydroxylated carboxylic acids, that may serve as an alternative carbohydrate source and at the same time lower the pH, function as an indicator of a nutrient-rich environment for C. albicans, which favors planktonic cells over hyphae, and thus diminish the formation of biofilm. We have shown that the biofilm formation in C. albicans and other Candida species can be significantly reduced by the addition of glucono-δ-lactone (GDL).
Department/s
- Molecular Cell Biology
- Centre for Analysis and Synthesis
Publishing year
2019
Language
English
Pages
10983-10989
Publication/Series
RSC Advances
Volume
9
Issue
19
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Topic
- Microbiology in the medical area
- Microbiology
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2046-2069