Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 119, Issue 38, Pages -Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2211424119
Keywords
vesicles; interspecies; Candida; biofilm; symbiosis
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Funding
- [R01AI073289]
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Extracellular vesicles play an important role in mediating community interactions among cells. In this study, researchers investigated the composition and function of biofilm-associated vesicles in different Candida species. They found similarities in vesicle size and release over the biofilm lifespan, and identified a group of proteins enriched in these vesicles that are important for biofilm processes. By delivering wild-type vesicle cargo, they were able to restore mutant phenotypes and observed functional complementation in cross-species biofilm interactions. These findings highlight the significance of vesicles in shaping protective biofilm communities.
Extracellular vesicles mediate community interactions among cells ranging from unicellular microbes to complex vertebrates. Extracellular vesicles of the fungal pathogen Candida albicans are vital for biofilm communities to produce matrix, which confers environmental protection and modulates community dispersion. Infections are increasingly due to diverse Candida species, such as the emerging pathogen Candida auris, as well as mixed Candida communities. Here, we define the composition and function of biofilm-associated vesicles among five species across the Candida genus. We find similarities in vesicle size and release over the biofilm lifespan. Whereas overall cargo proteomes differ dramatically among species, a group of 36 common proteins is enriched for orthologs of C. albicans biofilm mediators. To understand the function of this set of proteins, we asked whether mutants in select components were important for key biofilm processes, including drug tolerance and dispersion. We found that the majority of these cargo components impact one or both biofilm processes across all five species. Exogenous delivery of wild-type vesicle cargo returned mutant phenotypes toward wild type. To assess the impact of vesicle cargo on interspecies interactions, we performed cross-species vesicle addition and observed functional complementation for both biofilm phenotypes. We explored the biologic relevance of this cross-species biofilm interaction in mixed species and mutant studies examining the drug-resistance phenotype. We found a majority of biofilm interactions among species restored the community's wildtype behavior. Our studies indicate that vesicles influence the development of protective monomicrobial and mixed microbial biofilm communities.
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