Differential alteration in Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum quorum-sensing systems and reduced Candida albicans yeast survival and virulence gene expression in dual-species interaction

• Published in: Microbiology spectrum 2024-05, Vol.12 (6), p.e0035324
• Main Authors: Xu, Zhenbo, Li, Yaqin, Xu, Aijuan, Xue, Liang, Soteyome, Thanapop, Yuan, Lei, Ma, Qin, Seneviratne, Gamini, Hong, Wei, Mao, Yuzhu, Kjellerup, Birthe V, Liu, Junyan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Candida albicans; Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum; Mycology; pathogenesis and virulence determinants; polymicrobial transcriptomics; quorum-sensing system; Research Article
• ISSN: 2165-0497; 2165-0497
• DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00353-24

( ) and subsp. ( ) are frequently identified in various niches, but their dual-species interaction, especially with in yeast form, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the dual-species interaction of and , including proliferation, morphology, and transcriptomes examined by selective agar plate counting, microscopy, and polymicrobial RNA-seq, respectively. Maintaining a stable and unchanged growth rate, inhibited yeast cell proliferation but not hyphal growth. Combining optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy, cell-to-cell direct contact and co-aggregation with cells surrounding yeast cells were observed during dual-species interaction. Reduced yeast cell proliferation in mixed culture was partially due to cell-free culture supernatant but not the acidic environment. Upon polymicrobial transcriptomics analysis, interesting changes were identified in both and gene expression. First, two quorum-sensing systems showed contrary changes, with the activation of and repression of . Second, the upregulation of stress response-related genes and downregulation of cell cycle, cell survival, and cell integrity-related pathways were identified in , possibly connected to the stress posed by and the reduced yeast cell proliferation. Third, a large scale of pathogenesis and virulence factors were downregulated in , indicating the potential interruption of pathogenic activities by . Fourth, partial metabolism and transport pathways were changed in and . The information in this study might aid in understanding the behavior of and in dual-species interaction.IMPORTANCEThe anti- activity of has been explored in the past decades. However, the importance of yeast form and the effect of on had also been omitted. In this study, the dual-species interaction of and was investigated with a focus on the transcriptomes. Cell-to-cell direct contact and co-aggregation with cells surrounding yeast cells were observed. Upon polymicrobial transcriptomics analysis, interesting changes were identified, including contrary changes in two quorum-sensing systems and reduced cell survival-related pathways and pathogenesis determinants in .