Does Streptococcus oralis supernatant influence on the proliferation and virulence of Candida albicans?

• Published in: Archives of oral biology 2023-10, Vol.154, p.105763-105763, Article 105763
• Main Authors: Martorano-Fernandes, Loyse, Ricomini-Filho, Antônio Pedro, Del Bel Cury, Altair Antoninha
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biofilm; Candida albicans; Oral candidiasis; Streptococcus oralis
• ISSN: 0003-9969; 1879-1506
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105763

To evaluate the influence of Streptococcus oralis supernatant on the proliferation and virulence of Candida albicans. S. oralis supernatant was obtained by filtration of overnight cultures. Single or dual-species cultures of C. albicans and S. oralis were cultivated in both planktonic and biofilm-based models. Planktonic culture growth was measured, and mature biofilms formed on resin disks were collected to measure biofilm metabolic activity, total biomass, and cell counts. Hyphae formation (virulence factor) and biofilm thickness were analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Data were analyzed by a one-way ANOVA test followed by the Tukey posthoc test (α = 0.05). We found that S. oralis supernatant did not influence C. albicans proliferation in planktonic cultures. However, biofilms containing S. oralis supernatant showed higher cell metabolism than C. albicans monoculture biofilms and C. albicans–S. oralis dual-culture biofilms (p  0.05). However, biofilm imaging revealed enhanced C. albicans hyphae formation in biofilms containing S. oralis supernatant compared to C. albicans monoculture biofilms. Secreted metabolites in S. oralis supernatant may contribute to C. albicans metabolism and virulence. •C. albicans hyphae are enhanced in biofilms containing S. oralis.•S. oralis quorum-sensing may modulate C. albicans metabolism.•S. oralis quorum-sensing may increase C. albicans virulence.