Candida albicans Niche Specialization: Features That Distinguish Biofilm Cells from Commensal Cells

The fungus Candida albicans is a frequent commensal colonizer of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but is also an opportunistic pathogen. This review explores features that distinguish the colonizing and pathogenic forms of C. albicans. Candida albicans in a biofilm is used as an example of a p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current fungal infection reports 2014-06, Vol.8 (2), p.179-184
Main Authors: Herwald, Sanna E., Kumamoto, Carol A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Infectious Diseases
Internal Medicine
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine
Pneumology/Respiratory System
Section Editor
Translational Research (R Wheeler
Tropical Medicine
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Summary:The fungus Candida albicans is a frequent commensal colonizer of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but is also an opportunistic pathogen. This review explores features that distinguish the colonizing and pathogenic forms of C. albicans. Candida albicans in a biofilm is used as an example of a pathogenic form of the organism, because biofilms are a common feature of device-associated C. albicans infections. Biofilms (complex, sessile communities of cells) have been the subject of several large-scale gene expression studies. Biofilms and commensal C. albicans colonizing the murine GI tract show a variety of differentially expressed genes. Cell surface proteins encoded by these differentially expressed genes are especially attractive as targets for new clinical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment tools that are specific for C. albicans in its pathogenic biofilm state.
ISSN:1936-3761
1936-377X
DOI:10.1007/s12281-014-0178-x