A Deep Learning Approach to Capture the Essence of Candida albicans Morphologies

Bettauer, Van; Costa, Anna Carolina Borges Pereira; Omran, Raha Parvizi; Massahi, Samira; Kirbizakis, Eftyhios; Simpson, Shawn E.; Dumeaux, Vanessa; Law, Chris; Whiteway, Malcolm; Hallett, Michael

doi:10.1128/spectrum.01472-22

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 84 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, an explanation for this phenomenon can be that C. albicans displays the ability to transition among different morphological forms, such as yeast, pseudohyphae, and hyphae, which is in agreement with what is stated above [80,81]. This morphological flexibility, also known as morphological plasticity, enables the fungus to adjust to diverse environments, enhancing its capacity to establish persistent infections and contribute to its resistance compared to other Candida species [80,81]. The CH polymer did not show activity for the tested bacteria or yeast in the concentration range evaluated, which is in line with the findings of Davoodbasha et al (2018), who found MIC values for E. coli and S. aureus between concentrations of 80 and 160 µg/mL and high MIC values for C. albicans [82].…”

Section: Antimicrobial Activity Of Ag-nps and The Developed Nanoconju...supporting

confidence: 91%

“…Nucleatum, S. aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus oralis, and Veillonella dispar, and found that the bacterial strains were more susceptible to their Ag-NPs [78]. Moreover, an explanation for this phenomenon can be that C. albicans displays the ability to transition among different morphological forms, such as yeast, pseudohyphae, and hyphae, which is in agreement with what is stated above [80,81]. This morphological flexibility, also known as morphological plasticity, enables the fungus to adjust to diverse environments, enhancing its capacity to establish persistent infections and contribute to its resistance compared to other Candida species [80,81].…”

Section: Antimicrobial Activity Of Ag-nps and The Developed Nanoconju...supporting

confidence: 88%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Silver and Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomplexes to Enhance Biocidal Effects

Pereira,

Ferreira,

Ramírez-Rodríguez

et al. 2024

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major problem over the years and threatens to remain in the future, at least until a solution is found. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) and antimicrobial polymers (APs) are known for their antimicrobial properties and can be considered an alternative approach to fighting resistant microorganisms. Hence, the main goal of this research is to shed some light on the antimicrobial properties of Ag-NPs and APs (chitosan (CH), poly-L-lysine (PLL), ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PLL), and dopamine (DA)) when used alone and complexed to explore the potential enhancement of the antimicrobial effect of the combination Ag-NPs + Aps. The resultant nanocomplexes were chemically and morphologically characterized by UV-visible spectra, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, the Ag-NPs, APs, and Ag-NPs + APs nanocomplexes were tested against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, as well as the fungi Candida albicans (C. albicans). Overall, the antimicrobial results showed potentiation of the activity of the nanocomplexes with a focus on C. albicans. For the biofilm eradication ability, Ag-NPs and Ag-NPs + DA were able to significantly remove S. aureus preformed biofilm, and Ag-NPs + CH were able to significantly destroy C. albicans biofilm, with both performing better than Ag-NPs alone. Overall, we have proven the successful conjugation of Ag-NPs and APs, with some of these formulations showing potential to be further investigated for the treatment of microbial infections.

show abstract

Section: Antimicrobial Activity Of Ag-nps and The Developed Nanoconju...supporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Antimicrobial Activity Of Ag-nps and The Developed Nanoconju...supporting

confidence: 88%

Silver and Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomplexes to Enhance Biocidal Effects

Pereira,

Ferreira,

Ramírez-Rodríguez

et al. 2024

IJMS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Control staining with CW allowed for cell visualization regardless of their respective viability and vitality states. Moreover, since this dye is specific for cell wall chitin, alterations in cell morphology after treatments could also be evaluated [ 5 , 6 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Died or Not Dyed: Assessment of Viability and Vitality Dyes on Planktonic Cells and Biofilms from Candida parapsilosis

Arévalo-Jaimes,

Torrents

2024

JoF

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Viability and vitality assays play a crucial role in assessing the effectiveness of novel therapeutic approaches, with stain-based methods providing speed and objectivity. However, their application in yeast research lacks consensus. This study aimed to assess the performance of four common dyes on C. parapsilosis planktonic cells as well as sessile cells that form well-structured biofilms (treated and not treated with amphotericin B). Viability assessment employed Syto-9 (S9), thiazole orange (TO), and propidium iodide (PI). Metabolic activity was determined using fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and FUN-1. Calcofluor white (CW) served as the cell visualization control. Viability/vitality percentage of treated samples were calculated for each dye from confocal images and compared to crystal violet and PrestoBlue results. Heterogeneity in fluorescence intensity and permeability issues were observed with S9, TO, and FDA in planktonic cells and biofilms. This variability, influenced by cell morphology, resulted in dye-dependent viability/vitality percentages. Notably, PI and FUN-1 exhibited robust C. parapsilosis staining, with FUN-1 vitality results comparable to PrestoBlue. Our finding emphasizes the importance of evaluating dye permeability in yeast species beforehand, incorporating cell visualization controls. An improper dye selection may lead to misinterpreting treatment efficacy.

show abstract

“…

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to generate different phenotypes in response to environmental stimuli, allows microorganisms to adapt quickly to their changing environment and thrive in specific ecological niches. The human pathogenic yeast Candida albicans can switch among various morphological phenotypes in response to different environmental cues (Bettauer et al, 2022). This ability to grow in different forms is crucial for its commensal lifestyle and pathogenicity (Noble et al, 2017).

…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The transcription factor Ofi1 is critical for white‐opaque switching in natural MTLa/α isolates of Candida albicans

Cui,

Yang,

Gong

et al. 2024

Molecular Microbiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Candida albicans, an opportunistic fungal pathogen, is able to switch between two distinct cell types: white and opaque. While white‐to‐opaque switching is typically repressed by the a1/α2 heterodimer in MTLa/α cells, it was recently reported that switching can also occur in some natural MTLa/α strains under certain environmental conditions. However, the regulatory program governing white‐opaque switching in MTLa/α cells is not fully understood. Here, we collected 90 clinical isolates of C. albicans, 16 of which possess the ability to form opaque colonies. Among the known regulators implicated in white‐opaque switching, only OFI1 exhibited significantly higher expression in these 16 strains compared to the reference strain SC5314. Importantly, ectopic expression of OFI1 in both clinical isolates and laboratory strains promoted switching frequency even in the absence of N‐acetylglucosamine and high CO2, the optimal condition for white‐to‐opaque switching in MTLa/α strains. Deleting OFI1 resulted in a reduction in opaque‐formation frequency and the stability of the opaque cell in MTLa/α cells. Ofi1 binds to the promoters of WOR1 and WOR3 to induce their expression, which facilitates white‐to‐opaque switching. Ofi1 is conserved across the CTG species. Altogether, our study reported the identification of a transcription factor Ofi1 as the critical regulator that promotes white‐to‐opaque switching in natural MTLa/α isolates of C. albicans.

show abstract

A Deep Learning Approach to Capture the Essence of Candida albicans Morphologies

Abstract: The fungus Candida albicans can “shape shift” between 12 morphologies in response to environmental variables. The cytoprotective capacity provided by this polymorphism makes C. albicans a formidable pathogen to treat clinically.

Cited by 6 publications

References 84 publications

Silver and Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomplexes to Enhance Biocidal Effects

Silver and Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomplexes to Enhance Biocidal Effects

Died or Not Dyed: Assessment of Viability and Vitality Dyes on Planktonic Cells and Biofilms from Candida parapsilosis

The transcription factor Ofi1 is critical for white‐opaque switching in natural MTLa/α isolates of Candida albicans

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About