Candida albicans Shields the Periodontal Killer Porphyromonas gingivalis from Recognition by the Host Immune System and Supports the Bacterial Infection of Gingival Tissue

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 21; no. 6; p. 1984
• Main Authors: Bartnicka, Dominika, Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Miriam, Sykut, Joanna, Koziel, Joanna, Ciaston, Izabela, Adamowicz, Karina, Bras, Grazyna, Zawrotniak, Marcin, Karkowska-Kuleta, Justyna, Satala, Dorota, Kozik, Andrzej, Zyla, Edyta, Gawron, Katarzyna, Lazarz-Bartyzel, Katarzyna, Chomyszyn-Gajewska, Maria, Rapala-Kozik, Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14-03-2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Animal models; Animals; Antibiotics; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Bacteroidaceae Infections - immunology; Bacteroidaceae Infections - microbiology; biofilm; Biofilms; Biofilms - drug effects; Candida albicans; Candida albicans - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Chemokines; Chronic infection; Coinfection - immunology; Coinfection - microbiology; Colonization; Cytokines; Cytology; Disease; Disease Models, Animal; Enzymes; Female; fibroblasts; Fibroblasts - immunology; Fungi; Gingiva - immunology; Gingiva - microbiology; Gum disease; Humans; Hyphae; Immune Evasion - immunology; Immune system; infection; Infections; Inflammation - immunology; Macrophages; Macrophages - immunology; Mice; Microbial Interactions; Microorganisms; Monocytes; Morphology; Pathogens; Periodontitis; Periodontitis - immunology; Periodontitis - microbiology; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Porphyromonas gingivalis - immunology; Proteins; Subcutaneous chambers; Candida albicans; Porphyromonas gingivalis; fibroblasts; infection; macrophages; biofilm; periodontitis
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21061984

is a pathogenic fungus capable of switching its morphology between yeast-like cells and filamentous hyphae and can associate with bacteria to form mixed biofilms resistant to antibiotics. In these structures, the fungal milieu can play a protective function for bacteria as has recently been reported for
and a periodontal pathogen-
. Our current study aimed to determine how this type of mutual microbe protection within the mixed biofilm affects the contacting host cells. To analyze
and
persistence and host infection, several models for host-biofilm interactions were developed, including microbial exposure to a representative monocyte cell line (THP1) and gingival fibroblasts isolated from periodontitis patients. For in vivo experiments, a mouse subcutaneous chamber model was utilized. The persistence of
cells was observed within mixed biofilm with
. This microbial co-existence influenced host immunity by attenuating macrophage and fibroblast responses. Cytokine and chemokine production decreased compared to pure bacterial infection. The fibroblasts isolated from patients with severe periodontitis were less susceptible to fungal colonization, indicating a modulation of the host environment by the dominating bacterial infection. The results obtained for the mouse model in which a sequential infection was initiated by the fungus showed that this host colonization induced a milder inflammation, leading to a significant reduction in mouse mortality. Moreover, high bacterial counts in animal organisms were noted on a longer time scale in the presence of
, suggesting the chronic nature of the dual-species infection.