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More than the sum of their parts: Metabolic crossfeeding and interkingdom communication in dual-species biofilms of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans


ABSTRACT: Polymicrobial biofilms are of large medical importance, but little is known about their physiology and the underlying interspecies interactions. Here we studied two human pathogens, the opportunistic fungus Candida albicans and the caries promoting bacterium Streptococcus mutans. Both species formed biofilms in monoculture, with C. albicans growing mainly in the virulence-associated hyphae form, and S. mutans forming a thick layer of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Biofilm growth was enhanced in dual-species biofilms, which reached twice the biomass of monospecies biofilms and higher cell numbers of both S. mutans and C. albicans. EPS production by S. mutans was strongly suppressed in dual-species biofilms. Virulence traits of S. mutans, e.g. genetic competence, biofilm formation and bacteriocin synthesis are controlled by quorum sensing through activation of the alternative sigma factor SigX. SigX is induced by the pheromones CSP (competence stimulating factor) or XIP (sigX inducing peptide). Strong induction of sigX was observed in dual species biofilms indicated by fluorescence of a reporter strain for the sigX promoter, S. mutans PcomX-gfp, as well as by qRT-PCR of comX. The peak of sigX expression occurred after 10 h of biofilm growth. Conditioned media from mixed biofilms but not from C. albicans or S. mutans cultivated alone activated sigX in the reporter strain. Deletion mutants for the comC and comS genes encoding the precursors of CSP and XIP, respectively, were constructed. Conditioned media from mixed biofilms with S. mutans DcomS were unable to induce sigX in the reporter strain, while deletion of comC had no effect. These data show that synthesis of XIP was induced in S. mutans by coculture with C. albicans. Transcriptome analysis of S. mutans in single and mixed biofilms confirmed strong induction of comS, sigX, and the downstream late competence genes in dual-species biofilms. Among the late competence genes, fratricins were discovered for the first time. The comCDE operon and bacteriocin related genes were also induced, but much weaker. Genes related to oxidative stress, chaperones and glycosyltransferase genes required for EPS synthesis from sucrose were down-regulated, while glycogen synthesis genes were up-regulated, indicating that S. mutans was protected from oxidative stress and provided with excess sugar for storage polymer synthesis in mixed biofilms. The data show that in dual-species biofilms, C. albicans improves growth of S. mutans, suppresses its EPS formation and induces the complete quorum sensing signalling system, thus fundamentally changing the virulence properties of the caries pathogen, including its potential interactions with other members of the polymicrobial dental plaque community.

ORGANISM(S): Streptococcus mutans UA159 Candida albicans

PROVIDER: GSE52543 | GEO | 2014/09/01

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA229180

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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