Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an opportunistic pathogen causing infections ranging from superficial to life-threatening dissemination, in which C. albicans is able to translocate through the gut barrier into deeper organs. In its filamentous form (hyphae), C. albicans can invade epithelial cells by two mechanisms: epithelial cell-driven endocytosis and C. albicans-driven active penetration of host cell plasma membrane (PM). Autophagic machinery is known to be involved in the epithelial barrier maintenance, especially the intestinal barrier that is continuously challenged by exposure to the gut microbiota or to xenobiotics. The protective role of autophagy during C. albicans infection has been investigated in myeloid cells, however, far less was known regarding its role during infection of epithelial cells. Here, we demonstrated that key proteins of the autophagic machinery and vesicles presenting features of autophagosomes are recruited at C. albicans invasion sites. These events are associated with host PM damage caused by the active penetration of C. albicans. We showed that ATG5 and ATG16L1 proteins contribute to PM repair mediated by lysosomal membrane exocytosis and participate in protection of epithelial cells' integrity against C. albicans-induced cell death. Our findings extend the knowledge on emerging roles of the autophagic machinery in stress-related membrane dynamics.
Keywords: Autophagy; Candida albicans; epithelial cells; lysosomal exocytosis; plasma membrane repair.