Streptococcus mutans Can Modulate Biofilm Formation and Attenuate the Virulence of Candida albicans

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 2;11(3):e0150457. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150457. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans are found together in the oral biofilms on dental surfaces, but little is known about the ecological interactions between these species. Here, we studied the effects of S. mutans UA159 on the growth and pathogencity of C. albicans. Initially, the effects of S. mutans on the biofilm formation and morphogenesis of C. albicans were tested in vitro. Next, we investigate the influence of S. mutans on pathogenicity of C. albicans using in vivo host models, in which the experimental candidiasis was induced in G. mellonella larvae and analyzed by survival curves, C. albicans count in hemolymph, and quantification of hyphae in the host tissues. In all the tests, we evaluated the direct effects of S. mutans cells, as well as the indirect effects of the subproducts secreted by this microorganism using a bacterial culture filtrate. The in vitro analysis showed that S. mutans cells favored biofilm formation by C. albicans. However, a reduction in biofilm viable cells and inhibition of hyphal growth was observed when C. albicans was in contact with the S. mutans culture filtrate. In the in vivo study, injection of S. mutans cells or S. mutans culture filtrate into G. mellonella larvae infected with C. albicans increased the survival of these animals. Furthermore, a reduction in hyphal formation was observed in larval tissues when C. albicans was associated with S. mutans culture filtrate. These findings suggest that S. mutans can secrete subproducts capable to inhibit the biofilm formation, morphogenesis and pathogenicity of C. albicans, attenuating the experimental candidiasis in G. mellonella model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biofilms / growth & development*
  • Candida albicans / growth & development*
  • Candida albicans / pathogenicity*
  • Candidiasis / microbiology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Larva / microbiology
  • Lepidoptera / microbiology
  • Microbial Interactions*
  • Streptococcus mutans / physiology*

Grants and funding

This work was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation—FAPESP, Brazil (http://www.fapesp.br) Grant 2012/15262-8: JOB and Grant 2012/19915-6: JCJ. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Embrapa Gado de Leite provided support in the form of salary for author MCdeAP, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of this author is articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.