Oxidative Imbalance in Candida tropicalis Biofilms and Its Relation With Persister Cells

DA SILVA, MARÍA A.; BARONETTI, JOSÉ L.; PÁEZ, PAULINA L.; PARAJE, MARÍA G.

Frontiers in Microbiology

Frontiers Media S.A.

Año: 2021 vol. 11

ackground: Persister cells (PCs) make up a small fraction of microbial population, can survive lethal concentrations of antimicrobial agents. In recent years, Candida tropicalis has emerged as being a frequent fungal agent of medical devices subject to biofilm infections. However, PCs are still poorly understood. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relation of PCs on the redox status in C. tropicalis biofilms exposed to high doses of Amphotericin B (AmB), and alterations in surface topography and the architecture of biofilms. Methods: We used an experimental model of two different C. tropicalis biofilms exposed to AmB at supra minimum inhibitory concentration (SMIC80), and the intra- and extracellular reactive oxygen species (iROS and eROS), reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and oxidative stress response were studied. Light microscopy (LM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were also used in conjunction with the image analysis software COMSTAT. Results: We demonst