Interference of Candida albicans biofilm formation by induced inactivation of Als3 protein and in vivo visualization of biofilm in a mouse model system using non-invasive imaging methods.

Candida albicans is an important human fungal pathogen with an ability to adhere to different medical devices leading to formation of a multilayer, highly organized structure embedded in extracellular polymeric material, also known as biofilms. Biofilms can be found on different medical devices, especially in patients with impaired immune system or patients after operations. The danger of biofilm-associated infections rests in their difficult treatment due to a higher resistance to drugs that are usually active against planktonic cells. Therefore, our first aim is to develop novel molecules with an anti-biofilm activity that can potentially combat biofilm during its early developmental stage period of adhesion. Such peptides are originated from a sequence of a protein of choice, in our case C. albicans Als3 and they may inactivate a protein of choice by expressing this short peptide sequence in a cell containing the protein of choice. In the cell this peptide will find its homologous sequence in the endogenous protein and start aggregating and thereby inactivating this protein. Second aim of this project is based on bioluminiscence imaging of in vivo C. albicans biofilms. Herewith, we aim to decrease the number of animals required for our in vivo biofilm studies by using non-invasive imaging approaches. Additionally, the advantage of BLI is that it will allow us to follow the biofilm development over time in the same animal.

Keywords:Model system, Mouse, Imaging, In vivo, Protein inactivation, Biofilm, Candida albicans

Disciplines:Microbiology, Systems biology, Laboratory medicine