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Journals
Microorganisms
Special Issues
Candida Species Virulence Factors and Their Pathogenicity
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Candida Species Virulence Factors and Their Pathogenicity

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 8511

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Elisa Rodrigues

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CEB-Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: candida; antifungal agent; fungal infection; biofilm
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bruna Gonçalves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CEB—Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Gualtar Campus, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: Candida species; virulence factors; antifungal resistance; host interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Daniela Araújo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: Candida species; virulence factors; antifungal resistance; host interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infections caused by Candida species have been increasing and becoming more difficult to treat due to the growth of immunogenic diseases, the disproportionate use of immunosuppressive drugs and the widespread use of indwelling medical devices and of broad-spectrum antibiotics. These fungi are opportunistic pathogens with the ability to cause superficial and life-threatening systemic infections. Although most cases of candidiasis have been attributed to Candida albicans, in recent decades there was an increasing appearance of non-C. albicans Candida (NCAC) species, particularly Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis. Moreover, the pathogenicity of Candida species is facilitated by a number of virulence factors, including dimorphism, secretion of hydrolytic enzymes (e.g., proteases, lipases and hemolysins) and the ability to adhere and form biofilms on medical devices and/or host mucosal epithelium. Despite the efforts of researchers to disclose virulence factors of Candida species, much remains to be found in order to understand how they contribute to the establishment and progression of infections at different anatomical sites. This Special Issue aims to provide selected contributions on advances in the mechanisms behind the virulence traits of Candida species and their role in infection.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Mechanisms involved in Candida pathogenicity;
  • New virulence factors/determinants;
  • Candida-host interaction;
  • Medical-device-related infections;
  • Modulation of virulence traits by environmental conditions;
  • Influence of concurrent pathogens on Candida virulence;
  • Antifungal resistance and its relation to virulence;
  • Virulence-targeting antifungal strategies.

Dr. Maria Elisa Rodrigues
Dr. Bruna Gonçalves
Dr. Daniela Araújo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Candida species
  • candidiasis
  • virulence determinants
  • hydrolytic enzymes
  • biofilms
  • filamentation
  • pathogenicity
  • Candida-host interaction

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 6563 KiB  
Article
Study of Ecological Relationship of Yeast Species with Candida albicans in the Context of Vulvovaginal Infections
by Cátia Filipa Caetano, Carlos Gaspar, Ana Sofia Oliveira, Rita Palmeira-de-Oliveira, Lisa Rodrigues, Teresa Gonçalves, José Martinez-de-Oliveira, Ana Palmeira-de-Oliveira and Joana Rolo
Microorganisms 2023, 11(10), 2398; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11102398 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1519
Abstract
The role of the fungal community, the mycobiota, in the health of the vagina is currently an important area of research. The emergence of new sequencing technologies and advances in bioinformatics made possible the discovery of novel fungi inhabiting this niche. Candida spp. [...] Read more.
The role of the fungal community, the mycobiota, in the health of the vagina is currently an important area of research. The emergence of new sequencing technologies and advances in bioinformatics made possible the discovery of novel fungi inhabiting this niche. Candida spp. constitutes the most important group of opportunistic pathogenic fungi, being the most prevalent fungal species in vulvovaginal infections. However, fungi such as Rhodotorula spp., Naganishia spp. and Malassezia spp. have emerged as potential pathogens in this niche, and therefore it is clinically relevant to understand their ecological interaction with Candida spp. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of yeasts on Candida albicans’ pathogenicity, focusing on in-vitro growth, and biofilm formation at different times of co-culture and germ tube formation. The assays were performed with isolated species or with co-cultures of C. albicans (ATCC10231) with one other yeast species: Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (DSM13621), Malassezia furfur (DSM6170) or Naganishia albida (DSM70215). The results showed that M. furfur creates a symbiotic relationship with C. albicans, enhancing the growth rate of the co-culture (149.69%), and of germ tube formation of C. albicans (119.8%) and inducing a higher amount of biofilm biomass of the co-culture, both when mixed (154.1%) and preformed (166.8%). As for the yeasts R. mucilaginosa and N. albida, the relationship is antagonistic (with a significant decrease in all assays), thus possibly repressing the mixture’s pathogenicity. These results shed light on the complex interactions between yeasts in the vaginal mycobiome. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Candida Species Virulence Factors and Their Pathogenicity)
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11 pages, 270 KiB  
Article
Clinical Features and Outcomes of Persistent Candidemia Caused by Candida albicans versus Non-albicans Candida Species: A Focus on Antifungal Resistance and Follow-Up Blood Cultures
by Shiori Kitaya, Hajime Kanamori, Yukio Katori and Koichi Tokuda
Microorganisms 2023, 11(4), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040928 - 3 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1966
Abstract
The clinical distinctions among variations in Candida species, antifungal resistance (AFR), and clearance status of hospital-acquired persistent candidemia (HA-PC) remain uncertain. This secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the differences in HA-PC based on different Candida species, AFR, and [...] Read more.
The clinical distinctions among variations in Candida species, antifungal resistance (AFR), and clearance status of hospital-acquired persistent candidemia (HA-PC) remain uncertain. This secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the differences in HA-PC based on different Candida species, AFR, and persistent candidemia (PC) clearance status. A retrospective review was conducted using medical records from Tohoku University Hospital of patients for whom blood cultures were performed between January 2012 and December 2021. PC cases were categorized into groups based on Candida species, azole, or echinocandin resistance, as well as PC-clearance status, and the respective characteristics were analyzed. The HA-PC non-clearance group had a tendency toward higher 30–90-day and 90-day mortality rates compared to the HA-PC-clearance group in both the susceptible and resistant strain groups, with the former group demonstrating a statistically significant difference (odds ratio = 19, p = 0.028). The high mortality rate observed in the Candida non-albicans and resistant strain groups necessitates a more meticulous therapeutic management approach for PC. Follow-up blood cultures and confirmation of PC clearance are useful for improving the survival rates of both the HA-PC-susceptible and -resistant strain groups. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Candida Species Virulence Factors and Their Pathogenicity)

Review

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19 pages, 1404 KiB  
Review
Metal Nanoparticles to Combat Candida albicans Infections: An Update
by Paulo Henrique Fonseca do Carmo, Maíra Terra Garcia, Lívia Mara Alves Figueiredo-Godoi, Anna Carolina Pinheiro Lage, Newton Soares da Silva and Juliana Campos Junqueira
Microorganisms 2023, 11(1), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010138 - 5 Jan 2023
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4027
Abstract
Candidiasis is an opportunistic mycosis with high annual incidence worldwide. In these infections, Candida albicans is the chief pathogen owing to its multiple virulence factors. C. albicans infections are usually treated with azoles, polyenes and echinocandins. However, these antifungals may have limitations regarding [...] Read more.
Candidiasis is an opportunistic mycosis with high annual incidence worldwide. In these infections, Candida albicans is the chief pathogen owing to its multiple virulence factors. C. albicans infections are usually treated with azoles, polyenes and echinocandins. However, these antifungals may have limitations regarding toxicity, relapse of infections, high cost, and emergence of antifungal resistance. Thus, the development of nanocarrier systems, such as metal nanoparticles, has been widely investigated. Metal nanoparticles are particulate dispersions or solid particles 10–100 nm in size, with unique physical and chemical properties that make them useful in biomedical applications. In this review, we focus on the activity of silver, gold, and iron nanoparticles against C. albicans. We discuss the use of metal nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for antifungal drugs or natural compounds to increase their biocompatibility and effectiveness. Promisingly, most of these nanoparticles exhibit potential antifungal activity through multi-target mechanisms in C. albicans cells and biofilms, which can minimize the emergence of antifungal resistance. The cytotoxicity of metal nanoparticles is a concern, and adjustments in synthesis approaches or coating techniques have been addressed to overcome these limitations, with great emphasis on green synthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Candida Species Virulence Factors and Their Pathogenicity)
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