Scientific article
OA Policy
English

Synergistic interactions between Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis promote toxin-dependent host cell damage

Publication date2025-11-18
First online date2025-11-10
Abstract

The fungus Candida albicans and the Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis share mucosal niches in the human body. As opportunistic pathogens, both are found to expand population size during dysbiosis, and can cause severe systemic infections in susceptible individuals. Here, we show that the presence of C. albicans results in increased host cell damage by E. faecalis . Furthermore, E. faecalis aggravates oropharyngeal candidiasis in mice. Increased damage is mediated by enterococcal cytolysin, and involves both physical interaction and altered glucose availability. Physical interaction promotes accumulation of bacteria on host cells, facilitating contact of cytolysin with host cells. Glucose depletion by the metabolic activity of the fungus sensitized host cells to cytolysin. This work illustrates how a complex interplay between fungi and bacteria can result in detrimental consequences for the host.

Keywords
  • Candida albicans
  • Enterococcus faecalis
  • Co-infection
  • Coinfection
  • Cytolysin
  • Candida albicans / pathogenicity
  • Candida albicans / physiology
  • Candida albicans / metabolism
  • Enterococcus faecalis / pathogenicity
  • Enterococcus faecalis / metabolism
  • Enterococcus faecalis / physiology
  • Animals
  • Mice
  • Humans
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions
  • Glucose / metabolism
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / pathology
  • Candidiasis, Oral / microbiology
  • Candidiasis, Oral / pathology
  • Candidiasis / microbiology
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Cytotoxins / metabolism
Funding
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) [01EO1002]
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) [210879364]
  • HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH) [R00DE026856]
  • HHS | National Institutes of Health (NIH) [R01DE031382]
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) [113N15716]
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) [13N15705]
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) [EXC 2051 - Project-ID 390713860]
Citation (ISO format)
KAPITAN, Mario et al. Synergistic interactions between Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis promote toxin-dependent host cell damage. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2025, vol. 122, n° 46, p. e2505310122. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2505310122
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
Identifiers
Additional URL for this publicationhttps://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2505310122
Journal ISSN0027-8424
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