Culture media influences Candida parapsilosis growth, susceptibility, and virulence

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Dec 13:13:1323619. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1323619. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Introduction: Candida parapsilosis, a pathogenic yeast associated with systemic infections, exhibits metabolic adaptability in response to nutrient availability.

Methods: We investigated the impact of RPMI glucose supplemented (RPMId), TSB, BHI and YPD media on C. parapsilosis growth, morphology, susceptibility (caspofungin and amphotericin B), and in vivo virulence (Galleria mellonella) in planktonic and biofilm states.

Results: High-glucose media favors growth but hinders metabolic activity and filamentation. Media promoting carbohydrate production reduces biofilm susceptibility. Virulence differences between planktonic cells and biofilm suspensions from the same media shows that biofilm-related factors influence infection outcome depending on nutrient availability. Pseudohyphal growth occurred in biofilms under low oxygen and shear stress, but its presence is not exclusively correlated with virulence.

Discussion: This study provides valuable insights into the intricate interplay between nutrient availability and C. parapsilosis pathogenicity. It emphasizes the importance of considering pathogen behavior in diverse conditions when designing research protocols and therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: Candida; Galleria mellonella; amphotericin B; antifungal; biofilm; caspofungin; pathogenicity; pseudohyphal growth.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents* / pharmacology
  • Antifungal Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Biofilms
  • Candida parapsilosis*
  • Culture Media
  • Glucose
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae
  • Virulence

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Culture Media
  • Glucose

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was partially supported by grants PID2021-125801OB-100, PLEC2022-009356 and PDC2022-133577-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF A way of making Europe”, the CERCA program and AGAUR-Generalitat de Catalunya (2021SGR01545), the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and Catalan Cystic Fibrosis association. The project that gave rise to these results received the support of a fellowship from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID1000, 10434). The fellowship code is “LCF/BQ/DI20/11780040” and was granted to BA-J. JA thanks Generalitat de Catalunya for its financial support through the FI program (2021FI_B00118). NB-C acknowledges Ministerio de Universidades, Spain, for the Margarita Salas grant funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU.