From the first touch to biofilm establishment by the human pathogen Candida glabrata: a genome-wide to nanoscale view

Mafalda Cavalheiro et al. use single-cell force spectroscopy and RNA-seq to examine the adhesion process of Candida glabrata, an opportunistic human fungal pathogen, to various medical surfaces. Their results suggest that the adhesion forces of C. glabrata to medical material are stronger than those presented for epithelial cells, and highlight the underlying molecular pathways related to adhesion and biofilm formation in this species. Candida glabrata is an opportunistic pathogen that adheres to human epithelial mucosa and forms biofilm to cause persistent infections. In this work, Single-cell Force Spectroscopy (SCFS) was used to glimpse at the adhesive properties of C. glabrata as it interacts with clinically relevant surfaces, the first step towards biofilm formation. Following a genetic screening, RNA-sequencing revealed that half of the entire transcriptome of C. glabrata is remodeled upon biofilm formation, around 40% of which under the control of the transcription factors CgEfg1 and CgTec1. Using SCFS, it was possible to observe that CgEfg1, but not CgTec1, is necessary for the initial interaction of C. glabrata cells with both abiotic surfaces and epithelial cells, while both transcription factors orchestrate biofilm maturation. Overall, this study characterizes the network of transcription factors controlling massive transcriptional remodelling occurring from the initial cell-surface interaction to mature biofilm formation.