Adhesion of Candida albicans to brain tissue of Macaca mulata in an ex vivo assay

Could Candida Overgrowth Be Involved in the Pathophysiology of Autism?

The purpose of this review is to summarize the current acquiredknowledge of Candida overgrowth in the intestine as a possible etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The influence of Candida sp. on the immune system, brain, and behavior of children with ASD isdescribed. The benefits of interventions such as a carbohydrates-exclusion diet, probiotic supplementation, antifungal agents, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and microbiota transfer therapy (MTT) will be also discussed. Our literature query showed that the results of most studies do not fully support the hypothesis that Candida overgrowth is correlated with gastrointestinal (GI) problems and contributes to autism behavioral symptoms occurrence. On the one hand, it was reported that the modulation of microbiota composition in the gut may decrease Candida overgrowth, help reduce GI problems and autism symptoms. On the other hand, studies on humans suggesting the beneficial effects of a sugar-free diet, probiotic supplementation, FMT and MTT treatment in ASD are limited and inconclusive. Due to the increasing prevalence of ASD, studies on the etiology of this disorder are extremely needed and valuable. However, to elucidate the possible involvement of Candida in the pathophysiology of ASD, more reliable and well-designed research is certainly required.

Ex vivo biofilm-forming ability of dermatophytes using dog and cat hair: an ethically viable approach for an infection model

The aim of this study was to establish an ex vivo model for dermatophyte biofilm growth, using hair from dogs and cats. Strains of Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. tonsurans were assessed for in vitro and ex vivo biofilm production. All T. mentagrophytes and T. tonsurans isolates and 8/12 M. canis and 1/7 M. gypseum isolates formed biofilms in vitro, while all tested isolates presented biofilm growth on ex vivo models. T. mentagrophytes and M. canis formed more homogeneous and better-structured biofilms with greater biomass production on cat hair but T. tonsurans formed more biofilm on dog hair. Confocal and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated fungal hyphae colonizing and perforating the hair shaft, abundant fungal conidia, biofilm extracellular matrix and biofilm water channels. The present study demonstrated an ex vivo model for the performance of studies on biofilm formation by dermatophytes, using dog and cat hair.

Adhesion of yeast cells to different porous supports, stability of cell-carrier systems and formation of volatile by-products

The aim of our research was to study how the conditions of immobilization influence cell attachment to two different ceramic surfaces: hydroxylapatite and chamotte tablets. Three fermentative yeast strains, namely brewery TT, B4 (ale, lager) and distillery Bc15a strains belonging to Saccharomyces spp., and one strain of Debaryomyces occidentalis Y500/5 of weak fermentative nature, but with high amylolytic activity due to extracellular α-amylase and glucoamylase, were used in this study. Different media, including cell starvation, were applied for immobilization of yeast strains as well as different phases of cell growth. Immobilization of selected yeasts on a hydroxylapatite carrier was rather weak. However, when incubation of starved yeast cells was conducted in the minimal medium supplemented by calcium carbonate, the scale of immobilization after 24 h was higher, especially for the D. occidentalis strain. Adhesion to hydroxylapatite carriers in wort broth was of reversible character and better results of adhesion were observed in the case of another ceramic carrier-chamotte. The number of immobilized cells was about 10⁶–10⁷ per tablet and cell adhesion was stable during the whole fermentation process. The comparison of the volatile products that were formed during fermentation did not show any significant qualitative and quantitative differences between the free and the immobilized cells. This is the first time when a cheap, porous chamotte surface has been applied to yeast adhesion and fermentation processes.