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Rais A, Sharma S, Mishra P, Khan LA, Prasad T. Biocompatible carbon quantum dots as versatile imaging nanotrackers of fungal pathogen - Candida albicans. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2024; 19:671-688. [PMID: 38426561 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2023-0292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Aim: The development of carbon quantum dots (C-QDs) as nanotrackers to understand drug-pathogen interactions, virulence and multidrug resistance. Methods: Microwave synthesis of C-QDs was performed using citric acid and polyethylene glycol. Further, in vitro toxicity was evaluated and imaging applications were demonstrated in Candida albicans isolates. Results: Well-dispersed, ultra small C-QDs exhibited no cyto/microbial/reactive oxygen species-mediated toxicity and internalized effectively in Candida yeast and hyphal cells. C-QDs were employed for confocal imaging of drug-sensitive and -resistant cells, and a study of the yeast-to-hyphal transition using atomic force microscopy in Candida was conducted for the first time. Conclusion: These biocompatible C-QDs have promising potential as next-generation nanotrackers for in vitro and in vivo targeted cellular and live imaging, after functionalization with biomolecules and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anam Rais
- Special Centre for Nano Science & AIRF, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Shubham Sharma
- Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Prashant Mishra
- Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Luqman Ahmad Khan
- Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Tulika Prasad
- Special Centre for Nano Science & AIRF, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India
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Jones CR, Zhang ZJ, Tsai HJ. Quantifying the Mechanical Properties of Yeast Candida albicans Using Atomic Force Microscopy-based Force Spectroscopy. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2667:1-13. [PMID: 37145272 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3199-7_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Fungi can adapt to a wide range of environmental stresses in the wild and host milieu by employing their plastic genome and great diversity in morphology. Among different adaptive strategies, mechanical stimuli, such as changes in osmotic pressure, surface remodeling, hyphal formation, and cell divisions, could guide the physical cues into physiological responses through a complex signaling network. While fungal pathogens require a pressure-driven force to expand and penetrate host tissues, quantitatively studying the biophysical properties at the host-fungal interface is critical to understand the development of fungal diseases. Microscopy-based techniques have enabled researchers to monitor the dynamic mechanics on fungal cell surface in responses to the host stress and antifungal drugs. Here, we describe a label-free, high-resolution method based on atomic force microscopy, with a step-by-step protocol to measure the physical properties in human fungal pathogen Candida albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhenyu Jason Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Hung-Ji Tsai
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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Couttenier E, Bachellier-Bassi S, d'Enfert C, Villard C. Bending stiffness of Candida albicans hyphae as a proxy of cell wall properties. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:3898-3909. [PMID: 36094162 PMCID: PMC9552746 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00219a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The cell wall is a key component of fungi. It constitutes a highly regulated viscoelastic shell which counteracts internal cell turgor pressure. Its mechanical properties thus contribute to define cell morphology. Measurements of the elastic moduli of the fungal cell wall have been carried out in many species including Candida albicans, a major human opportunistic pathogen. They mainly relied on atomic force microscopy, and mostly considered the yeast form. We developed a parallelized pressure-actuated microfluidic device to measure the bending stiffness of hyphae. We found that the cell wall stiffness lies in the MPa range. We then used three different ways to disrupt cell wall physiology: inhibition of beta-glucan synthesis, a key component of the inner cell wall; application of a hyperosmotic shock triggering a sudden decrease of the hyphal diameter; deletion of two genes encoding GPI-modified cell wall proteins resulting in reduced cell wall thickness. The bending stiffness values were affected to different extents by these environmental stresses or genetic modifications. Overall, our results support the elastic nature of the cell wall and its ability to remodel at the scale of the entire hypha over minutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Couttenier
- Université PSL, Physico-Chimie Curie, CNRS UMR168, F-75005 Paris, France.
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Sophie Bachellier-Bassi
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Christophe d'Enfert
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INRAE, USC2019, Unité Biologie et Pathogénicité Fongiques, F-75015 Paris, France
| | - Catherine Villard
- Université PSL, Physico-Chimie Curie, CNRS UMR168, F-75005 Paris, France.
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Le PH, Nguyen DHK, Medina AA, Linklater DP, Loebbe C, Crawford RJ, MacLaughlin S, Ivanova EP. Surface Architecture Influences the Rigidity of Candida albicans Cells. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12030567. [PMID: 35159912 PMCID: PMC8840568 DOI: 10.3390/nano12030567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to investigate the morphology and rigidity of the opportunistic pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, during its attachment to surfaces of three levels of nanoscale surface roughness. Non-polished titanium (npTi), polished titanium (pTi), and glass with respective average surface roughness (Sa) values of 389 nm, 14 nm, and 2 nm, kurtosis (Skur) values of 4, 16, and 4, and skewness (Sskw) values of 1, 4, and 1 were used as representative examples of each type of nanoarchitecture. Thus, npTi and glass surfaces exhibited similar Sskw and Skur values but highly disparate Sa. C. albicans cells that had attached to the pTi surfaces exhibited a twofold increase in rigidity of 364 kPa compared to those yeast cells attached to the surfaces of npTi (164 kPa) and glass (185 kPa). The increased rigidity of the C. albicans cells on pTi was accompanied by a distinct round morphology, condensed F-actin distribution, lack of cortical actin patches, and the negligible production of cell-associated polymeric substances; however, an elevated production of loose extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was observed. The differences in the physical response of C. albicans cells attached to the three surfaces suggested that the surface nanoarchitecture (characterized by skewness and kurtosis), rather than average surface roughness, could directly influence the rigidity of the C. albicans cells. This work contributes to the next-generation design of antifungal surfaces by exploiting surface architecture to control the extent of biofilm formation undertaken by yeast pathogens and highlights the importance of performing a detailed surface roughness characterization in order to identify and discriminate between the surface characteristics that may influence the extent of cell attachment and the subsequent behavior of the attached cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuc H. Le
- STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (P.H.L.); (D.H.K.N.); (A.A.M.); (D.P.L.); (R.J.C.)
- ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing, STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Duy H. K. Nguyen
- STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (P.H.L.); (D.H.K.N.); (A.A.M.); (D.P.L.); (R.J.C.)
| | - Arturo Aburto Medina
- STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (P.H.L.); (D.H.K.N.); (A.A.M.); (D.P.L.); (R.J.C.)
- ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Manufacturing, STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Denver P. Linklater
- STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (P.H.L.); (D.H.K.N.); (A.A.M.); (D.P.L.); (R.J.C.)
| | | | - Russell J. Crawford
- STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (P.H.L.); (D.H.K.N.); (A.A.M.); (D.P.L.); (R.J.C.)
| | | | - Elena P. Ivanova
- STEM College, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; (P.H.L.); (D.H.K.N.); (A.A.M.); (D.P.L.); (R.J.C.)
- Correspondence:
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