This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nobile, C. J.
Right arrow Articles by Mitchell, A. P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nobile, C. J.
Right arrow Articles by Mitchell, A. P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Eukaryotic Cell, October 2006, p. 1604-1610, Vol. 5, No. 10
1535-9778/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00194-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Function of Candida albicans Adhesin Hwp1 in Biofilm Formation

Clarissa J. Nobile,1,2 Jeniel E. Nett,3 David R. Andes,3 and Aaron P. Mitchell1*

Department of Microbiology, Columbia University, New York, New York,1 Biological Sciences Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, New York,2 Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison, Wisconsin3

Received 19 June 2006/ Accepted 3 July 2006

Hwp1 is a well-characterized Candida albicans cell surface protein, expressed only on hyphae, that mediates tight binding to oral epithelial cells. Prior studies indicate that HWP1 expression is dependent upon Bcr1, a key regulator of biofilm formation. Here we test the hypothesis that Hwp1 is required for biofilm formation. In an in vitro model, the hwp1/hwp1 mutant produces a thin biofilm that lacks much of the hyphal mass found in the hwp1/HWP1 reconstituted strain. In a biofilm cell retention assay, we find that the hwp1/hwp1 mutant is defective in retention of nonadherent bcr1/bcr1 mutant cells. In an in vivo rat venous catheter model, the hwp1/hwp1 mutant has a severe biofilm defect, yielding only yeast microcolonies in the catheter lumen. These properties of the hwp1/hwp1 mutant are consistent with its role as a hypha-specific adhesin and indicate that it is required for normal biofilm formation. Overexpression of HWP1 in a bcr1/bcr1 mutant background improves adherence in the in vivo catheter model. This finding provides additional support for the model that Hwp1 is critical for biofilm adhesion. Hwp1 is the first cell surface protein known to be required for C. albicans biofilm formation in vivo and is thus an excellent therapeutic target.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032. Phone: (212) 305-8251. Fax: (212) 305-1741. E-mail: apm4{at}columbia.edu.

Eukaryotic Cell, October 2006, p. 1604-1610, Vol. 5, No. 10
1535-9778/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.00194-06
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Huang, G., Dougherty, S. D., Erdman, S. E. (2009). Conserved WCPL and CX4C Domains Mediate Several Mating Adhesin Interactions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genetics 182: 173-189 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rossignol, T., Ding, C., Guida, A., d'Enfert, C., Higgins, D. G., Butler, G. (2009). Correlation between Biofilm Formation and the Hypoxic Response in Candida parapsilosis. Eukaryot Cell 8: 550-559 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pierce, C. G., Thomas, D. P., Lopez-Ribot, J. L. (2009). Effect of tunicamycin on Candida albicans biofilm formation and maintenance. J Antimicrob Chemother 63: 473-479 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • ten Cate, J.M., Klis, F.M., Pereira-Cenci, T., Crielaard, W., de Groot, P.W.J. (2009). Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms That Lead to Candida Biofilm Formation. JDR 88: 105-115 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kitamura, A., Someya, K., Hata, M., Nakajima, R., Takemura, M. (2009). Discovery of a Small-Molecule Inhibitor of {beta}-1,6-Glucan Synthesis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 670-677 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chaffin, W. L. (2008). Candida albicans Cell Wall Proteins. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 72: 495-544 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Goyard, S., Knechtle, P., Chauvel, M., Mallet, A., Prevost, M.-C., Proux, C., Coppee, J.-Y., Schwartz, P., Dromer, F., Park, H., Filler, S. G., Janbon, G., d'Enfert, C. (2008). The Yak1 Kinase Is Involved in the Initiation and Maintenance of Hyphal Growth in Candida albicans. Mol. Biol. Cell 19: 2251-2266 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Fu, Y., Luo, G., Spellberg, B. J., Edwards, J. E. Jr., Ibrahim, A. S. (2008). Gene Overexpression/Suppression Analysis of Candidate Virulence Factors of Candida albicans. Eukaryot Cell 7: 483-492 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sosinska, G. J., de Groot, P. W. J., Teixeira de Mattos, M. J., Dekker, H. L., de Koster, C. G., Hellingwerf, K. J., Klis, F. M. (2008). Hypoxic conditions and iron restriction affect the cell-wall proteome of Candida albicans grown under vagina-simulative conditions. Microbiology 154: 510-520 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Norice, C. T., Smith, F. J. Jr., Solis, N., Filler, S. G., Mitchell, A. P. (2007). Requirement for Candida albicans Sun41 in Biofilm Formation and Virulence. Eukaryot Cell 6: 2046-2055 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Yeater, K. M., Chandra, J., Cheng, G., Mukherjee, P. K., Zhao, X., Rodriguez-Zas, S. L., Kwast, K. E., Ghannoum, M. A., Hoyer, L. L. (2007). Temporal analysis of Candida albicans gene expression during biofilm development. Microbiology 153: 2373-2385 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Li, F., Svarovsky, M. J., Karlsson, A. J., Wagner, J. P., Marchillo, K., Oshel, P., Andes, D., Palecek, S. P. (2007). Eap1p, an Adhesin That Mediates Candida albicans Biofilm Formation In Vitro and In Vivo. Eukaryot Cell 6: 931-939 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»