Pathogenicity analysis of C. parapsilosis species complex in experimental models of invertebrates

• Grant number: 13/07405-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Arnaldo Lopes Colombo
• Grantee: Ana Carolina Remondi Souza
• Supervisor: Eleftherios Mylonakis
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Brown University, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/04769-4 - Candida parapsilosis complex: epidemiological peculiarities, virulence and mechanisms of antifungal resistance, BP.DR

Abstract

Candida albicans remains the most prevalent species in human superficial and invasive Candida infections, although there is concern over the increasing rates of non-C. albicans infections worldwide. C. parapsilosis is the second Candida species most frequently isolated from blood cultures in South America and in some European countries. Since 2005, when this taxon has been considered a complex of 3 closely related species: C. parapsilosis (sensu stricto), C. metapsilosis and C. orthopsilosis, few studies have evaluated the pathogenicity related to these three species. Thus it still remains in uncertain if the knowledge gained in relation to infections by Candida parapsilosis (sensu stricto) can be extrapolated to cases of invasive infections by C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis. In this scenario, the objectives of this work are: 1) Analyze the invertebrate killing after infection by each C. parapsilosis species complex; 2) To evaluate C. parapsilosis species complex strains fitness; 3) To describe and characterize the virulence factors expressed by Candida parapsilosis (sensu stricto), C. orthopsilosis and C. metapsilosis during the development of infection; 4) To evaluate the in vivo efficacy of the antifungals agents used to treat infection by C. parapsilosis species complex; 5) Analyze the ability of each C. parapsilosis species complex to form biofilms; and 6) To evaluate the host response to C. parapsilosis species complex infection. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

REMONDI SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA; FUCHS, BETH BURGWYN; ALVES, VIVIANE DE SOUZA; JAYAMANI, ELAMPARITHI; COLOMBO, ARNALDO LOPES; MYLONAKIS, ELEFTHERIOS. Pathogenesis of the Candida parapsilosis Complex in the Model Host Caenorhabditis elegans. GENES, v. 9, n. 8, AUG 2018. (17/02203-7, 12/04769-4, 13/07405-6)

SOUZA, ANA CAROLINA R.; FUCHS, BETH BURGWYN; PINHATI, HENRIQUE M. S.; SIQUEIRA, RICARDO A.; HAGEN, FERRY; MEIS, JACQUES F.; MYLONAKIS, ELEFTHERIOS; COLOMBO, ARNALDO L.. Candida parapsilosis Resistance to Fluconazole: Molecular Mechanisms and In Vivo Impact in Infected Galleria mellonella Larvae. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v. 59, n. 10, p. 6581-6587, OCT 2015. (12/04769-4, 12/04767-1, 13/07405-6)