Modulation of Candida albicans virulence after exposure to compounds and antifungal drugs and epigenetic influence in this process.

• Grant number: 24/20051-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Marlise Inêz Klein Furlan
• Grantee: Mariana Diniz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06801-1 - Extracellular matrix: from biology to strategies for controlling cariogenic biofilms, AP.JP2

Abstract

The fungus Candida albicans is a commensal of the oral cavity and several mucosae. However, when changes occur in the oral environment or immunocompromised individuals, this fungus can manifest virulence factors and factors associated with virulence and cause diseases ranging from mucosal to systemic infections. Among such factors is the morphological transition from yeast-like to filamentous forms capable of penetrating and destroying cells and soft tissue matrix. Furthermore, it participates in microbial biofilms associated with caries and other oral conditions. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the modulation of C. albicans virulence after exposure to compounds and antifungal drugs and the epigenetic influence in this process. To achieve this aim, C. albicans will be grown as biofilms, and these biofilms will be treated with compounds (tt-farnesol, hydroxychalcone'4, myricetin) and antifungal drugs [fluconazole, echinocandin (anidulafungin), amphotericin B), isolated and combined. The control groups will be cultures treated with the agent-diluting vehicle and untreated cultures. The biofilms will undergo ten treatment cycles using selected compound/drug concentrations. After each cycle, the biofilms will be processed to recover fungal viable colonies (colonies quantification). The recovered colonies will be used to verify fungal planktonic growth (growth curve and morphological transition) and the development of new biofilms. These biofilms will be characterized by determining viable population, biomass, production of reactive oxygen species and hydrolytic enzymes, expression of genes and epigenetic modulation factors, and architecture. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (¿=0.05).