A sticky situation: untangling the transcriptional network controlling biofilm development in Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is a commensal microorganism of the human microbiome; it is also the most prevalent fungal pathogen of humans. Many infections caused by C. albicans are a direct consequence of its proclivity to form biofilms--resilient, surface-associated communities of cells where individual cells acquire specialized properties that are distinct from those observed in suspension cultures. We recently identified the transcriptional network that orchestrates the formation of biofilms in C. albicans. These results set the stage for understanding how biofilms are formed and, once formed, how the specialized properties of biofilms are elaborated. This information will provide new insight for understanding biofilms in more detail and may lead to improvements in preventing and treating biofilm-based infections in the future.