Biofilm Formation by Species: A Comparative Study.

species are medically important fungi that are present in soil and human impacted areas and capable of causing a wide spectrum of diseases in humans. Although little is known about their pathogenesis, their growth process and infection routes are very similar to those of species, which grow as biofilms in invasive infections. All nine strains tested here displayed the ability to grow as biofilms and to produce a dense network of interconnected hyphae on both polystyrene and the surfaces of central venous catheters, but with different characteristics. and clinical isolates were able to form biofilms faster than the corresponding environmental strains, as evidenced in kinetic assays for and CLSM for . Biofilms formed by species had significantly higher resistance to the class of antifungal azole than was observed in planktonic cells, indicating a protective role for this structure. In addition, the clinical isolate that formed the most robust biofilms was also more virulent in a larvae infection model, suggesting that the ability to form biofilms enhances virulence in species.