and biofilm frenemies: When the relationship sours.

The opportunistic yeast and lactic acid bacteria are frequently co-isolated from various infection sites on the human body, suggesting a common interkingdom interaction. While some reports suggest an antagonism, the reason for their co-isolation therefore remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to undertake a detailed characterisation of this dual-species interaction. We used standard biofilm characterisation methodologies alongside an RNASeq analysis to assess the response of to We evaluated the relevance of pH to dual-species biofilm interactions and demonstrated that rapidly and significantly impacted morphogenesis and biofilm formation, which was mirrored by levels of gene expression. These transcripts were enriched in amino acids biosynthesis and metabolism pathways in co-cultures, a finding that guided our investigation into pH related mechanism. We were able to demonstrate the direct role of induced low pH, which inhibited hyphal morphogenesis and biofilm formation. The results suggest that the anti-candidal effect of is not based solely on a single mechanism, instead it may involve various mechanisms, which collectively reflects the complexity of interaction between and and impacts treatment outcomes