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Introduction                                                                                                                

Biofilms are three-dimensional associations of microorganisms that develop on different surfaces. The properties of these communities are distinct from those of free-swimming (planktonic) populations.Candida albicans colonizes several tissues such as vaginal and oral epithelia, developing a biofilm that, in immunocompromized patients, can disseminate into the bloodstream and cause fatal systemic infections. C. albicans also forms biofilms on inert surfaces such as catheters, dental prostheses and other indwelling devices. These communities are often resistant to drug therapy and act as a source of re-infections.

To get a better understanding of the mechanisms that are responsible for the establishment of biofilms by C. albicans and of the distinct characteristics of C. albicans biofilms, we have performed a broad analysis of biofilm-specific features by transcript profiling.  Our work shows not only that expression of some cell attributes, e.g. aminoacid biosynthesis, change during biofilm growth, but also that the overall transcriptome moves to characteristic expression values. Together the data suggest transcriptome invariance in different environments as a salient property of C. albicans biofilm populations.

This page provides hybridization data obtained in the course of this study. Two types of studies were performed and involved distinct DNA-arrays:

1. A multiple comparison of the transcriptome of biofilms and planktonic cultures of a C. albicans wild-type stain (SC5314) obtained in very different situations. These experiments were performed using High Density Filters with probes for 2002 genes that are a random representation of the C. albicans gene set. Information on these DNA-arrays can be found here.

                        Download Table A1 with normalized data for differentially expressed genes

                        Go to all High Density Filter data

2. Pair comparisons of the transcriptome of biofilm and planktonic cultures of a wild-type C. albicans strain able to produce hyphae and form biofilms on plastic only and of a C. albicans efg1/efg1 cph1/cph1 strain impaired for the yeast-to-hypha transition and able to form biofilms on glass only. Hybridizations were performed using micro-arrays with probes for 5907 C.albicans genes. Information about these arrays can be found here.

                        Download Table A2 with normalized data for differentially expressed genes

                        Go to all Microarray data

These data are provided by Susana García-Sanchez, Sylvie Aubert, Ismaïl Iraqui, Guilhem Janbon, Jean-Marc Ghigo and Christophe d'Enfert. For additional information, please contact Christophe d'Enfert. This work was supported by Institut Pasteur (PTR n°50), the Ministère de la Recherche et de la Technologie (P.R.F.M.M.I.P. - Réseau Infections Fongiques) and the European Commission (Galar Fungail network)

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Hybridization on Candida albicans high density filters

Details of the procedures

Data

* Experimental populations: b₁, b₂, biofilms produced in a continuous-flow microfermenter, 0.4% glucose (48 h); b₃, in a microtiter plate, 0.4% glucose (48 h); b₄, in serum-preincubated, catheter disks, 0.4% glucose (72 h); b₆, in the microfermenter, 2% glucose (48 h); p₂, planktonic population in exponential growth 0.4% glucose (20 h); p₃, in stationary phase, 0.4% glucose (48 h); p₄, in 2% glucose (48 h); p₅, in a microtiter plate, 0.4% glucose (48 h).

**A conversation table between the spot designation, the CandidaDB entry number and the spot numbers as available at http://www.pasteur.fr/recherche/unites/RIF/transcriptdata/index.html is provided here

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Hybridization on Candida albicans microarrays

Details of the procedures

Data

* Pwt, Planktonic culture of C.albicans 'wild-type' strain CAF2-1; Bwt, Biofilm culture of 'wild-type' strain obtained in a continuous-flow microfermenter, 0.4% glucose (48 h); Pm, Planktonic culture of C. albicans efg1/efg1 cph1/cph1 strain HLC54; Bm, Biofilm culture of strain HLC54

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