A Planarian Model System to Study Host-Pathogen Interactions.

This protocol is focused on using the recently established planarian infection model system to study host-pathogen interactions during fungal infection. Here, we describe in detail the infection of the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea with the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. This simple and reproducible model system allows for rapid visualization of tissue damage throughout different infection timepoints.

Mucin O-glycans are natural inhibitors of Candida albicans pathogenicity.

Mucins are large gel-forming polymers inside the mucus barrier that inhibit the yeast-to-hyphal transition of Candida albicans, a key virulence trait of this important human fungal pathogen. However, the molecular motifs in mucins that inhibit filamentation remain unclear despite their potential for therapeutic interventions. Here, we determined that mucins display an abundance of virulence-attenuating molecules in the form of mucin O-glycans.

Genome-wide Profiling of Transcription Factor-DNA Binding Interactions in Candida albicans: A Comprehensive CUT&RUN Method and Data Analysis Workflow.

Regulatory transcription factors control many important biological processes, including cellular differentiation, responses to environmental perturbations and stresses, and host-pathogen interactions. Determining the genome-wide binding of regulatory transcription factors to DNA is essential to understanding the function of transcription factors in these often complex biological processes. Cleavage under targets and release using nuclease (CUT&RUN) is a modern method for genome-wide mapping of in vivo protein-DNA binding interactions that is an attractive alternative to the traditional and widely used chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) method.

Epithelial Infection With Elicits a Multi-System Response in Planarians.

is one of the most common fungal pathogens of humans. Prior work introduced the planarian as a new model system to study the host response to fungal infection at the organismal level. In the current study, we analyzed host-pathogen changes that occurred during early infection with .

Interactions of microorganisms with host mucins: a focus on Candida albicans.

Mucus is an important host innate defense factor that lines most epithelial cell layers of the body and provides crucial physical and biological protection against pathogenic microorganisms. Mucins are the main glycoproteins of mucus that are responsible for interacting with microorganisms and are critical for the antimicrobial properties of mucus. The mechanisms by which microorganisms interact with mucins are poorly understood, especially in terms of fungi, and these interactions are continually evolving.

In Vitro Culturing and Screening of Candida albicans Biofilms.

Candida albicans is a normal member of the human microbiota that asymptomatically colonizes healthy individuals, however it is also an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The medical impact of C. albicans depends, in part, on its ability to form biofilms, communities of adhered cells encased in an extracellular matrix.

Assessment and Optimizations of Candida albicans Biofilm Assays.

biofilms have a significant medical impact due to their rapid growth on implanted medical devices, their resistance to antifungal drugs, and their ability to seed disseminated infections. Biofilm assays performed allow for rapid, high-throughput screening of gene deletion libraries or antifungal compounds and typically serve as precursors to studies. Here, we compile and discuss the protocols for several recently published biofilm assays.