The Arginine Deiminase Pathway Impacts Antibiotic Tolerance during Biofilm-Mediated Streptococcus pyogenes Infections.

Bacterial biofilms are responsible for a variety of serious human infections and are notoriously difficult to treat due to their recalcitrance to antibiotics. Further work is necessary to elicit a full understanding of the mechanism of this antibiotic tolerance. The arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway is responsible for bacterial pH maintenance and is highly expressed during biofilm growth in multiple bacterial species.

Clearance of Staphylococcus aureus from Models of Chronic Infection by Immunization Requires Both Planktonic and Biofilm Antigens.

is a causative agent of chronic biofilm-associated infections that are recalcitrant to resolution by the immune system or antibiotics. To combat these infections, an antistaphylococcal, biofilm-specific quadrivalent vaccine against an osteomyelitis model in rabbits has previously been developed and shown to be effective at eliminating biofilm-embedded bacterial populations. However, the addition of antibiotics was required to eradicate remaining planktonic populations.

The Host Immune System Facilitates Disseminated Staphylococcus aureus Disease Due to Phagocytic Attraction to Candida albicans during Coinfection: a Case of Bait and Switch.

Invasive infections account for 15 to 50% of fatal bloodstream infections annually. These disseminated infections often arise without a defined portal of entry into the host but cause high rates of mortality. The fungus and the Gram-positive bacterium can form polymicrobial biofilms on epithelial tissue, facilitated by the adhesin encoded by While a bacterium-fungus interaction is required for systemic infection, the mechanism by which bacteria disseminate from the epithelium to internal organs is unclear.

Candida-Bacteria Interactions: Their Impact on Human Disease.

Candida species are the most common infectious fungal species in humans; out of the approximately 150 known species, Candida albicans is the leading pathogenic species, largely affecting immunocompromised individuals. Apart from its role as the primary etiology for various types of candidiasis, C. albicans is known to contribute to polymicrobial infections.