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Alpha-Hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus Obstructs Yeast-Hyphae Switching and Diminishes Pathogenicity in Candida albicans

  • Microbial Pathogenesis and Host-microbe Interaction
  • Published:
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Abstract

The use of antibiotics can disrupt the body’s natural balance and increase the susteptibility of patients towards fungal infections. Candida albicans is a dimorphic opportunistic fungal pathogen with niches similar to those of bacteria. Our aim was to study the interaction between this pathogen and bacteria to facilitate the control of C. albicans infection. Alpha-hemolysin (Hla), a protein secreted from Staphylococcus aureus, causes cell wall damage and impedes the yeast–hyphae transition in C. albicans. Mechanistically, Hla stimulation triggered the formation of reactive oxygen species that damaged the cell wall and mitochondria of C. albicans. The cell cycle was arrested in the G0/G1 phase, CDC42 was downregulated, and Ywp1 was upregulated, disrupting yeast hyphae switching. Subsequently, hyphae development was inhibited. In mouse models, C. albicans pretreated with Hla reduced the C. albicans burden in skin and vaginal mucosal infections, suggesting that S. aureus Hla can inhibit hyphal development and reduce the pathogenicity of candidiasis in vivo.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author [Xiaoyu Yu and Wenjuan Wu], upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81801987) and Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (No. PKJ2018-Y05). We are grateful to Changbing Chen at the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai for guiding us. We are appreciative to Lageveen, Beth A at Purdue University, for critical reading of the manuscript. We also thank members of the Department of Laboratory Medicine in East hospital for helpful advice and discussions.

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Author notes

  1. Xiaoyu Yu and Yinhe Mao have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200123, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaoyu Yu, Guangbo Li, Qiankun Xuan, Simin Yang, Jian Guo & Wenjuan Wu

  2. Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, People’s Republic of China

    Yinhe Mao, Xianwei Wu & Xiaoqing Chen

  3. Pharmaceutical Analysis Center, School of Pharmacy, The Naval Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200433, People’s Republic of China

    Qi Cao

  4. Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, People’s Republic of China

    Jinhu Guo

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  1. Xiaoyu Yu
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Correspondence to Xiaoyu Yu or Wenjuan Wu.

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Ethical Statement

The protocol was approved by Institut Pasteur of Shanghai Chinese Academy of Sciences (IPS) IACUC [A20150013]. The regulations in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals proposed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China were followed. Mice were killed using carbon dioxide inhalation.

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Yu, X., Mao, Y., Li, G. et al. Alpha-Hemolysin from Staphylococcus aureus Obstructs Yeast-Hyphae Switching and Diminishes Pathogenicity in Candida albicans. J Microbiol. 61, 233–243 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-022-00006-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-022-00006-4

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