Interspecies Interactions between Clostridium difficile and Candida albicans

Abstract

Candida albicans and Clostridium difficile are two opportunistic pathogens that reside in the human gut. A few studies have focused on the prevalence of C. albicans in C. difficile -infected patients, but none have shown the interaction(s) that these two organisms may or may not have with each other. In this study, we used a wide range of different techniques to better understand this interaction at a macroscopic and microscopic level. We found that in the presence of C. albicans , C. difficile can survive under ambient aerobic conditions, which would otherwise be toxic. We also found that C. difficile affects the hypha formation of C. albicans , most likely through the excretion of p -cresol. This ultimately leads to an inability of C. albicans to form a biofilm. Our study provides new insights into interactions between C. albicans and C. difficile and bears relevance to both fungal and bacterial disease.