Development and regulation of single- and multi-species Candida albicans biofilms

The ability ofCandida albicans to form biofilms is a major cause of disseminated bloodstream infections. Here, Nobile and colleagues review our current understanding of the processes involved in the formation of C. albicans biofilms, the core transcriptional network that regulates biofilm development, and polymicrobial biofilms that are formed by C. albicansand certain bacterial species. Candida albicans is among the most prevalent fungal species of the human microbiota and asymptomatically colonizes healthy individuals. However, it is also an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe, and often fatal, bloodstream infections. The medical impact of C. albicans typically depends on its ability to form biofilms, which are closely packed communities of cells that attach to surfaces, such as tissues and implanted medical devices. In this Review, we provide an overview of the processes involved in the formation of C. albicans biofilms and discuss the core transcriptional network that regulates biofilm development. We also consider some of the advantages that biofilms provide to C. albicans in comparison with planktonic growth and explore polymicrobial biofilms that are formed by C. albicans and certain bacterial species.