AUTHOR=Yan Yu , Tan Fei , Miao Hao , Wang Hui , Cao YingYing 

TITLE=Effect of Shikonin Against Candida albicans Biofilms

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01085

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2019.01085

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>Candidiasis is often associated with the formation of biofilms. <italic>Candida albicans</italic> biofilms are inherently resistant to many clinical antifungal agents and have increasingly been found to be the sources of <italic>C. albicans</italic> infections. Novel antifungal agents against <italic>C. albicans</italic> biofilms are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of shikonin (SK) against <italic>C. albicans</italic> biofilms and to clarify the underlying mechanisms. XTT reduction assay showed that SK could not only inhibit the formation of biofilms but also destroy the maintenance of mature biofilms. In a mouse vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) model, the fungal burden was remarkably reduced upon SK treatment. Further study showed that SK could inhibit hyphae formation and reduce cellular surface hydrophobicity (CSH). Real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed that several hypha- and adhesion-specific genes were differentially expressed in SK-treated biofilm, including the downregulation of ECE1, HWP1, EFG1, CPH1, RAS1, ALS1, ALS3, CSH1 and upregulation of TUP1, NRG1, BCR1. Moreover, SK induced the production of farnesol, a quorum sensing molecule, and exogenous addition of farnesol enhanced the antibiofilm activity of SK. Taken together, these results indicated that SK could be a favorable antifungal agent in the clinical management of <italic>C. albicans</italic> biofilms.</p>