A possible mechanism of farnesol tolerance in C. albicans biofilms implemented by activating the PKC signalling pathway and stabilizing ROS levels

Introduction. Biofilms are the natural growth state for most microorganisms. C. albicans biofilms are composed of multiple cell types (round budding yeast-form cells, oval pseudohyphal cells, and elongated hyphal cells) encased in an extracellular matrix. C. albicans biofilms are notorious for resistance to antimicrobial treatments, a property that might be determined by complex mechanisms. Exogenous farnesol exerts a certain antifungal activity against C. albicans with medical implications. Different from other microbes, C. albicans biofilms can tolerate exogenous farnesol at high concentration with some cells still surviving and even maintaining proliferation, but the mechanism is unclear. Hypothesis. The study hypothesizes that C. albicans resists farnesol by activating the PKC signalling pathway. Aim. The study aims to discuss the molecular mechanism of C. albicans resistance to farnesol. Methodology. The ROS levels, the genes and proteins of the PKC pathway were compared between the farnesol-tolerant and non-tolerant groups using ROS levels assay, q-RT PCR and Western blot, respectively. Further, the mutant strains (pkcl A/A and mkc MIA) were constructed, then the survival rates and ROS levels of biofilms exposed to farnesol were compared between mutant and wild strains. The morphological changes were observed using TEM. Results. The survival rates of C. albicans biofilms decreased rapidly under the lower concentration of farnesol (P<0.05), and kept stable (P>0.05) as the concentration rose up to 200 mu M. The gene expression of the PKC pathway increased, while ROS levels remained stable and even decreased in the farnesol-tolerant biofilms, compared with those in the farnesol-nontolerant biofilms after farnesol treatment (P<0.05); pkc1 and mkc1 were significantly upregulated by C. albicans during the development of biofilm tolerance to farnesol. The cell wall and cytoplasm of pkc1 Delta/Delta and mkc1 Delta/Delta were damaged, and the ROS level increased (P<0.05); meanwhile, the survival rate of biofilms decreased compared with that of wild-type strain under the same farnesol concentrations (P<0.05). ROS inhibitors reversed these changes in pkc1 Delta/Delta and mkc1 Delta/Delta when the mutant strains exposed to farnesol. Conclusion. C. albicans biofilms can tolerate high concentrations of farnesol by activating pkc1 and mkc1 of the PKC pathway and stabilizing ROS levels. The pkcl and mkc1 are two key genes regulated by C. albicans in the process of biofilm tolerance to farnesol.