Polymicrobial Interactions in Fungal-Bacterial Biofilms

Biofilms comprising fungal and bacterial species are structured communities embedded in a self-produced matrix. In these polymicrobial assemblies, inter-kingdom communication via chemical signals, metabolic exchange and physical association alters microbial physiology, virulence and drug tolerance. Fungal hyphae often serve as scaffolds for bacterial colonisation, while bacterial metabolites can modulate fungal morphology. Nutrient cross-feeding and quorum-sensing interference lead to synergistic pathogenesis in diverse settings, from indwelling medical devices to chronic lung infections. The extracellular matrix of mixed biofilms impedes antimicrobial penetration and shields constituents from host defences, fuelling persistent infection. Understanding these complex interactions has global significance for addressing antimicrobial resistance, devising matrix-targeting agents and designing immunomodulatory strategies that disrupt pathogen synergy.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated the metabolic underpinnings of lethal synergy in Candida albicans–Staphylococcus aureus co-infections. A fungal zinc-cluster regulator was shown to direct pentose metabolism and ribose uptake, thereby altering staphylococcal agr quorum signalling and α-toxin production. Loss of the regulator abrogates toxin-driven lethality in a murine model, revealing how intermicrobial nutrient processing governs virulence. Another investigation applied integrated multi-omics to Aspergillus fumigatus–Klebsiella pneumoniae mixed biofilms. These data demonstrate that A. fumigatus dynamically rewires its primary and secondary metabolism in response to bacterial challenge, whereas K. pneumoniae maintains core translational and metabolic functions. The work identifies candidate biomarkers for diagnostics and underscores the metabolic plasticity at the heart of cross-kingdom biofilm resilience.

Polymicrobial Interactions in Fungal-Bacterial Biofilms publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in polymicrobial interactions in fungal-bacterial biofilms across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biofilm: A community of microorganisms attached to a surface and embedded in an extracellular polymeric substance.

Polymicrobial: Involving multiple microbial species co-existing and interacting.

Quorum sensing: Cell density-dependent communication via secreted chemical signals regulating group behaviours.

Extracellular matrix (ECM): A mesh of polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids that encases biofilm communities.

Multi-omics: Integrated analysis of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic data to characterise biological systems.

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs): Web-like structures of DNA and antimicrobial proteins released by neutrophils to ensnare pathogens.

References

1. A fungal metabolic regulator underlies infectious synergism during Candida albicans-Staphylococcusaureus intra-abdominal co-infection. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Integrated multi-omics identifies pathways governing interspecies interaction between A. fumigatus and K. pneumoniae. Communications Biology (2024).
3. Staphylococcus aureus wraps around Candida albicans and synergistically escapes from Neutrophil extracellular traps. Frontiers in Immunology (2024).
4. A gain-of-function mutation in zinc cluster transcription factor Rob1 drives Candida albicans adaptive growth in the cystic fibrosis lung environment. PLOS Pathogens (2024).
5. A Re-Purposing Strategy: Sub-Lethal Concentrations of an Eicosanoid Derived from the Omega-3-Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Resolvin D1 Affect Dual Species Biofilms. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).