C ALBICANS IN THE GI TRACT ENVIRONMENT

本研究计画探讨白色念珠菌细胞与胃肠道环境之间的相互作用。C.白色念珠菌是人类常见的病原菌，一般不会对人体健康造成不良影响。然而，如果患者免疫功能低下，C.白色念珠菌细胞可逃离胃肠道，到达血流并引起播散性疾病。因此，胃肠道定植非常重要，因为致病真菌细胞来自作为无害共生体定植在宿主上的种群。此外，初步结果表明，在一定条件下，C.白色念珠菌增加宿主对肠道细菌病原体致死攻击的抗性。本研究的长期目标是了解C.白色念珠菌改变胃肠道环境并影响宿主对攻击的抵抗力。 具体目标1的重点是确定C。白色念珠菌的活性，使抗菌化合物解毒。 在具体目标2中，目标是了解C。白色念珠菌改变胃肠道的代谢物环境。具体目标3中提出的研究将分析C。白色 对肠道微生物群组成的影响。这些研究将增加对C。白色念珠菌和哺乳动物胃肠道环境。更深入的了解将使开发新的干预措施，利用C。胃肠道中的白色念珠菌

This research project investigates the interactions between colonizing Candida albicans cells and the GI tract environment. GI colonization with C. albicans is common for humans and generally does not have adverse effects on human health. However, if a patient becomes immunocompromised, colonizing C. albicans cells can escape the GI tract, reach the blood stream and cause disseminated disease. GI colonization is therefore significant because disease-causing fungal cells arise from the populations that colonize the host as harmless commensals. In addition, preliminary results show that, under certain conditions, colonization with C. albicans increases the resistance of the host to lethal challenge with an enteric bacterial pathogen. The long term goals of the proposed research are to understand the mechanisms by which C. albicans alters the GI tract environment and affects host resistance to challenge. The focus of Specific Aim 1 is to identify C. albicans activities that detoxify antimicrobial compounds. In Specific Aim 2, the goal is to understand how C. albicans alters the metabolite milieu of the GI tract. The studies proposed in Specific Aim 3 will analyze the effects of C. albicans colonization on the composition of the gut microbiota. These studies will increase the understanding of the interplay between C. albicans and the mammalian GI tract environment. Deeper understanding will enable development of novel interventions that harness the beneficial effects of C. albicans in the GI tract.