Engineered Keratinized Oral Mucosa Decreased C. albicans Transition Through the Production of Keratins 10, 14, 16, and 19 by Oral Epithelial Cells

The aim of this study was to evaluate the link between Candida albicans growth and dimorphism and the production of keratins by oral epithelial cells. Various culture models (monolayer and non-keratinized and keratinized engineered human oral mucosa) were produced and used for this purpose. Cell morphology, tissue structure, and the transition of C. albicans were assessed following cell and tissue infections. Keratin production by epithelial cells exposed to C. albicans was evaluated by Western blotting. Following contact with C. albicans, epithelial cells in the monolayer cultures showed differentiating phenotypes. Compared to the keratinized tissue, the non-keratinized mucosa displayed visible disorganization. The transition of C. albicans from blastospore to hyphal form was significantly lower in the keratinized oral mucosa model. This was correlated with the high levels of differentiating (K10) and proliferating (K14, K16, and K19) keratins in the keratinized tissue, suggesting that tissue stratification contributes to controlling C. albicans pathogenicity via keratin production. Thus, the transition of C. albicans from blastospore to hyphal form may be linked to keratin production. This may ultimately have implications in the control of oral candidiasis as well as in denture design to prevent