Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most frequent cause of nosocomial sepsis and catheter-related infections, in which biofilm formation is considered to be the main virulence mechanism. In biofilm environment, microbes exhibit enhanced resistance to antimicrobial agents. This fact boosted the search of possible alternatives to antibiotics. Farnesol and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) are non-antibiotic d...

BACKGROUND Previous studies showed that Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans interact synergistically in dual species biofilms resulting in enhanced mortality in animal models. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The aim of the current study was to test possible candidate molecules which might mediate this synergistic interaction in an in vitro model of mixed biofilms, such as farnesol, tyro...

The active multidrug efflux pump (EP) has been described as one of the mechanisms involved in the natural drug resistance of bacteria, such as mycobacteria. As a result, the development of efflux pumps inhibitors (EPIs) is an important topic. In this study, a checkerboard synergy assay indicated that farnesol both decreased the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ethidium bromide (EtBr) 8...

The degradation of the microsomal enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase is highly regulated and is dependent on both a sterol and non-sterol derivative of mevalonic acid (MVA). We recently proposed that the non-sterol component is derived from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP), presqualene pyrophosphate, or squalene (Correll, C. C. and Edwards, P. A. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 26...

Tyrosol and farnesol are quorum-sensing molecules produced by Candida albicans which accelerate and block, respectively, the morphological transition from yeasts to hyphae. In this study, we have investigated the secretion of tyrosol by C. albicans and explored its likely role in biofilm development. Both planktonic (suspended) cells and biofilms of four C. albicans strains, including three mut...

The aim of this study was the term of the climate influence on essential oil and aroma components of six Eleutherococcus species [E. senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim., E. setchuensis (Harms) Nakai, E. sessiliflorus (Rupr. & Maxim.) S. Y. Hu, E. gracilistylus (W. W. Smith) S. Y. Hu, E. henryi Oliv., E. divaricatus (Siebold & Zucc.) S. Y. Hu] cultivated in Poland. The hydrodistilled volatiles of...

Candida albicans is a pathogenic fungus able to change morphology in response to variations in its growth environment. Simple inoculation of stationary cells into fresh medium at 37 degrees C, without any other manipulations, appears to be a powerful but transient inducer of hyphal formation; this process also plays a significant role in classical serum induction of hyphal formation. The mechan...

The synthesis of juvenile hormone (JH) is an attractive target for control of insect pests and vectors of disease, but the minute size of the corpora allata (CA), the glands that synthesize JH, has made it difficult to identify important biosynthetic enzymes by classical biochemical approaches. Here, we report identification and characterization of an insect farnesol dehydrogenase (AaSDR-1) tha...

The yeast-to-hypha transition plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of C. albicans. Farnesol, a quorum sensing molecule (QSM) secreted by the fungal itself, could prevent the formation of hyphae and subsequently lead to the defect of biofilm formation. The DPP3, encoding phosphatase, is a key gene in regulating farnesol synthesis. In this study, we screened 24 bisbibenzyls and 2 bibenzyls th...

Sporotrichosis is a subacute or chronic subcutaneous infection, caused by the fungus Sporothrix schenkii complex, occurring in human and animal tissues. Potassium iodide and itraconazole have been used as effective therapy for first-choice treatment, while amphotericin B may be indicated for disseminated infection. However, the adverse effects of potassium iodide and amphotericin B or the long ...