An Approach To Analyze Spatiotemporal Patterns of Gene Expression at Single-Cell Resolution in Candida albicans-Infected Mouse Tongues

Authors

Elena Lindemann-Perez
Diana L Rodríguez
J Christian Pérez

Publication Date

9-25-2024

Journal

mSphere

Abstract

Microbial gene expression measurements derived from infected organs are invaluable to understand pathogenesis. However, current methods are limited to "bulk" analyses that neglect microbial cell heterogeneity and the lesion's spatial architecture. Here, we report the use of hybridization chain reaction RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (HCR RNA-FISH) to visualize and quantify Candida albicans transcripts at single-cell resolution in tongues of infected mice. The method is compatible with fixed-frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. We document cell-to-cell variation and intriguing spatiotemporal expression patterns for C. albicans mRNAs that encode products implicated in oral candidiasis. The approach provides a spatial dimension to gene expression analyses of host-Candida interactions.

IMPORTANCE:

Keywords

Candida albicans, hybridization chain reaction, RNA-FISH, Candida-host interactions, oropharyngeal candidiasis, Candida-infected tissue, microbial transcript visualization

Comments

Supplementary Materials

PMID: 39171917