Candida albicans dispersed cells signify a developmental state distinct from biofilm and planktonic phases

Candida albicans surface-attached biofilms are sites of amplification of an infection through continuous discharge of cells capable of initiating new infectious foci. Yeast cells released from biofilms on intravenous catheters have direct access to the bloodstream. We previously reported that dispersed cells are largely lateral yeast cells that originate from the hyphal layers of the biofilm. Compared to their planktonic counterparts, these biofilm-dispersed yeast cells displayed enhanced virulence-associated gene expression and drug resistance. Little is known about the molecular properties of dispersed cells. We found that the inducer of dispersal, PES1, genetically interacts with the repressor of filamentation, NRG1, in a manner that supports a genetic definition of dispersed cells as yeast. We combined a flow biofilm model with RNA sequencing technology, to identify transcriptomic characteristics of freshly dispersed yeast cells versus biofilms or age-matched planktonic yeast cells growing in glucose-rich medium. Dispersed cells largely inherited a biofilm-like mRNA profile but with one stark difference: dispersed cells were transcriptionally reprogrammed to metabolize alternative carbon sources, while their sessile parents expressed glycolytic genes, despite exposure to the same nutritional signals. Our studies hence define dispersal cell production as an intrinsic step of biofilm development which generates propagules capable of colonizing distant host sites. This developmental step anticipates the need for virulence-associated gene expression before experiencing the associated external signals.