Oral mucosal bacteria modulate Candida virulence

In immunocompetent mice, sucrose significantly increased total bacterial burdens and reduced alpha-diversity, by increasing the relative abundance of mitis group streptococci. In immunocompromised mice, C. albicans infection was associated with a significantly reduced bacterial alpha-diversity due to an increase in the relative abundance of enterococci. When exposed to dietary sucrose, these mice had reduced C. albicans burdens and reduced bacterial alpha-diversity, associated with an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Sparcc correlation networks showed a significant negative correlation between Lactobacillus and Enterococcus in all Candida-infected mice. Depletion of lactobacilli with antibiotic treatment partially restored C. albicans burdens in mice receiving sucrose.