Enterococcus faecalis bacteriocin EntV inhibits hyphal morphogenesis, biofilm formation, and virulence of Candida albicans

Significance Hospitalized patients are susceptible to serious infections that are rarely encountered by healthy people. Two of the most problematic causes are Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans , a bacterium and fungus, respectively. Both are members of our normal microbial communities, but cause significant mortality in immunocompromised individuals. The formation of biofilms—microbial communities that grow on biotic or artificial surfaces—is a common feature of these infections and presents a formidable barrier to their treatment. We show here that E. faecalis produces a small protein that is a potent inhibitor of the ability of C. albicans to form biofilms and reduces fungal virulence in several models, raising the possibility that it might be developed as an antifungal agent.