Knockout of five transcriptional regulators (TR) and two core microcolony (MC) genes result in defects in microcolony formation and function.

C. albicans deletion mutants were grown on oral epithelial cells (OEC); and microcolony formation, adhesion and invasion were measured. Significant (p < 0.05) differences in microcolony density, number of adhered cells, or percentage of cells actively invading were determined using one-way ANOVA followed by a post-hoc Tukey’s t-test (microcolony formation) or Bonferroni (adhesion and invasion). Strains highlighted in grey were defective in all three categories. ND: not determined.