title: Characterization of a fucoside-binding adhesin of Candida albicans.
abstract: Candida albicans GDH 2346 produces extracellular polymeric material (EP) which contains a mannoprotein adhesin with a lectin-like affinity for fucose-containing glycosides. EP isolated from culture supernatants of this strain was used as starting material for purification of the adhesin. The purification protocol involved a stepwise treatment of EP with N-glycanase, papain, and dilute alkali to cleave the protein and carbohydrate portions of the mannoprotein molecule. Fucoside-binding protein fragments were then recovered by affinity adsorption with the trisaccharide determinant of the H (type 2) blood group antigen which terminates in a residue of L-fucose. The purified adhesin was devoid of carbohydrate and inhibited yeast adhesion to buccal epithelial cells 221 times more efficiently, on a protein weight basis, than did EP. Adhesion inhibition reached a maximum of 78 to 80% at an adhesin concentration of 10 micrograms ml-1. Our results indicate that this protein is the major adhesin of yeast-phase cells of C. albicans GDH 2346 but that one or more secondary adhesion mechanisms may operate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Tosh
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000737:chemistry; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005643:Fucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000737:chemistry; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D010206:Papain / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C025363:mannoproteins; D005643:Fucose; D010206:Papain