Role of pH in salivary histidine-rich polypeptide antifungal germ tube inhibitory activity.
Purified synthetic salivary histidine-rich polypeptides (HRPs) 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were found to inhibit Candida albicans conversion of blastospores to germ tubes. HRP-4 was the best inhibitor within the pH 5 to 7 range tested and all of the HRPs were observed to lose potency as the pH was raised from 5 to 7. The pH pattern obtained with a synthetic homologous histidine peptide suggested that the protonated form of the histidine imidazole residues of the HRPs was important to the germ tube antifungal activity. Similar pH inhibition profiles of germ tube formation by parotid saliva and the HRPs were also observed.
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School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook.
Santarpia
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Pollock
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D000935:Antifungal Agents; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development*; D006639:Histidine / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000502:physiology*; D013172:Spores, Fungal
D000935:Antifungal Agents; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D006639:Histidine