title: Surface-active properties of Candida albicans.
abstract: Cell surface hydrophobicity may be an important factor contributing to the virulence of Candida yeast cells. Surface hydrophobic and surface polar groups would be required for a yeast cell to act as a surface-active agent. In this report, the surface activities of whole yeast cells were measured. Yeast cells added at 10(8)/ml reduced the surface tension (gamma s) of saline by 20% as determined by the du Nouy method. A 1% suspension of yeast cell wall fragments reduced gamma s of saline by 36%. Whole yeast cells caused a reduction in interfacial tension (gamma I) between hexadecane and saline. The reduction of gamma I was proportional to the surface hydrophobicity of the yeasts. Yeast cells grown in glucose as the sole carbon source (thus possessing a relatively more hydrophilic cell surface) reduced gamma I by 30%, whereas yeast cells grown in hexadecane (thus possessing a more hydrophobic cell surface) reduced gamma I by 41%. The reduction of gamma I was reversed upon the addition of a strong surfactant. It was also demonstrated that yeast cells blended with nonionic surfactants during growth in a glucose broth in order to change their cell surface hydrophobicity adhered to solid surfaces in direct proportion to their cell surface hydrophobicity. Thus, the surface-active properties of Candida yeast cells may significantly contribute to the accumulation of yeast cells at various biological interfaces such as liquid-solid, liquid-liquid, and liquid-air, leading to their eventual adhesion to solid or tissue surfaces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Ophthalmology, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Klotz
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000473:Alkanes; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D012965:Sodium Chloride; C007932:n-hexadecane