Cell walls from avirulent variants of Histoplasma capsulatum lack alpha-(1,3)-glucan.
Cell wall composition of isogenic virulent-avirulent strain pairs of Histoplasma capsulatum varied markedly with respect to alpha-(1,3)-glucan content. When yeast cell walls were fractionated by standard techniques, the avirulent strains contained up to 1,000-fold less alpha-(1,3)-glucan than did their virulent parents. No alpha-(1,3)-glucan could be detected on the surface of the avirulent strain yeast cells if we used a mouse monoclonal antibody that recognized this polymer. A similar relationship between virulence and alpha-(1,3)-glucan has been described for Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. alpha-(1,3)-Glucan is also found in several other pathogenic fungi and may thus be an important common virulence determinant.
Klimpel
K R
KR
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
Goldman
W E
WE
D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000032:analysis*; D005936:Glucans / Q000032:analysis*; D006658:Histoplasma / Q000032:analysis* / Q000472:pathogenicity
D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D005936:Glucans