title: The lipid composition of azole-sensitive and azole-resistant strains of Candida albicans.
abstract: The lipid compositions of two azole-sensitive (A and B2630) and two azole-resistant (AD and KB) strains of the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans were studied by using several lipid extraction procedures: no differences were observed between the lipid content or total phospholipid/neutral lipid ratios of the four strains. All contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylserine as major phospholipids, with smaller amounts of phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol; the relative proportions of these lipids differed between all four strains. The fatty acid composition of each major phospholipid within each strain differed, and there were also interstrain differences. A marked effect of culture growth phase in batch culture on lipid composition was observed. The major neutral lipids in each strain were triacylglycerol, non-esterified sterol and non-esterified fatty acid. The fatty acid compositions of the three fatty-acid-containing neutral lipids were distinct from each other and the phospholipids, and there were also interstrain differences. All strains possessed (lyso)phospholipase activity, which was non-specific. The proportions of triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acid did not vary between strains, but the azole-resistant strains AD and KB contained more non-esterified sterol, giving them a phospholipid/sterol ratio approximately half that of azole-sensitive strains. There appeared to be a relationship between the phospholipid/sterol ratio of exponentially growing sensitive strains and their ability to take up azole; this did not extend to the resistant strains, which either did not take up azole (AD and KB) or took it up at a faster rate (Darlington) than sensitive strains.
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000032:analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000032:analysis; D014230:Triazoles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008055:Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014230:Triazoles