title: Valinomycin affects the morphology of Candida albicans.
abstract: Microbial metabolites were screened for inhibitors of hyphal growth in Candida albicans. Inhibitory activity was found among metabolites of a culture of an actinomycete, which had been isolated from soil. The active substance inhibited hyphal growth and induced growth as a chain of yeast cells under hyphal growth induction conditions. The active substance was purified and analyzed with 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and mass spectra. The substance was identified as valinomycin, and commercial valinomycin inhibited hyphal growth as effectively as the purified metabolite. The effective concentration was from 0.49 to 62.5 microg/ml. Valinomycin also inhibited hyphal growth in other dimorphic fungi, Candida tropicalis and Aureobasidium pullulans. These results suggest that valinomycin may be a useful tool for understanding the morphological transition of dimorphic fungi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, Sugimoto 3-3-138, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ooshima
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003470:Culture Media; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D014634:Valinomycin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D014634:Valinomycin