title: Hyphal formation of Candida albicans is inhibited by salivary mucin.
abstract: When mucin was added to Candida albicans under hyphal growth conditions, the hyphal formation was inhibited. After the 24 h incubation, the ratio of hyphal cells was 95.7+/-1.13% in the absence of mucin and no hyphal cells were observed in the presence of 1000 microg/ml mucin. The ratio of hyphal cells began to decreases at 6 h in the mucin addition group. Although mucin has antifungal activity, the concentration of mucin used in this assay did not inhibit the growth of C. albicans, indicating that the inhibition of hyphal formation was not due to the inhibition of germination by its antifungal activity. Expression of RAS1mRNA in C. albicans was inhibited by mucin. These results suggest that the inhibition of hyphal formation by mucin was caused by interruption of the hyphal formation signal of C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan. ahino@tohoku-pharm.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komaki
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akai
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Tatsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D025301:Hyphae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009077:Mucins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D009077:Mucins; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D018631:ras Proteins