title: Phenotypic evaluation of the effect of anaerobiosis on some virulence attributes of Candida albicans.
abstract: The current assumption that Candida albicans is a facultatively anaerobic organism has been widely accepted since its recovery from anoxic sites became common. However, the link between anaerobiosis and virulence remains uncertain. This study investigated the differential cell-surface hydrophobicity (CSH) using a hydrocarbon/water partition technique and analysed the differential secretion rates of secretory aspartyl proteases (Saps), esterase, chondroitinase and haemolysins of C. albicans strains recovered from periodontal pockets and non-periodontium-related intra-oral sites. For the enzymic tests, all strains from both sets were grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and the harvested cells were inoculated onto suitable normal or pre-reduced culture media in the presence or absence of molecular oxygen, respectively. The results showed that no variations were perceptible for CSH and chondroitinase (P>0.05). The secretion rates of esterase and haemolysins strongly decreased in an anoxic environment (P<0.0001). However, a consistent increment (P<0.0001) in Sap secretion was detected when cultures were grown under anaerobic conditions. Based on these results, it is suggested that the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere surrounding cells exerts a variable influence on the virulence attributes of C. albicans.
authors.affiliation: Oral Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong SAR.|Laboratory of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry, Biological and Health Sciences Centre, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Rua Imaculada Conceição 1155, Curitiba PR 80215-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edvaldo Antonio Ribeiro
authors.initials: EAR
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry, Biological and Health Sciences Centre, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Rua Imaculada Conceição 1155, Curitiba PR 80215-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Nunes
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Rached
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry, Biological and Health Sciences Centre, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Rua Imaculada Conceição 1155, Curitiba PR 80215-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio Aparecido
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ignácio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Stomatology, Faculty of Dentistry, Biological and Health Sciences Centre, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Rua Imaculada Conceição 1155, Curitiba PR 80215-901, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosimeire Takaki
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry of Piracicaba, State University of Campinas, Avenida Limeira 901, Piracicaba SP 13414-903, Brazil.|Oral Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: Wander
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: José da Silva
authors.affiliation: Oral Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: Joyce Yick Yee
authors.initials: JYY
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.affiliation: Oral Biosciences Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, University of Hong Kong, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong SAR.
authors.forename: Lakshman Perera
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Samaranayake
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis / Q000502:physiology; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000382:microbiology; D010641:Phenotype; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins