title: Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the cell death process in Candida albicans treated by antifungal agents.
abstract: The death process of Candida albicans was investigated after treatment with the antifungal agents flucytosine and amphotericin B by assessing morphological and biophysical properties associated with cell death. C. albicans was treated varying time periods (from 6 to 48 hours) and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). SEM and AFM images clearly showed changes in morphology and biophysical properties. After drug treatment, the membrane of C. albicans was perforated, deformed, and shrunken. Compared to the control, C. albicans treated with flucytosine was softer and initially showed a greater adhesive force. Conversely, C. albicans treated with amphotericin B was harder and had a lower adhesive force. In both cases, the surface roughness increased as the treatment time increased. The relationships between morphological changes and the drugs were observed by AFM clearly; the surface of C. albicans treated with flucytosine underwent membrane collapse, expansion of holes, and shrinkage, while the membranes of cells treated with amphotericin B peeled off. According to these observations, the death process of C. albicans was divided into 4 phases, CDP(0), CDP(1), CDP(2), and CDP(4), which were determined based on morphological changes. Our results could be employed to further investigate the antifungal activity of compounds derived from natural sources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Sook
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Sun
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ihn
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Mi-Hyun
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min Hyung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hun-Kuk
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000494:pharmacology; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine