title: Characterization of extracellular nucleotide metabolism in Candida albicans.
abstract: Candida albicans is the most frequent agent of human disseminated fungal infection. Ectophosphatase and ectonucleotidase activities are known to influence the infectious potential of several microbes, including other non-albicans species of Candida. With the present work we aim to characterize these ecto-enzymatic activities in C. albicans. We found that C. albicans does not have a classical ecto-5'-nucleotidase enzyme and 5'AMP is cleaved by a phosphatase instead of exclusively by a nucleotidase that also can use 3'AMP as a substrate. Moreover, these enzymatic activities are not dependent on secreted soluble enzymes and change when the yeast cells are under infection conditions, including low pH, and higher temperature and CO2 content.
authors.affiliation: CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), CCS, Bloco H, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thais
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Russo-Abrahão
authors.affiliation: CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: CNC-Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal tgoncalves@fmed.uc.pt.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), CCS, Bloco H, Cidade Universitária, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Meyer-Fernandes
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000378:metabolism*; D009708:Nucleotidases / Q000032:analysis*; D009711:Nucleotides / Q000378:metabolism*; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009711:Nucleotides; D009708:Nucleotidases; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases
keywords: AMP; Candida albicans; adenosine; enzyme; nucleotide; purines