Antigenic differences between mannoproteins of germ tubes and blastospores of Candida albicans

Abstract

To determine the nature of germ tube-specific antigens of Candida albicans, procedures for intrinsically labeling cell wall antigens metabolically were developed. Blastospores or germ tubes labeled either in their proteins with L-[35S]methionine or in mannose-containing carbohydrates with D[2-3H]mannose contained surface components similar to those found previously with 125I-labeled organisms. Germ tube-specific determinants, were found on a 200-kilodalton protein in digests from germ tubes, whereas a component of similar molecular size in blastospore extracts reacted weakly or not at all with germ tube-specific antibody. In addition, a glycan fraction prepared from germ tubes reacted with the unadsorbed anti-C. albicans polyvalent antibody but not with the germ tube-specific antibody, suggesting that the germ tube-specific determinants are not carbohydrates.

Immunoblotting analysis of concanavalin A ‐isolated allergens of Candida albicans

“…The isolated mannan/mannoprotein fraction (M) gave a diffuse high molecular weight stain after SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. This PAS stain is typical of mannan (23) and has also been verified by diffuse accumulation of tritium-labelled mannose in the high molecular weight area in a metabolic assay (28). We showed that this mannan binds specific IgEantibodies from certain C.albicans RAST-positive sera.…”

Distribution of water soluble antigens and allergens of Candida albicans in blastospore cell extract fractions

“…It contains ConA binding carbohydrate structures because it is absent in the purified protein extract. The ConA-bound fraction of C. albieans contains practically merely mannan (5,8,14) and the high molecular weight diffuse distribution in SDS-PAGE is typical of it as shown by PAS stain, ConA probing and tritium-labelled mannose (18,25,28). Fig.…”

Identification and immunochemical characterization of a germ tube specific antigen of Candida albicans

“…Other specific epitopes of the mycelial phase have already been observed using rabbit immune sera that were pre-adsorbed with blastospores [8,10,11] and more recently by the use of metabolic radiolabelling or monoclonal antibodies [7,12]. Nevertheless, the distribution of these antigens among members of the Candida genera has not been fully investigated.…”

“…Evidence has been presented to support the pathogenic involvement of germ tubes [2,3], although the precise relationship between dimorphism and pathogenicity is not understood. Surface-specific molecules of C. albicans germ tubes have been identified using biochemical [4,5] and immunological approaches [6][7][8][9][10][11][12], some of which are involved in the adherence of the fungus to host cells or to prosthetic devices [13][14][15].…”