Pathogenicity of Candida albicans strains with different proteinase activity in the rabbit cornea.

Abstract

Four strains of Candida albicans with different abilities in secreting proteinase in culture were inoculated into rabbit cornea and the severity of the infection was compared by histopathological examination. Generally, the proteinase-secreting strains developed more severe and extensive infections in the cornea than the proteinase-deficient ones. Our results on the comparative studies of a proteinase-producing 9615 with its variant 961VGR4, which had lost the ability of proteinase secretion, in the corneal tissue invasion suggested that proteinase worked to enhance or continue the corneal infection against the host defence mechanism.

Detection of intracellular forms of secretory aspartic proteinase in Candida albicans

“…This secreted proteinase is thought to be a factor in virulence, a view supported by experiments on mice infected with proteinase-deficient strains KwonChung et al, 1985;MacDonald & Odds, 1983;Mori et al, 1989;Ross et al, 1990;Staib, 1969). However, the enzyme appears to act not as a virulence factor per se but rather assists propagation of the fungus in the host.…”