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Homologous dicarboxyl dendritic amphiphiles-RCONHC(CH(3))(CH(2)CH(2)COOH)(2), 4(n); and ROCONHC(CH(3))(CH(2)CH(2)COOH)(2), 5(n), where R=n-C(n)H(2)(n)(+1) and n=13-22 carbon atoms-were synthesized. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) in aqueous triethanolamine solutions and at pH 7.4 were measured along with hemolytic activity (effective concentrations, EC(10)) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). LogCMC showed a linear dependence on chain length (n); the longest chain in each series had the lowest CMC-in triethanolamine: 4(21), 180μM and 5(22), 74μM and at pH 7.4: 4(21), 78μM and 5(22), 33μM. These two series, 4(n) and 5(n), and three series of homologous tricarboxyl dendritic amphiphiles-RCONHC(CH(2)CH(2)COOH)(3), 1(n); ROCONHC(CH(2)CH(2)COOH)(3), 2(n); RNHCONHC(CH(2)CH(2)COOH)(3), 3(n), where R=n-C(n)H(2)(n)(+1) and n=13-22 carbon atoms-were tested for growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus strain ATCC 6358 and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain ATCC 43330 by microdilution in 0.1-strength brain heart infusion broth (BHIB). Amphiphiles 4(19), 4(21), 5(18), and 5(20) showed the strongest antibacterial activity (2.2-3.4μg/mL) against S. aureus (vancomycin, MIC=0.25μg/mL). These four plus 1(21), 2(20), 2(22), and 3(20) exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity (1.7-6.8μg/mL) against MRSA (vancomycin, MIC=0.25μg/mL). The MICs of these amphiphiles against six clinical MRSA were similar to those against the ATCC strain. In PBS, EC(10)s of the most active homologues ranged from 7 to 18μg/mL and 18 to 220μg/mL for di- and tricarboxyl dendritic amphiphiles, respectively. To assess the potential safety of using dendritic amphiphiles as drugs, measurements of micellar and hemolytic properties were conducted in the same medium (full-strength BHIB) that was used for antibacterial activity. The CMCs (9-36μg/mL, ∼18-72μM) of ten amphiphiles were measured by microdilution (log2 progression) with dye-covered beads. The EC(10)s were similar to those in PBS. The MICs of most amphiphiles (14-72μg/mL) and vancomycin (1.1-2.2μg/mL) against both S. aureus and MRSA increased significantly compared to the MICs measured in 0.1-strength BHIB. The one exception, 5(18), had an MIC against S. aureus of 1.1μg/mL compared to vancomycin (2.2μg/mL). With CMC (9-18μg/mL) and EC(10) (16μg/mL) values higher than the MIC, 5(18) was discovered as a lead for further development.

Regulation of hyphal morphogenesis in Candida albicans can occur through quorum sensing (QS). A QS signal, farnesol, is produced during high-density growth and inhibits morphogenesis. However, the signal transduction pathway that regulates QS is unknown. Here, we show that a C. albicans mutant lacking Chk1p but not either the Sln1p or the Nik1p histidine kinase is refractory to the inhibitory effect of farnesol both in cell suspension and during the formation of a biofilm. This study is the first to demonstrate a role for a two-component signal transduction protein in QS by a eukaryotic organism.

The Candida albicans NOT4 gene was disrupted in order to investigate the role of Not4p in growth, morphogenesis and pathogenicity. Heterozygote (NOT4/not4), null (not4/not4) and reconstructed heterozygote ([NOT4]/not4) strains of C. albicans, as well as CAF2-1, the parental strain, were grown under conditions that promote hyphal formation. When cultured in liquid medium 199 the heterozygote, reconstructed and wild-type strains began the yeast-to-hyphal transition within 3 h and continued hyphal growth for the duration of experiments. The null mutant also began hyphal growth within 3-5 h but hyphae tended to be shorter and distorted. Subsequently, hyphal growth was arrested and growth returned predominantly to the yeast form. Similar differences were observed when strains were grown on solid Spider medium and medium 199. The parental, heterozygote and reconstructed strains formed normal filamentous networks emanating from colonies. In contrast, the null mutant failed to form hyphae on all solid media tested. The ability of the NOT4 null strain to form biofilms was also investigated, and it was observed that biofilm development does not readily occur for this strain. Virulence of each strain was examined utilizing the mouse model of systemic candidiasis. Mice infected with CAF2-1 succumbed to infection within 3-7 days. All mice infected with the null strain survived for the duration of experiments, while the heterozygote and reconstructed heterozygote strains showed an intermediate level of virulence. These findings suggest that NOT4 may play a role in affecting strain pathogenicity, possibly by regulating expression of certain genes that effect cellular morphogenesis and virulence.

A systematic screen for new natural products that displayed antifungal activity by inhibition of fungal fatty acid synthase (FAS) led to the discovery of two new fungal metabolites, designated CT2108A (1) and CT2108B (2). The metabolites were produced by Penicillium solitum (Westling) strain CT2108 and were classified as azaphilones. The structures of these new metabolites were determined using a variety of 1D and 2D NMR experiments, including COSY, HMQC, and HMBC. The chemical conversion of CT2108A to CT2108B was effected using WCl(6). The related metabolite, patulodin (3), was also isolated from the fermentation culture of this P. solitum isolate. Both new compounds inhibited fungal FAS, and neither was found to significantly inhibit human FAS activity.

A putative Candida albicans homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MOT2 (modulator of transcription) has been cloned and analyzed. A cDNA fragment corresponding to a portion of S. cerevisiae MOT2 was used to isolate a similar C. albicans gene (CaMOT2). CaMOT2 is comprised of two exons of 50 bp and 1,714 bp, respectively, with a single 82 bp intron located near the 5' end of the gene. The gene encodes a protein (CaMot2p) with an estimated mass of 67 kDa. The 5' region of the gene shows sequence homology with S. cerevisiae MOT2, whereas no significant similarity was observed in the 3' region. Similarly, the N-terminal portion of C. albicans Mot2p exhibits approximately 80% homology with S. cerevisiae Mot2p, while no significant homology to any known protein was observed in the carboxy-terminal half of the C. albicans protein. The N-terminal portion of CaMot2p contains a cysteine-rich domain (amino acids 18-62). The distribution of the cysteine residues identifies CaMot2p as a zinc-finger protein. The data suggest two potential Zn-binding sites, similar to the arrangement found in S. cerevisiae. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to compare the level of CaMOT2 expression between C. albicans grown in vitro and growth during in vivo infection in the rat model of oral candidiasis. The results showed CaMOT2 is down-regulated during growth in the rat oral cavity compared to in vitro culture. Although the function of C. albicans MOT2 has not been determined, comparison to S. cerevisiae MOT2 suggests the gene product may act as a general negative regulator.

Disruption of both alleles of the Candida albicans FAS2 gene abolishes the ability of the organism to establish infection in a murine model of systemic candidiasis. Within 72 h all mice inoculated with 10(6) CFU of the parental C. albicans strain had died. In contrast, all animals inoculated with the mutant strain CFD2 survived for the course of the experiment (21 days). Animals infected with either mutant strain CFD1 or CFD3, in which only one FAS2 allele was disrupted, also succumbed to infection, but mortality was not observed until 4 days postinfection and survivors remained for up to 20 days postinfection. The results demonstrate that FAS2 is required for successful C. albicans infection.

The basis of cerulenin resistance of Candida albicans strains 4918-2 and 4918-10 has been investigated. Parasexual genetic analyses established that cerulenin resistance to concentrations of at least 5 micrograms ml-1 is dominant in both strains. The results also showed that strain 4918-2 is heterozygous for resistance, while the change from resistance to sensitivity of strain 4918-10 is reversible. Experiments to define the mechanism(s) responsible for resistance focused on cerulenin uptake and fatty-acid synthase activity. Cerulenin uptake by strains 4918-2 and 4918-10 was 24% of that of the wild-type (strain 4918). Uptake was restored in UV-induced cerulenin-sensitive segregants of strains 4918-2 and 4918-10, and varied from 63% to 200% of parental values. Fatty-acid synthase from strains 4918-2 and 4918-10 was resistant to cerulenin as judged by differences in the inactivation of the enzyme by the agent. However, inactivation kinetics of fatty-acid synthase of cerulenin-sensitive segregants did not revert to the parental inactivation profile. Further investigation showed that nine out of ten segregants were resistant to cerulenin at concentrations between 1 and 4 micrograms ml-1 while strain 4918 was sensitive to cerulenin at all concentrations tested. Thus, the results suggest that alteration of fatty-acid synthase and changes in permeability contribute to total cerulenin resistance of each strain.

The virulence of Candida albicans strain SC5413 and two isogenic derivatives have been investigated in a rat model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. The results demonstrate that both mutant strains are avirulent in this animal model while the parental strain readily initiates infection. Avirulence is not related to altered growth characteristics or the inability of the strains to undergo yeast-to-hyphal morphogenesis. The potential importance of nutritional sufficiency as a virulence factor as well as the possibility of utilizing such strains in the development of an in vitro expression technology system for Candida albicans is discussed.

Assay-guided fractionation of the ethanol extract of Nymphaea odorata resulted in the identification of two lignans, one new (1) and one known (2), together with six known flavonol glycosides (3-8). The structures of 1-8 were established by spectroscopic analysis as nymphaeoside A (1), icariside E(4) (2), kaempferol 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (afzelin, 3), quercetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (4), myricetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (myricitrin, 5), quercetin 3-O-(6' '-O-acetyl)-beta-d-galactopyranoside (6), myricetin 3-O-beta-d-galactopyranoside (7), and myricetin 3-O-(6' '-O-acetyl)-beta-d-galactopyranoside (8). Compounds 3, 4, and 7 showed marginal inhibitory effect against fatty acid synthase with IC(50) values of 45, 50, and 25 microg/mL, respectively.

The gene (FAS1) encoding the β-subunit of fatty-acid synthase (FAS) of Candida albicans has been isolated and analyzed. The gene was isolated on the basis of homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiaeFAS1 gene. Sequence analysis showed that the gene contained an intron-free open reading frame of 6111 bp encoding a protein of 2037 amino acids (aa) (227 916 Da). C. albicansFAS1 and its product exhibit a high degree of overall sequence relatedness to their counterparts in S. cerevisiae, with identities of 68 and 63% at the nucleotide (nt) and aa level, respectively. In addition, the β-subunits of both organisms contain the catalytic domains in an identical sequential order. Northern blots demonstrated that the gene encodes a single mRNA of approx. 6.1 kb, and that changes in transcript levels are not a prerequisite of the yeast-to-hyphal transition. Southern blot analysis of C. albicans chromosomes separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that FAS1 resides on chromosome 5.

Fatty acid synthase from three strains of Candida albicans (parental strain 4918, and two spontaneous cerulenin-resistant mutants, 4918-2 and 4918-10) has been purified and characterized. In all three cases the purification protocol included ammonium sulfate precipitation, fractionation with butyl-Toyopearl, differential centrifugation and sedimentation velocity centrifugation. Inclusion of protease inhibitors, aprotinin, leupeptin and pepstatin was a prerequisite to maximize recoveries. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated protocol efficacy and showed the apparent molecular mass of the two enzyme sub-units from each strain to be 195 kDa and 210 kDa. The Km (malonyl-CoA) and Vmax of each fatty acid synthase were similar. In contrast, inactivation kinetics of the respective enzymes in the presence of cerulenin showed enzyme activity from both mutants to differ significantly from the parent and from each other. Other experiments suggested in vivo cerulenin resistance of mutant strains is not solely attributable to enzyme alteration.

Assay-guided fractionation of the ethanol extract of the twigs and leaves of Miconia trailii yielded two new flavanone glycosides, matteucinol 7-O-alpha-l-arabinopyranosyl(1--6)-beta-d-glucopyranoside (miconioside A, 1) and farrerol 7-O-beta-d-apiofuranosyl(1--6)-beta-d-glucopyranoside (miconioside B, 2), along with the known compounds matteucinol 7-O-beta-d-apiofuranosyl(1--6)-beta-d-glucopyranoside (3), matteucinol (4), 2alpha,3beta,19alpha-trihydroxyolean-12-ene-24,28-dioic acid (bartogenic acid, 5), 2alpha,3beta,23-trihydroxyolean-12-ene-28-oic acid (arjunolic acid, 6), 2alpha,3alpha,19alpha, 23-tetrahydroxyurs-12-ene-28-oic acid (myrianthic acid, 7), and stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione (8). The structures of 1-8 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR.

Prolonged exposure of several Candida albicans strains to inhibitory concentrations of Cd, Cu, or Zn resulted in the appearance of resistant colonies at frequencies and with kinetics significantly different than expected based solely upon the predicted spontaneous mutation rate. Characteristics of the response included: (i) a delay usually of 4–10 days in the emergence of the first resistant colonies; (ii) continued accumulation of resistant colonies for a minimum of 21 days after initial exposure to selection; and (iii) final mutation frequencies ranging from 7·0 ¢ 10-6 to 9·8 × 10-4. Further examination of the response of one of the strains to Cd, demonstrated that pretreatment with either ultraviolet irradiation or hydroxyurea resulted in approximately a 10-fold increase in the number of resistant colonies detected. While the distribution and identity of colony phenotypes was altered for all strains after exposure to the heavy metals, no specific morphologies could be correlated to development of resis...

Development of Candida spp. biofilms on medical devices such as catheters and voice prosthesis has been recognized as an increasing clinical problem. Simple device removal is often impossible, while in addition, resulting candidal infections are difficult to resolve due to their increased resistance to many antifungal agents. Susceptibility studies of clinical isolates are generally performed according to the CLSI standard, which measures planktonic cell susceptibility, but similar standards have not been designed or applied to testing of cells growing within a biofilm. As consistent biofilms from many strains are more difficult to simultaneously obtain and analyze than are independent planktonic cultures, any standard assay must address these concerns. In the present chapter, optimized conditions that promote biofilm formation within individual wells of microtiter plates are described. In addition, the method has proven useful in preparing C. albicans biofilms for investigation by a variety of microscopic and molecular techniques.

Development of Candida spp. biofilms on medical devices such as catheters and voice prosthesis has been recognized as an increasing clinical problem. Simple device removal is often impossible, while in addition, resulting candidal infections are difficult to resolve due to their increased resistance to many antifungal agents. Susceptibility studies of clinical isolates are generally performed according to the CLSI standard, which measures planktonic cell susceptibility, but similar standards have not been designed or applied to testing of cells growing within a biofilm. As consistent biofilms from many strains are more difficult to simultaneously obtain and analyze than are independent planktonic cultures, any standard assay must address these concerns. In the present chapter, optimized conditions that promote biofilm formation within individual wells of microtiter plates are described. In addition, the method has proven useful in preparing C. albicans biofilms for investigation by a variety of microscopic and molecular techniques.

The effect of media and temperature of incubation on colony phenotype of Candida albicans strain 4918, and two relatively avirulent mutant strains, designated 4918-2 and 4918-10, has been investigated. In addition, the strains were characterized on the basis of morphotyping pattern. Colony phenotypes were determined for cultures grown on either Lee's medium supplemented with arginine and zinc, or M63 medium supplemented with casamino acids. Incubation was at either 24 or 37°C for 7 days. The results demonstrated that the predominant colony phenotype observed at 24°C was different from that at 37°C for all three strains, irrespective of the medium. While the growth medium influenced the specific colony phenotypes observed, as well as their categorical distribution, no significant medium effect on switching frequency was apparent. The switching repertoire of strain 4918-10 was consistently more varied than either the parental strain or 4918-2 under the conditions examined. However, categorization of the col...

We have previously reported the characteristics of mannans isolated from the yeast forms of two relatively avirulent Candida albicans strains, designated 4918-2 and 4918-10. Investigations have been expanded to include an analysis of mannans from the hyphal form of these strains as well as from the hyphal form of the parental strain, 4918. After extraction, mannans were further purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography on a Bio-gel TSK DEAE-5-PW column. Subsequent to either mild acid hydrolysis, alkali hydrolysis, or acetylation followed by acetolysis, the resulting products were fractionated by high-pressure liquid chromatography on an Aminex HPX-42A column. The results of acid hydrolysis showed only minor quantitative differences in the products released from each strain, with mannose constituting the vast majority of product liberated. The profiles of mannooligosaccharides obtained from either alkali hydrolysis or acetolysis for strain 4918-2 showed distinct quantitative differences compared with profiles of the other two strains. Finally, a general characteristic noted is a decrease in the average chain length of mannooligosaccharides in hyphal mannans compared with the yeast counterpart.

The occurrence of fungal infections has steadily escalated over the last two decades. This is due in large part to the fact that those immunocompromised by either disease or therapies are particularly at risk for such infections. Concurrently, there has been increased interest in defining those genes and gene products that contribute to pathogenesis of these organisms. Not only does analysis of such genes provide insight concerning the interaction of the fungal pathogen and its host, but determination of genes required for pathogenesis can also point to possible novel antifungal drug targets.

Fatty acid synthase (FAS) has been identified as a potential antifungal target. FAS prepared from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was employed for bioactivity-guided fractionation of Chlorophora tinctoria,Paspalum conjugatum, Symphonia globulifera, Buchenavia parviflora, and Miconia pilgeriana. Thirteen compounds (1-13), including three new natural products (1, 4, 12), were isolated and their structures identified by spectroscopic interpretation. They represented five chemotypes, namely, isoflavones, flavones, biflavonoids, hydrolyzable tannin-related derivatives, and triterpenoids. 3'-Formylgenistein (1) and ellagic acid 4-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (9) were the most potent compounds against FAS, with IC(50) values of 2.3 and 7.5 microg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, 43 (14-56) analogues of the five chemotypes from our natural product repository and commercial sources were tested for their FAS inhibitory activity. Structure-activity relationships for some chemotypes were investigated. All these compounds were further evaluated for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans. Although there were several antifungal compounds in the set, correlation between the FAS inhibitory activity and antifungal activity could not be defined.

The candidacidal activity of nitric oxide (NO) as delivered by a class of compounds termed diazeniumdiolates has been investigated. Diazeniumdiolates are stable agents capable of releasing NO in a biologically usable form at a predicted rate, and three such compounds were examined for activity. One compound, ( Z )-1-[ N -(2-aminoethyl)- N -(2-ammonioethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (DETA-NO), proved to be most suitable for examining NO activity due to its relatively long half-life (20 h) and because of limited candidacidal activity of the uncomplexed DETA nucleophile. DETA-NO was active against six species of Candida for which the MICs necessary to inhibit 50% growth (MIC 50 s) ranged from 0.25 to 1.0 mg/ml. C. parapsilosis and C. krusei were the most susceptible to the compound. In addition to a determination of NO effects alone, the complex was utilized to investigate the synergistic potential of released NO in combination with ketoconazole, fluconazole, and miconazole. Activity was investigated in vitro against representative strains of Candida albicans , C. krusei , C. parapsilosis , C. tropicalis , C. glabrata , and C. dubliniensis . Determination of MIC 50 , MIC 80 and MICs indicated that DETA-NO inhibits all strains tested, with strains of C. parapsilosis and C. krusei being consistently the most sensitive. The combination of DETA-NO with each azole was synergistic against all strains tested as measured by fractional inhibitory concentration indices that ranged from 0.1222 to 0.4583. The data suggest that DETA-NO or compounds with similar properties may be useful in the development of new therapeutic strategies for treatment of Candida infections.

The virulence of Candida albicans strains deficient in fatty acid synthase activity by virtue of disruption/deletion of the FAS2 gene was examined in a rat model of oropharyngeal candidiasis. The FAS2 alleles of C. albicans CAI4 (delta ura3::imm434/delta ura3::imm434) were sequentially disrupted with a cassette that included a portion of FAS2 from which a 984 bp fragment containing the FAS condensing reaction domain was deleted and replaced with hisG-URA3-hisG sequences. Verification of fatty acid synthase inactivation was obtained from assays of enzyme activity. Strains in which a single allele was disrupted (CFD1 and CFD3) exhibited an approximately 20% reduction in activity, when compared to wild-type. In addition, fatty acid synthase activity was abolished in a FAS2 null mutant strain (CFD2), and growth of CFD2 occurred only when the growth medium was supplemented with Tween 40 and certain fatty acids. Strain CFD2 was avirulent in the rat model, indicating that fatty acid synthase activity is required for C. albicans oropharyngeal infection. Strains with a single FAS2 allele disruption colonized the oral cavity, but the number of cells recovered from infected animals was approximately fivefold less than for the parental strain. The results suggest that FAS may be exploited as a possible target for the development of new antifungal agents.

Candida albicans ( Ca ) FAS2 , the gene encoding the α-subunit of fatty acid synthase (FAS), has been isolated and characterized. Saccharomyces cerevisiae ( Sc ) FAS2 was used as a probe to screen genomic libraries of Ca , strain 4918. Clones were obtained that contained all but the first 1 kb of the gene. The 5′ end, as well as upstream sequences, were subsequently isolated by PCR. The Ca FAS2 gene is comprised of an open reading frame (ORF) of 5655 bp that is free of introns and encodes a 207 587-Da protein of 1885 amino acids. The Ca FAS2 gene and the encoded polypeptide exhibit 70 and 67% homology with the Sc FAS2 gene and protein, respectively. The gene specifies a single transcript of approx. 6 kb, and transcript levels are regulated independently of morphogenesis. Chromosome analysis localized the gene to chromosome 3. In addition, no differences were noted when comparing the FAS2 sequence, that encompasses the cerulenin-binding domain of FAS, between strain 4918 and two derived cerulenin-resistant (Cer R ) mutants. Thus, alteration within this region is not responsible for the increased Cer® of the mutant strains.

Experiments were conducted to gain insight concerning the mechanism(s) whereby cerulenin and sodium butyrate affect chitin synthesis in Candida albicans. In vitro studies with isolated membrane-bound chitin synthase from C. albicans, strain 4918, showed that neither agent affected the level of either unactivated or trypsin-activated enzyme activity. Subsequent studies utilizing protoplasts revealed that early in the cell wall regeneration process, cells treated with cerulenin or butyrate synthesized chitin at a rate equal to untreated controls, as measured by the incorporation of [3H]-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) into acid–alkali insoluble material. However, after 40 min of incubation, the incorporation of [3H]GlcNAc into chitin is reduced in cells treated with either agent. On the other hand, samples taken during the same time intervals and analyzed by flow cytometry suggested that the amount of chitin synthesis in treated and untreated cells was identical. A marked decrease in fluorescence was observed in similar experiments using polyoxin D, a direct inhibitor of chitin synthase activity. Experiments that measured uptake of [3H]GlcNAc into both whole cells and protoplasts demonstrated that cerulenin and butyrate had no effect on the transport of the chitin precursor.

Mannan synthetase activity has been investigated in Candida albicans, strain 4918, as well as in two relatively avirulent, cerulenin-resistant mutant derivative strains, 4918-2 and 4918-10. In addition, investigations pertaining to the effects of the agents, cerulenin and sodium butyrate, on the level of mannan synthetase activity during the yeast to hyphal transition of these strains have been performed. The results show that mannan synthetase activity in yeast cells of both mutant strains is consistently higher than that observed in the parental strain. Similarly, the profile of enzyme activity exhibited by the mutant strains as morphogenesis proceeds differs from that of the wild-type. Sodium butyrate has no significant effect on enzyme activity in these strains, but the presence of cerulenin results in alterations in mannan synthethase activity during morphogenesis of strain 4918.

Two spontaneous cerulenin-resistant mutants of Candida albicans, 4918-2 and 4918-10, were unable to adhere in vitro in fibrin-platelet clots. Because in vitro adherence correlates well with colonization of nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis on traumatized valvular endocardium, 50% infectious dose studies were performed with a rabbit model of endocarditis. Wild-type C. albicans required 10(3.6) +/- 0.12 cfu in comparison with 10(5.73) +/- 0.31 and 10(7.3) +/- 0.21 cfu for mutants 4918-2 and 4918-10, respectively. The relative avirulence of mutant strains in producing endocarditis was not attributed to accelerated clearance of these strains from the bloodstream. In fact, clearance of wild-type and mutant strains was almost identical. In the same animals renal candidiasis was observed with all strains of C. albicans, although the number of cfu per gram of kidney was higher after infection with wild-type C. albicans. Thus, strains of C. albicans with reduced ability to adhere in vitro to a fibrin-platelet matrix are relatively avirulent in the rabbit endocarditis model.

A spontaneous, cerulenin-resistant mutant of Candida albicans (strain 4918-10) was found to adhere less readily to human vaginal mucosal cells in vitro than a wild type C. albicans (strain 4918). In a murine model of vaginal infection, strain 4918-10 was found to be less virulent than wild type C. albicans, i.e., the infection rate caused by 4918-10 was only 31% of that observed with wild type, 4918. A chitin-soluble extract (CSE) prepared from 4918 blocked attachment of yeast cells to human vaginal epithelial cells, while CSE from 4918-10 did not significantly reduce the attachment of yeasts to vaginal cells. Both 4918 and 4918-10 produced hyphae in vitro and in vivo, were negative for proteinase production and grew equally well at 28 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The data suggest that adherence to vaginal mucosa may be an important determinant in the pathogenesis of vaginal infection caused by C. albicans.

Candida albicans germination in liquid medium was inhibition by the antilipogenic agent cerulenin and the fatty acid sodium butyrate. Although these inhibitors prevented germ tube emergence at concentrations of 1 microgram/ml and 20 mM, respectively, neither significantly affected cell viability as judged by trypan blue staining or the rate of protein biosynthesis throughout the time course of the experiments. Cerulenin treatment resulted in inhibition of lipid biosynthesis, but lipid biosynthetic capabilities remained unaltered in sodium butyrate-supplemented cultures. Because each inhibitor blocks germination by different mechanisms, their utility in distinguishing events directly correlated to germination was examined. In this context, chitin synthase activity was inhibited by both compounds, confirming the importance of chitin biosynthesis in C. albicans germination.

Cerulenin, an inhibitor of fatty acid biosynthesis, has been used to study the role of the plasma membrane in germination of Candida albicans. To further elucidate this association, spontaneous, cerulenin-resistant mutants of C. albicans were isolated. Two of the mutants, 4918-2 and 4918-10, were compared biochemically with wild-type cells (4918). All strains grew equally well at 37 degrees C and synthesized fatty acids at comparable rates in the absence of the drug. In the presence of cerulenin, wild-type cells did not proceed through a logarithmic growth stage and exhibited a significantly impaired ability to incorporate [3H]acetate into newly synthesized lipid material. All strains were examined ultrastructurally. Alterations were observed in the membranous structures of cerulenin-treated wild-type cells. Such changes were not observed in cerulenin-treated mutant strains. Further examination of mutant strains revealed differences in cell wall protein and polysaccharide compositions when compared with those of wild-type cells. These apparent alterations in cell surface components may be correlated with the reduced abilities of mutant strains to adhere, in vitro, to mammalian cells.