Open AccessIdentification and immunochemical characterization of a germ tube specific antigen of Candida albicans
Author(s) -
MarotLeblond Agnès,
Robert Raymond,
Aubry Jacques,
Ezcurra Pilar,
Senet JeanMarcel
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
fems immunology & medical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1574-695X
pISSN - 0928-8244
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-695x.1993.tb00397.x
Subject(s) - biology , candida albicans , germ tube , pronase , monoclonal antibody , proteinase k , microbiology and biotechnology , corpus albicans , epitope , antigen , molecular mass , antibody , trypsin , biochemistry , immunology , enzyme
Germ tube specific fractions of the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Candida albicans were fractionated according to their ability to link fibrinogen. These fibrinogen binding factors were used as immunogens to prepare monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with BALB/c mice. Among the resulting mAbs, one (mAb 3D9.3) was shown by indirect immunofluorescence to be specific to the surface of the mycelial phase of the C. albicans species. No labelling of the cell wall of any other Candida species was observed. This morphological shape specificity was confirmed by immunoblotting where a polydispersed high molecular mass component was identified. The molecular mass varied with the extraction procedure used; over 210 kDa with EDTA‐2ME treatment, and ranging from 110 to 220 kDa after Zymolyase digestion. This phase‐specific epitope was sensitive to proteolysis with pronase E, proteinase K and trypsin, but not to periodate treatment. Further purification of this material would allow further development of new serodiagnostic assays that might be more specific for invasive disease than currently available tests.