Open AccessIdentification of sialic acids on the cell surface of hyphae and yeast forms of the human pathogen Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
Author(s) -
Soares Regina M.A.,
Alviano Celuta S.,
Angluster Jayme,
Travassos Luiz R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1993.tb06069.x
Subject(s) - paracoccidioides brasiliensis , microbiology and biotechnology , identification (biology) , pathogen , hypha , yeast , paracoccidioides , biology , biochemistry , chemistry , botany
Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis , the agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, when grown in a synthetic medium, expresses at the cell surface of both yeast and mycelial forms acidic glycoconjugates containing N ‐acetlyneuraminic acid units. Sialic acids were extracted using mild hydrolytic conditions, and were identified by thin‐layer and gas chromatography, standard colorimetry, reaction with periodate‐resorcinol and mass spectrometry. Their surface location was inferred from fluorescent‐lectin ( Limulus polyphemus agglutinin) binding to whole cells abrogated by previous treatment with neuraminidase. Expression of sialic acids on virulent yeast forms of P. brasiliensis (3.7 × 10 6 residues per cell) may inhibit fungal phagocytosis during early infection, when the immunological response is still being built up.