Open AccessIn Vitro Activity of the Antifungal Plant Defensin RsAFP2 against Candida Isolates and Its In Vivo Efficacy in Prophylactic Murine Models of Candidiasis
Author(s) -
Patricia M. Tavares,
Karin Thevissen,
Bruno P. A. Cammue,
Isabelle François,
Eliana BarretoBergter,
Carlos Pelleschi Taborda,
Alexandre F. Marques,
Márcio L. Rodrigues,
Leonardo Nimrichter
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.07
H-Index - 259
eISSN - 1070-6283
pISSN - 0066-4804
DOI - 10.1128/aac.00448-08
Subject(s) - candida albicans , microbiology and biotechnology , in vivo , defensin , in vitro , biology , candida infections , mycosis , systemic candidiasis , invasive candidiasis , fungi imperfecti , antifungal , corpus albicans , immunology , biochemistry , antimicrobial , fluconazole
We show that RsAFP2, a plant defensin that interacts with fungal glucosylceramides, is active against Candida albicans, inhibits to a lesser extent other Candida species, and is nontoxic to mammalian cells. Moreover, glucosylceramide levels in Candida species correlate with RsAFP2 sensitivity. We found RsAFP2 prophylactically effective against murine candidiasis.