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Lack of sialidase activity in Candida albicans and Candida glabrata
Author(s) -
Roggentin P.,
Krug G.,
Schauer R.,
Brasch J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
mycoses
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.13
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1439-0507
pISSN - 0933-7407
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0507.1999.00407.x
Subject(s) - sialidase , candida albicans , candida glabrata , microbiology and biotechnology , enzyme , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , neuraminidase
Because several micro‐organisms having close contact to animal hosts and man produce sialidase (EC 3.2.1.18) as a tool for adhesion and invasion, we investigated two Candida species for the presence of this enzyme. Two sensitive assays, a fluorometric test with 4‐methylumbelliferyl‐α‐d ‐N‐ acetylneuraminic acid and a radiometric test with 3 H‐labelled sialyllactitol as sialidase substrates, were applied to detect sialidase activity. None of 40 Candida albicans and 10 C. glabrata strains grown in three different media exhibited sialidase activity, but the positive control Ophiostoma stenoceras produced sialidase under comparable conditions. Our surprising negative findings are divergent from an earlier positive report, which may be due to strain selection or bacterial contamination. These results indicate that sialidase is probably of no relevance in cutaneous or mucosal candidoses.