Involvement of Candida albicans cell wall proteins in the adherence of blastospores to human buccal epithelial cells.

The adherence of Candida albicans to epithelial cells is one of the first steps in the development of candidiasis and therefore could constitute an interesting target for the prevention of infection. A yeast cell wall extract was prepared by using a C. albicans isolate (IVP 1453) highly adherent to buccal epithelial cells (BECs). This cell wall extract was separated by concanavalin A-affinity chromatography into two fractions referred to as Fr1 (proteic fraction) and Fr2 (mannoproteic fraction). The adhesion activity was mostly associated with the proteic fraction. This fraction was therefore retained and further fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography into two other fractions, referred to as Fr1a and Fr1b. The adhesion activity was mostly associated with the Fr1b fraction (56.4% adherence inhibition); it was not specific to the C. albicans isolate used during the cell wall extract preparation. The Fr1b fraction contained four major proteins with molecular masses of 30, 38, 47, and 54 kDa. Among these four proteins, those with molecular masses of 38 and 54 kDa could be involved in adherence mechanisms of C. albicans to human BECs.