A CARBOHYDRATE-DEGRADING ENZYME FROM CANDIDA-ALBICANS - CORRELATION BETWEEN ALPHA-GLUCOSIDASE ACTIVITY AND FUNGAL GROWTH

Attempts to detect inducible carbohydrate-degrading enzymes from C. al bicans were performed using carbohydrate-restricted media. Although al pha-amylase (polysaccharide hydrolase) was not induced from media cont aining starch or dextrin, alpha-glucosidase (disaccharide hydrolase) w as induced from maltose-containing medium. alpha-Glucosidase activity was detected from the intact cells in suspension and from the supernat ant of both spheroplasted and mechanically broken cells, but not from the media. Enzyme activity in intact cells was pH independent and incr eased during logarithmic growth phase and in media containing lower co ncentrations of maltose. The addition of 5 mM 1-deoxynojirimycin, a co mpetitive inhibitor of alpha-glucosidase, suppressed fungal growth by more than 50%. These results suggest that alpha-glucosidase activity i s crucial for fungal growth in medium containing maltose as a sole car bon source.