EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF A HIGH-AFFINITY LAMININ RECEPTOR-LIKE MOLECULE ON THE SURFACE OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS YEAST-CELLS

Two polypeptides of 37 and 67 kDa that bind laminin were detected in c ell wall extracts of Candida albicans blastoconidia. The 37-kDa specie s, found only in yeast cell wall extracts, cross-reacted with a rabbit polyclonal clonal antibody (PAb 4160) directed towards the carboxyl t erminal laminin-binding domain present in the human 67-kDa high-affini ty laminin receptor (67LR) and its 37-kDa precursor (37LRP), whereas a nother antibody (Pab 4056), directed against internal domains of 67LR and 37LRP, recognized a 37-kDa species in wall extracts from both blas toconidia and germinated blastoconidia. Indirect immunofluorescence wi th PAb 4160 showed a patchy binding pattern only on yeast cells that r epresented about 10% of the entire blastoconidia population.