VARIATIONS IN THE ANTIGENIC EFFECTS OF TUNICAMYCIN ON CANDIDA-ALBICANS

We report on the effect of subinhibitory doses of tunicamycin on Candi da albicans cells (BP strain high responder NCYC 1466) in a defined me dium favourable for expression of the mycelial phase. Tunicamycin inhi bited the synthesis of some protein fractions ranging from 40 to 65 kD a, where the immunodominant antigens of C. albicans responsible for th e antibody response to systemic mycosis were inhibited. By two-dimensi onal immunoelectrophoresis, antigen extracts from the cell cultures gr own with tunicamycin showed a migration modification and a lower numbe r of precipitation arcs with variation in their height and range.