BINDING OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS TO IMMOBILIZED AMINO-ACIDS AND BOVINE SERUM-ALBUMIN

In this study, we examined the binding of Candida albicans synchronize d yeast-phase cells to plastic, immobilized amino acids and bovine ser um albumin (BSA) and quantified the binding by using an XTT tetrazoliu m salt assay and absorbance determination, Our results show that C. al bicans binds efficiently and specifically to several nonpolar aliphati c amino acids and positively charged amino acids and to BSA immobilize d on tissue culture plastic but not to polar uncharged, negatively cha rged, or aromatic amino acids. Adhesion of yeasts to immobilized amino acids was not affected by preincubation of cells with BSA, whereas bi nding to immobilized BSA was affected by preincubation of yeasts with alanine, proline, and leucine but not by arginine or lysine, The abili ty to distinguish the chirality of these amino acids was also examined by using both the D and L. amino acid configurations, and the results show that C. albicans yeasts recognize only the L configuration of th ese amino acids, The observations that C. albicans specifically binds to certain amino acids indicate that these amino acids may prove usefu l tools for studying the binding interactions of C. albicans yeasts wi th host proteins such as components of the extracellular matrix.