Protein and enzyme electrophoresis profiles of selected Candida species

Abstract

The cellular protein profiles and malate dehydrogenases, superoxide dismutases, alkaline phosphatases, and esterases from whole cell extracts of Candida spp. were studied with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We investigated isolates that differed in their ability to assimilate sucrose as the sole carbon source. The protein and enzyme patterns of Candida tropicalis and its sucrose-negative variant "Candida paratropicalis Baker, Salkin, Pincus et D'Amato" were indistinguishable. Although the cellular protein and superoxide dismutase patterns of Candida albicans and its sucrose-negative variant "Candida stellatoidea" were quite similar, differences were noted in the profiles of the other enzymes studied. In addition, the C. stellatoidea isolates were found to be separable, on the basis of their enzyme profiles, into the same two types that have been reported by Kwon-Chung et al. (K.J. Kwon-Chung, B.L. Wickes, and W.G. Merz, Infect. Immun. 56:1814-1819, 1988).