Relationship between cell surface composition of Candida albicans and adherence to acrylic after growth on different carbon sources

Abstract

The adherence of Candida albicans to acrylic was measured in vitro after growth of the yeast to stationary phase in defined medium containing glucose, sucrose, galactose, fructose, or maltose as the carbon source. In each case, yeast adherence was proportional to the concentration of sugar in the growth medium, but equimolar concentrations of different sugars promoted adherence to different extents. In vitro adherence was further increased by the addition of divalent cations to assay mixtures but was inhibited when saliva-treated acrylic strips were used or when yeasts were suspended in mixed saliva during the assay. The rate of spheroplast formation of yeasts grown in media containing a 500 mM concentration of the different sugars correlated well with the relative adherence of the cells to acrylic. Galactose-grown yeasts were most resistant to spheroplast formation with Zymolyase-5000 and most adherent to acrylic, whereas fructose-grown organisms were least resistant to spheroplast formation and least adherent to acrylic. These results indicate that when grown to stationary phase in media containing high concentrations of certain sugars, C. albicans undergoes a change in cell surface composition which facilitates its adherence to acrylic surfaces. Electron microscopy of yeasts harvested from such media revealed the presence of an additional surface layer which may be responsible for this enhanced adherence.