Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Alteration of ergosterol content and chitin synthase activity inCandida albicans

  • Published:
Current Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chitin synthase activity in total membrane fractions from two polyene-resistant, ergosterol-deficient mutants ofCandida albicans was significantly higher in comparison to the parental polyene-sensitive strain. The zymogen component from membrane preparations of stationaryphase cells of ergosterol mutants was more susceptible to trypsin digestion than those from the parental polyene-sensitive strain. Mechanisms that might explain the effect of changes in membrane composition in the mutant strains on chitin synthase activity are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature Cited

  1. Braun, P. C., Calderone, R. A. 1978. Chitin synthesis inCandida albicans: Comparison of yeast and hyphal forms. Journal of Bacteriology135:1472–1477.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Butler, K. W., Smith, I. C. R., Schneider, H. 1970. Sterol structure and ordering effects in spin-labelled phospholipid multibilayer structures. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta219:519–527.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cabib, E. 1972. Chitin synthetase system from yeast. Methods in Enzymology28:572–580.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cabib, E., Farkas, V. 1971. The control of morphogenesis: An enzymatic mechanism for the initiation of septum formation in yeast. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America68:2052–2056.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Duran, A., Bowers, B., Cabib, E. 1975. Chitin synthetase zymogen is attached to the yeast plasma membrane. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America72:3952–3955.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Duran, A., Cabib, E. 1978. Solubilisation and partial purification of yeast chitin synthetase. Conformation of the zymogenic nature of the enzyme. Journal of Biological Chemistry253:4419–4425.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hanson, B., Brody, S. 1979. Lipid and cell wall changes in an inositol-requiring mutant ofNeurospora crassa. Journal of Bacteriology138:461–466.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Hasilik, A. 1974. Inactivation of chitin synthase inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Archives of Microbiology101:295–301.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kinsky, S. C. 1970. Antibiotic interaction with model membranes. Annual Review of Pharmacology10:119–142.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lees, N. D., Bard, M., Kemple, M. D., Haak, R. A., Kleinhans, F. W. 1979. ESR determination of membrane order parameter in yeast sterol mutants. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta553:469–475.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Marriott, M. S. 1977. Mannan-protein location and biosynthesis in plasma membranes from the yeast form ofCandida albicans. Journal of General Microbiology103:51–59.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Molzahn, S. W., Woods, R. A. 1972. Polyene resistance and the isolation of sterol mutants inSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Journal of General Microbiology72:339–348.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Mopurgo, G., Serlupi-Crescenzi, G., Tecce, G., Valente, F., Venetacci, D. 1964. Influence of ergosterol on the physiology and the ultrastructure ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Nature241:897–899.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Pesti, M., Svoboda, A., Ferenczy, L., Kustán, L., Novák, E. K. 1979. Polyene sensitivity and resistancy of yeast, p. 143. In: Rosdy, B. (ed.), Proceedings of the 19th Hungarian Annual Meeting of Biochemistry. Budapest: Biochemical Section of the Hungarian Chemical Association.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Pesti, M., Novák, E. K., Ferenczy, L., Svoboda, A. 1981. Freeze-fracture electron microscopical investigation onCandida albicans cells sensitive and resistant to nystatin. Sabouraudia, in press.

  16. Pesti, M., Ferenczy, L., Paku, S., Novák, E. K. 1981. Characterization of nystatin-resistant ergosterol mutants ofCandida albicans. Acta Microbiologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, in press.

  17. Pierce, A. M., Pierce, H. D., Unrau, A. M., Jr., Oehlschlager, A. C. 1978. Lipid composition and polyene antibiotic resistance ofCandida albicans mutants. Canadian Journal of Biochemistry56:135–142.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ryder, N. S., Peberdy, J. F. 1976. Chitin synthase inAspergillus nidulans: Properties and proteolytic activation. Journal of General Microbiology99:69–76.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Sinensky, M. 1980. Adaptive alteration in phospholipid composition of plasma membranes from a somatic cell mutant defective in the regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis. Journal of Cell Biology85:166–169.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Singh, M., Sayakumar, A., Prasad, R. 1979. The effect of altered ergosterol content on the transport of various amino acids inCandida albicans. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta555:42–55.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ulane, R., Cabib, E.. 1974. The activating system of chitin synthetase fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Purification and properties of an inhibitor of the activating factor. Journal of Biological Chemistry249:3418–3422.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Ulane, R., Cabib, E. 1976. The activating system of chitin synthetase fromSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Purification and properties of the activating factor. Journal of Biological Chemistry251:3367–3374.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Vanderkooi, G. 1978. Organisation of protein and lipid components in membranes, pp. 29–57. In: Fleischer, S., Hatefi, Y., MacLennan, D. H., Tzagoloff, A. (eds.), The molecular biology of membranes. New York, London: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Woods, R. A. 1971. Nystatin-resistant mutants of yeast: Alteration in sterol content. Journal of Bacteriology108:69–73.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Attila József University, H-6701, Szeged, Hungary

    Miklós Pesti

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY 16 9AL, St. Andrews, England

    John M. Campbell

  3. Department of Botany, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, England

    John F. Peberdy

Authors
  1. Miklós Pesti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John M. Campbell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John F. Peberdy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pesti, M., Campbell, J.M. & Peberdy, J.F. Alteration of ergosterol content and chitin synthase activity inCandida albicans . Current Microbiology 5, 187–190 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01578527

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01578527

Keywords

Search

Navigation