Specificity and mechanism of in vitro adherence of Candida albicans

Adherence of 14C-glucose labeled Candida albicans to vaginal epithelial cells was measured in the presence of 10 potential inhibitory sugars at concentrations of 5 to 150 mg per ml for 90 minutes at 37 degrees C. In competitive inhibition experiments, no inhibition of adherence was seen with any sugar at any concentration. On the contrary, with the exception of the aminosugars glucosamine, galactosamine, and mannosamine, increased attachment of Candida to vaginal epithelial cells was found in the presence of dextrose, galactose, mannose, alpha-methyl-mannoside, N-acetyl-glucosamine, N-acetyl-galactosamine, and N-acetyl-mannosamine. Increased adherence was not associated with recognizable changes in the electron microscopic appearance of Candida cell surface or alterations in fungal cell hydrophobicity as measured by interaction chromatography. Measurement of nonreceptor-specific adherence of Candida to glass beads revealed similar increased attachment in the presence of the test sugars, suggesting that adherence of Candida may not require specific yeast adhesin-cell receptor interaction.