Adaptation of Candida albicans to environmental pH induces cell wall remodelling and enhances innate immune recognition
Fig 5
Acidic environments unmask β-glucan in C. albicans.
a i) Wild type C. albicans (NGY152) was grown to mid-log phase in YPD buffered at the appropriate pH, and incubated with recombinant β1,3-glucanase. The decrease in OD600 represents cell lysis as the β1,3-glucanase digests the cell wall and is expressed as a percentage of the starting OD600. ii) The initial rate of cell lysis as calculated from the first 100 min. Data represent the mean ± SEM from four independent repeats b) Immunofluorescent imaging of β-glucan exposure of exponentially growing NGY152 cells using a anti-β1,3-glucan monoclonal antibody. Scale bar = 10 μm. c) Quantification of β-glucan exposure by FACS counting 10,000 events per repeat. Fold increased is relative to unbuffered YPD. Data represent the mean ± SEM from six independent experiments. d) Quantification of Aniline Blue staining of exponentially growing NGY152 cells by FACS analysis counting 10,000 events per repeat. Fold increased is relative to unbuffered YPD. Data represent the mean ± SEM from three independent experiments. e) β-glucan exposure of clinical C. albicans isolates grown to mid-log phase in YPD buffered to pH4 relative to YPD. Data represent the mean ± SEM from three independent experiments (* p < 0.05).