Alternate interactions of the D-galactose-specific yeast lectin Kb-CWL I with sensitive yeast strains

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 107; no. 1; pp. 17 - 23
• Main Authors: Viard, B, Al Mahmood, S, Streiblova, E, Bonaly, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 15.02.1993; Blackwell
• Subjects: Antifungal Agents - metabolism; Antifungal Agents - pharmacology; antifungal properties; Biological and medical sciences; Biology of microorganisms of confirmed or potential industrial interest; Biotechnology; Candida; Cell aggregation; Cell Division - drug effects; Endopeptidases - metabolism; Flocculation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; fungistasis; Fungistatic effect; galactose; Galactose - metabolism; Galactose - pharmacology; Kluyveromyces; Kluyveromyces - chemistry; Kluyveromyces bulgaricus; Lectin; lectins; Lectins - metabolism; Lectins - pharmacology; Mannose - pharmacology; Mission oriented research; Morphogenesis - drug effects; physicochemical properties; Physiology and metabolism; Pichia; Rhodotorula; Saccharomyces; Saccharomycetales; Schizosaccharomyces; Species Specificity; Yeast; Yeasts - drug effects; Yeasts - growth & development; Lectin; Growth; Germination; Fungistasis; In vitro; Biological activity; Fungi; Antifungal agent; Activity concentration relation; Flocculation; Ascomycetes; Inhibition; Kluyveromyces marxianus var. bulgaricus; Activity spectrum; Galactose; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1993.tb05997.x

In vitro growth assays with a purified D-galactose-specific lectin Kb-CWL I extracted from Kluyveromyces bulgaricus showed marked antifungal effects on 9 of 12 test strains belonging to the genera Kluyveromyces, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Candida, Rhodotorula and Schizosaccharomyces. The inhibition of growth was proportional to the lectin concentration (0.04 and 0.08 mg ml-1) in the culture medium. Under the test conditions, K. bulgaricus, K. lactis and S. bayanus were consistently agglutinated without growth inhibition. D-galactose, the inhibitory sugar of the cell aggregation activity, did not abolish the antifungal effects of the lectin Kb-CWL I on other yeast strains tested. In C. albicans and C. tropicalis, the lectin influenced the dimorphism of these strains and stimulated germ tube formation.