Antifungal Activity of Mammalian Serum Amyloid A1 against Candida albicans

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2019 Dec 20;64(1):e01975-19. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01975-19. Print 2019 Dec 20.

Abstract

Mammalian serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute phase protein that shows a massive increase in plasma concentration during inflammation. In the present study, we demonstrate that the expression of mouse SAA1 in serum was increased when infected with Candida albicans, a major human fungal pathogen, in a systemic infection model. We then set out to investigate the antifungal activity of SAA proteins against C. albicans Recombinant human and mouse SAA1 (rhSAA1 and rmSAA1) were expressed and purified in Escherichia coli Both rhSAA1 and rmSAA1 exhibited a potent antifungal activity against C. albicans We further demonstrate that rhSAA1 binds to the cell surface of C. albicans, disrupts cell membrane integrity, and induces rapid fungal cell death in C. albicans Our finding expands the known functions of SAA1 and provides new insight into host-Candida interactions during fungal infection.

Keywords: Candida albicans; SAA1; antifungal activity; serum amyloid A.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Candida albicans / drug effects*
  • Candida albicans / metabolism*
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Serum Amyloid A Protein / metabolism

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Serum Amyloid A Protein