The Hyphal-Associated Adhesin and Invasin Als3 of Candida albicans Mediates Iron Acquisition from Host Ferritin
Figure 10
C. albicans hyphae invading oral epithelial cells bind ferritin.
C. albicans wild-type (SC5314), Δals3 mutant and Δals3+ALS3 re-integrant cells were co-incubated with ferritin-enriched oral epithelial cells and differentially stained. (A), (E), (I) and (M); staining of extracellular (non-invaded) C. albicans with concanavalin A conjugated with fluorescein before cell permeabilization. (B), (F), (J) and (N); calcofluor white staining of whole C. albicans cells following epithelial cell permeabilization. (C), (G), (K) and (O); fluorescent dye (DY649) coupled antibody staining of ferritin. White arrows indicate hyphae surrounded by epithelial ferritin. (D), (H), (L) and (P); merged images. Bar in (P) indicates 10 µm.