Candida albicans increases tumor cell adhesion to endothelial cells in vitro: intraspecific differences and importance of the mannose receptor

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e53584. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053584. Epub 2013 Jan 2.

Abstract

The dimorphic fungus Candida albicans is able to trigger a cytokine-mediated pro-inflammatory response that increases tumor cell adhesion to hepatic endothelium and metastasis. To check the intraspecific differences in this effect, we used an in vitro murine model of hepatic response against C. albicans, which made clear that tumor cells adhered more to endothelium incubated with blastoconidia, both live and killed, than germ tubes. This finding was related to the higher carbohydrate/protein ratio found in blastoconidia. In fact, destruction of mannose ligand residues on the cell surface by metaperiodate treatment significantly reduced tumor cell adhesion induced. Moreover, we also noticed that the effect of clinical strains was greater than that of the reference one. This finding could not be explained by the carbohydrate/protein data, but to explain these differences between strains, we analyzed the expression level of ten genes (ADH1, APE3, IDH2, ENO1, FBA1, ILV5, PDI1, PGK1, QCR2 and TUF1) that code for the proteins identified previously in a mannoprotein-enriched pro-metastatic fraction of C. albicans. The results corroborated that their expression was higher in clinical strains than the reference one. To confirm the importance of the mannoprotein fraction, we also demonstrate that blocking the mannose receptor decreases the effect of C. albicans and its mannoproteins, inhibiting IL-18 synthesis and tumor cell adhesion increase by around 60%. These findings could be the first step towards a new treatment for solid organ cancers based on the role of the mannose receptor in C. albicans-induced tumor progression and metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Candida albicans / metabolism*
  • Candidiasis / metabolism
  • Candidiasis / microbiology*
  • Cell Adhesion*
  • Cell Separation
  • Endothelium / metabolism
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Inflammation
  • Interleukin-18 / metabolism
  • Lectins, C-Type / metabolism*
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mannose Receptor
  • Mannose-Binding Lectins / metabolism*
  • Melanoma, Experimental
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism*

Substances

  • Interleukin-18
  • Lectins, C-Type
  • Mannose Receptor
  • Mannose-Binding Lectins
  • Receptors, Cell Surface

Grants and funding

This work was supported by two SAIOTEK grants (S-PE09UN41 and S-PE11UN070) and a consolidated research group IT343/10 of Basque Government, two grants from the University of the Basque Country (UE 03/04 and UE 08/14) and a UFI Grant (UFI11/25) from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU. Andoni Ramirez-Garcia was supported by a fellowship from the Government of the Basque Country. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.