BACKGROUND: Candida albicans is an opportunistic dimorphic fungus commonly present in the human oral cavity that causes infections in immunocompromised patients. The antigen variability, influenced by growth conditions, is a pathogenicity factor.

AIMS: To determine the effect of nutritional and heat stress on the antigen expression of C. albicans, and to identify major antigens recognized by human salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA).

METHODS: Under various different nutritional conditions, heat shock was induced in C. albicans cells in stationary and exponential growth phases. The expression of protein determinants of C. albicans was assessed by Western blot analysis against human saliva. The antigens were purified and characterized by two-dimensional electrophoresis and identified by protein microsequencing.

RESULTS: Five antigens recognized by salivary IgA were characterized as mannoproteins due to their reactivity with concanavalin A. They did not show reactivity with anti-heat shock protein monoclonal antibodies. Two of them (42 and 36 kDa) were found to be regulated by heat shock and by nutritional stress and they were identified as phosphoglycerate kinase and fructose bisphosphate aldolase, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: These glycolytic enzymes are major antigens of C. albicans, and their differential expression and recognition by the mucosal immune response system could be involved in protection against oral infection.