Abstract:

Objective To study the effects of tetrandrine on the protein expression profile of C. albicans, and to screen for proteins associated with the effect of tetrandrine. Methods Fluconazole-sensitive C. albicans CA-3 was cultured with or without tetrandrine （250 mg/L） for 6 hours followed by the collection of Candida cells. Total proteins were extracted from these cells and separated by using immobilized pH gradient two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Protein spots were detected and analyzed by Image Master 2D Platinum software, and MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS-based method was used to identify these proteins. Results The two-dimensional gel electrophoresis maps of C. albicans proteins before and after the treatment with tetrandrine were successfully obtained with high repeatability. Image analysis revealed a total of 26 differentially expressed protein spots in C. albicans treated with tetrandrine, and 7 differentially expressed proteins were identified by the mass chromatographic analysis, including 1 up-regulated protein （Pst1）, and 6 down-regulated proteins （Idh1, Asc1, Rps5, Asn1, Asn1, Srb1）. Conclusions The expressions of some proteins in fluconazole-sensitive C. albicans experience significant changes after tetrandrine treatment, and Pst1, Idh1, Asc1, Rps5, Asn1, Asn1 and Srb1 may considerably contribute to the effects of tetrandrine on C. albicans.

Key words: Proteomic