Apotransferrin has a second mechanism for anticandidal activity through binding of Candida albicans

It has been reported that transferrin has antibacterial and antifungal activities via iron chelation in the environment surrounding the microbes. In the present study, we investigated whether the binding of transferrin to Candida albicans mediates growth inhibition. By using cultures that contained iron-free (apo)transferrin glycoprotein either in contact with candidal cells or separated from candidal cells by a dialysis membrane, we distinguished the growth inhibition by transferrin-cell interaction from that of simple iron chelation. Maximal growth inhibition always occurred when the apotransferrin interacted directly with the cells. Additionally, there was partial inhibition even when candidal cells were in contact with iron-saturated transferrin. Binding studies with (59)Fe(3+) radiolabeled-transferrin indicated that the apo-protein can bind to the candidal cell surface. The binding sites were saturable and it was dose dependent. Chemicals (hydrogen peroxide, dithiothreitol, sodium dodecyl sulfate) blocked transferrin binding to C. albicans, and among the three, hydrogen peroxide (HP) was the most effective for the blocking. When HP-treated yeast cells were added to the culture that was pretreated with apotransferrin, candidal cell growth increased by 5-fold as compared to the growth of HP-untreated candidal cells under apotransferrin-regulation (P < 0.05). Combined all data together, it was concluded that transferrin has a second mechanism of anticandidal activity that is mediated by binding to the surface of C. albicans yeast cells.