Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
08:56
Quantitative Analysis of the Cellular Lipidome of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Published on: March 8, 2020
Phospholipid profiles in the oral yeast Candida
1Microbiology Laboratory, Turner Dental School, University of Manchester, UK.
Archives of Oral Biology
|June 1, 1996
Summary
Fast atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB MS) identified unique phospholipid profiles in Candida species. These profiles, including specific carboxylate anions, allow differentiation between Candida albicans and C. glabrata, offering chemosystematic insights.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Phospholipids are crucial components of cell membranes.
- Fast atom-bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB MS) is a powerful technique for analyzing complex lipid mixtures.
- Understanding the phospholipid composition of microorganisms like Candida is important for taxonomy and diagnostics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize individual molecular species of phospholipids in Candida isolates using FAB MS.
- To investigate the potential of phospholipid profiles for differentiating between Candida species.
- To explore the chemosystematic significance of Candida phospholipid analogues.
Main Methods:
- Lipids were extracted from Candida isolates.
- Analysis was performed using negative-ion mode FAB MS.
- Phospholipid and carboxylate anion peaks were identified based on mass-to-charge ratio (m/z).
Main Results:
- FAB MS revealed hundreds of anion peaks per isolate, with major peaks corresponding to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) species.
- Distinct carboxylate anion profiles were observed, including C15:0, C16:1, C18:3, C18:2, C18:1, C18:0, and C20:2.
- Quantitative differences in phospholipid profiles were noted between different Candida species, enabling differentiation of Candida albicans from C. glabrata.
- Intra-species variations in phospholipid profiles were also observed.
Conclusions:
- Candida possesses a unique combination of phospholipid analogues with potential chemosystematic value.
- FAB MS is effective for detailed analysis of Candida phospholipid molecular species.
- Phospholipid profiling, particularly carboxylate anions, provides a basis for differentiating Candida species.
Related Concept Videos
01:32Membrane Lipids
Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...
01:35Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer
Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
01:20Candidiasis
Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by opportunistic species of Candida. It can affect various anatomical sites, including the skin, oral cavity, nails, and genitourinary tract. Among its forms, vaginal candidiasis is the most common type of mucosal infection. It typically results from the overgrowth of Candida albicans in the vaginal mucosa. Under normal conditions, C. albicans exists as a commensal organism within the vaginal microbiota, regulated by the dominance of lactobacilli, which...
01:15Antifungal Agents
Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...