Internalization of Candida albicans and cytoskeletal organization in macrophages and fibroblasts treated with concanavalin A

This paper investigates the ability of macrophages and of non-typically phagocitic cells such as fibroblasts to internalize 51Cr-labelled C. albicans in presence or in absence of lectin concanavalin A (Con A). The results obtained demonstrate that fibroblasts are also able to internalize C. albicans and that this property is potentiated by the presence of Con A. Lectin modifies only the phenotype of the fibroblast, which, poorly attached to the substrate, is globular in shape. Despite reduced cellular spreading, phagocytosis is stimulated by the lectin. In both cell populations, changes in the organization of some cytoskeletal proteins such as tubulin, actin and alpha-actinin are evident during the C. albicans infection; such rearrangements are more evident and longlasting in the fibroblasts treated with Con A.