Abstract
Recovery from disseminated candidosis is associated with seroconversion to a 47 kDa breakdown product of the Heat Shock Protein (HSP) 90 of Candida albicans. Cloning, sequencing and epitope mapping has allowed the delineation of the immunodominant epitopes LKVIRKNIVKKMIE and STDEPAGESA. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies specific to these epitopes are used to show that all strains of C. albicans tested produce HSP 90 in both the yeast and mycelial phases. Homologous proteins are demonstrated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida parapsilosis and Corynebacterium jeikeium but not in Torulopsis glabrata. Evidence is presented for the existence of two distinct HSP 90s in C. albicans. The first of these is expressed constitutively whilst the second is produced on heat shocking the yeast from 23 to 37 degrees C.