Fig. 1: C. albicans displays enhanced pathogenic potential in the presence of albumin.

A Morphological differences between clinical C. albicans isolates grown in RPMI-1640 at 37 °C in the absence of host cells. Images were taken after 24 h of incubation at ×20 magnification (scale bar = 100 µm). B Clinical C. albicans isolates grouped according to their cytotoxicity on A-431 cells after 18 and 45 h post infection (hpi). C Cytotoxicity of A-431 cells infected by clinical C. albicans isolates with and without albumin after 18 hpi (top panel) and 45 hpi (bottom panel) B, C: uninfected n = 7 for 18 hpi and n = 6 for 45 hpi; SC5314 n = 6 for 18 hpi and 45 hpi; C128, C127, C227, UC820, C50, C274, and C226 n = 4 for 18 hpi and n = 3 for 45 hpi; 101 n = 3 for 18 hpi and 45 hpi). D Cytotoxicity of HEK293A cells infected by clinical C. albicans isolates with and without albumin after 18 hpi (top panel) and 45 hpi (bottom panel) (n = 6 for 18 hpi; uninfected and SC5314 n = 4 for 45 hpi; C128, C127, C227, C50, C274, C226, and 101 n = 3 for 45 hpi). E Cytotoxicity of A-431 cells infected by C. albicans deletion mutants, attenuated in their virulence potential, with and without albumin (uninfected and BWP17/Clp30 n = 8 for 18 hpi and 45 hpi; efg1ΔΔ/cph1ΔΔ, ece1ΔΔ, als3ΔΔ, and bud2ΔΔ n = 4 for 18 hpi and 45 hpi, and eed1ΔΔ n = 5 for 18 hpi and 45 hpi). Cytotoxicity was quantified by measuring the LDH activity in the supernatant, bars represent the mean ± SEM, and dots represent the mean of the technical replicates of the individual experiments (B–E). Data were tested for significance using one-way ANOVA with Holm-Šídák multiple comparisons tests (B) or two-way ANOVA with Holm-Šídák multiple comparisons test (C– E). P values are provided in the figure for significant comparisons. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.