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Quantifying the Mechanical Properties of Yeast Candida albicans Using Atomic Force Microscopy-based Force Spectroscopy

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Antifungal Immunity

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2667))

Abstract

Fungi can adapt to a wide range of environmental stresses in the wild and host milieu by employing their plastic genome and great diversity in morphology. Among different adaptive strategies, mechanical stimuli, such as changes in osmotic pressure, surface remodeling, hyphal formation, and cell divisions, could guide the physical cues into physiological responses through a complex signaling network. While fungal pathogens require a pressure-driven force to expand and penetrate host tissues, quantitatively studying the biophysical properties at the host–fungal interface is critical to understand the development of fungal diseases. Microscopy-based techniques have enabled researchers to monitor the dynamic mechanics on fungal cell surface in responses to the host stress and antifungal drugs. Here, we describe a label-free, high-resolution method based on atomic force microscopy, with a step-by-step protocol to measure the physical properties in human fungal pathogen Candida albicans.

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Acknowledgement

The work is supported by the Royal Society Research Grant RGS\R2\202400 to H-J. T.; Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Grants EP/V029762/1 to Z.J.Z. and EP/R511845/1 to C.R.J.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Christopher R. Jones & Zhenyu Jason Zhang

  2. Institute of Microbiology and Infection, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Hung-Ji Tsai

Authors
  1. Christopher R. Jones
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  2. Zhenyu Jason Zhang
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  3. Hung-Ji Tsai
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zhenyu Jason Zhang or Hung-Ji Tsai .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Immunology & Immunotherapy, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Rebecca A. Drummond

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© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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Jones, C.R., Zhang, Z.J., Tsai, HJ. (2023). Quantifying the Mechanical Properties of Yeast Candida albicans Using Atomic Force Microscopy-based Force Spectroscopy. In: Drummond, R.A. (eds) Antifungal Immunity. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2667. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3199-7_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3199-7_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-3198-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-3199-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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