Nutritional stress proteins in Candida albicans.

Starving cells of Candida albicans synthesize at least seven proteins that represent nutritional-stress proteins (NSP). Such NSPs are formed by both germination-competent and germination-deficient strains of C. albicans. Heat-shock proteins (HSP) are not formed by starving cells. Germination-competent cells synthesize specific sets of proteins when incubated in a starvation medium that contains the germ-tube-inducing substances N-acetyl-D-glucosamine or L-proline. Both sets of induced proteins were also synthesized by a germination-deficient strain of C. albicans.