Inhibitory effect of a Pichia anomala killer toxin on Pneumocystis carinii infectivity to the SCID mouse.

A Pichia anomala killer toxin has been demonstrated to have a specific inhibitory effect on the in vitro attachment of Pneumocystis carinii. The results presented herein show that this yeast toxin is also effective against P. carinii infectivity in reducing parasite colonization in the lungs of SCID mice. The specificity of this inhibitory effect was controlled using a monoclonal antibody neutralizing the killer properties of the yeast toxin.