Chemical Composition of Chlamydospores of Candida albicans

Abstract

A variety of analytical techniques was employed to study the composition of the chlamydospore of Candida albicans. The outer, thin, electron-transparent layer was found to be composed of glucan, together with a small amount of chitin. The inner, thick, electron-dense layer is proteinaceous. The central structure is composed largely of ribonucleic acid and lipid globules. In addition to being acid-fast, the chlamydospore was found to contain glycolipids and to lose the property of acidfastness on extraction with ethanol-ether. Skujins et al. (21). Streptomyces species no. 3 (kindly supplied by M. Alexander, Cornell University) was maintained on a medium consisting of a 0.5% suspension of distiller's solubles (Brown, Forman Co., Louisville, Ky.) in distilled water, adjusted to pH 7.6, and solidified with 3% agar (Difco). For enzyme production, the organism was grown in a basal salts liquid medium (21) to which autoclaved, lyophilized cells of C. albicans were added (5 g/liter). This medium (25 liters) was sterilized in a 40-liter fermentor 922 on July 31, 2020 by guest

VISUALIZATION OF NEW ULTRASTRUCTURAL COMPONENTS IN THE CELL WALL OF CANDIDA ALBICANS WITH FIXATIVES CONTAINING TAPO

“…This assumption is supported in part by the fact that in chlamydospores of C . albicans, which do not contain mannan (6), the first and the second layers of the cell wall are undetectable or greatly reduced in size (unpublished results) .…”

Chlamydospore formation in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis– an enigmatic developmental programme

“…Of interest was also the free lipid content of chlamydospores, which was determined to be 12% of the dry weight of chlamydospores and thus significantly higher than the approximately 5% reported for yeast cells. 54,55 However, it has to be considered that the lipid content varies among strains and depends on culture media, environmental parameters and age of the chlamydospores. The lipid granules, which can be observed microscopically within chlamydospores, leak out of the cells when the cell wall is broken, e.g.…”

“…Thus, the process of chlamydospore formation is accompanied by extensive compartmentalisation of protein into a thick inner wall layer and of lipid plus RNA into a central core. 54…”

The Chlamydospore of Candida albicans.

“…A number of papers has been written not only about the germination of csp, the production and staining behaviour of catenulate csps and suspensor cells but about their ultrastructure as well (1,2,7,10,11,12). The general opinion is that the csp is either a resting structure, or a storing structure, or a reproductive cell (2,3,14,15).…”