Effects of Culture Density on the Kinetics of Germ Tube Formation in Candida albicans

Abstract

The relationship between culture density or phase of growth at 24.5 degrees C and the ability of Candida albicans to form germ tubes when shifted to 37 degrees C was investigated. Evidence is presented demonstrating germ tube production from liquid synthetic medium cultures at all phases of growth. Previous studies reported that only cells from stationary phase cultures were competent to form germ tubes. Comparisons between exponential and stationary phase cultures indicate more rapid and more synchronous germ tube production from cells growing in the exponential phase.

Vaginal and Oral Epithelial Cell Anti-CandidaActivity

“…Results showed that, similar to what was observed in oral epithelial cells (39), adherence was Given the uncertainty and/or controversy surrounding roles for adaptive immunity by Candida-specific T cells and antibodies (18,27), as well as the limited roles for polymorphonuclear leukocytes and NK cells (1,42) against C. albicans in the vagina, epithelial cells may fill an important void in the mucosal host defense against vaginal C. albicans infection, albeit weaker and with the requirement for high E:T ratios. While innate and adaptive inflammatory responses are critical to host defense in the periphery and at mucosal sites, inflammatory responses are not preferable at a reproductive site, especially in the case of a commensal organism.…”

The Role of Glucose in the pH Regulation of Germ-tube Formation in Candida albicans

“…albicans yeast cells must be in stationary phase in order for germ-tube formation to proceed. This claim has been questioned by others (Mattia & Cassone, 1979;Ahrens et al, 1983;Soll & Herman, 1983). However, it is possible that the extensive washing that the cells received before their transfer to the new growth conditions was equivalent to the starvation period which Soll & Herman (1983) found sufficient to activate the cells, although it was for a much shorter period (4-5 min).…”

Dibutyryl Cyclic AMP-Enhanced Germ Tube Formation in Exponentially GrowingCandida albicansCells

“…Exponentially growing cells form germ tubes when serum is used as an inducer (Mattia and Cassone, 1979) or if they are prestarved for a short period (Soll and Herman, 1983;Holmes and Shepherd, 1988). Temperature shift from 24.5 to 37°C efficiently induced germ tubes in exponential phase cells (Ahrens et al, 1983), while N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) induced germ tube formation in exponentially growing cells without additional treatment (Cho et al, 1992).…”