Discrimination between Candida albicans and other pathogenic species of the genus Candida by their differential sensitivities to toxins of a panel of killer yeasts.
The differential sensitivities to toxins produced by a short panel of four killer yeasts allowed discrimination between 91 strains of the yeast Candida albicans and 223 non-C. albicans Candida strains. One hundred percent of C. albicans isolates exhibited negative results to the toxin panel, while 100% of non-C. albicans cultures gave well-defined and reproducible positive results to at least one of the four killer toxins. Among C. albicans strains only 96 and 87% gave germ tube (GT)- and chlamydospore-positive results, respectively. In addition a few GT-false-positive strains were detected among non-C. albicans isolates. Susceptibility to the toxin panel is apparently expressed more consistently than either GT or chlamydospore production and may constitute a promising basis for a new simple and easy-to-use procedure for routine discrimination between the species C. albicans and other species of the genus Candida.
Buzzini
P
P
Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale e Biotecnologie Agroambientali, Sezione di Microbiologia Applicata, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Italy. pbuzzini@unipg.it
Martini
A
A
D002175:Candida / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016533:Mycological Typing Techniques; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D009183:Mycotoxins