Publication Date

5-1976

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Larry Elliott, Gary Dillard, Lewis Lockwood

Degree Program

Department of Biology

Degree Type

Master of Science

Abstract

Candida albicans is a pathogenic yeast often encountered in the medical laboratory. A survey taken by mail of 110 Kentucky hospital and clinical laboratories demonstrated that the germ tube test is the most frequently used method for the identification of this organism. Earlier workers have found that this technique does not distinguish between C. albicans and C. stellatoidea. Various modifications of the germ tube test that could possibly be used in the differentiation of these two taxa were investigated. Parameters examined included the effects of oxygen tension, CO2, increased temperature, serum dilution, glucose concentration, and a synthetic medium upon germ tube formation. The results indicated that the germ tube test cannot be satisfactorily used to differentiate these two organisms.

An evaluation of the use of cultural characteristics on commonly used media and agglutination by C. albicans and antiserum demonstrated that these cannot be used to dependably identify C. albicans. The response of C. albicans and C. stellatoidea to various antimycotic agents and to other microorganisms were compared and the pathogenicity of C. albicans and C. stellatoidea was discussed.

Disciplines

Biology | Life Sciences

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