Candida tropicalis

J Med Vet Mycol, 1990, 28(4), 267 - 73
Cell-constituent polyamines in Candida species and new biotyping of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis strains; Bezjak V et al.; Intracellular amines from three Candida species were extracted and chemically derivatized by a modification of the Seiler procedure . The results of qualitative determinations of 13 amines in 20 strains each of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis are presented . This report is the first to describe the detection of amines other than the classical spermine, spermidine, putrescine and cadaverine in yeasts and fungi . Characteristic profiles due to the presence or absence of particular amines in the Candida species studied are demonstrated . Although these could not be used as strict differential markers at the species level, biotyping schemes based on amines are proposed to differentiate strains of C . albicans, C . tropicalis and C . parapsilosis.

J Med Vet Mycol, 1990, 28(1), 3 - 14
Demonstration of fungal proteinase during phagocytosis of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis; Borg M et al.; The extracellular acid proteinase of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis was monitored in vitro during phagocytosis by murine peritoneal macrophages . Fungal blastospores were quickly ingested by the thioglycolate-elicited macrophages and the intracellular blastospores partly resisted killing and started to grow out after 6 h incubation, causing destruction of the macrophage . Proteinase antigen appeared on fungal cells after 30 min in culture medium containing 10% fetal calf serum . The antigen was detected on ingested blastoconidia and filamentous cells of C . albicans serotype A . The proteinase antigen was also expressed by blastoconidia of C . albicans serotype B but was missing on the filamentous cells of this serotype . Isolates of C . tropicalis behaved similarly to C . albicans serotype A . The acid proteolytic activity of Candida cells was confirmed by the haemoglobin test on culture supernatants . Lysates of infected and noninfected phagocytes showed a differential acid proteolytic activity; noninfected macrophages revealed rising activity, while infected macrophages showed a distinct reduction of activity . The proteolytic activity of lysates of noninfected cells is due to lysosomal cathepsin-D . Cathepsin-D was also most likely to be responsible for the declining proteolytic activity in lysates from infected phagocytes; such lysates contained increasing amounts of fungal proteinase antigen . The differential kinetics of this antigen and the total acid proteolytic activity in the lysates suggest a conflict between microbial and lysosomal hydrolases in infected phagocytes . The outcome of this conflict depends on the number and hydrolytic activity of the ingested yeasts and may be decisive in the progress of infection.

J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1990, 34(2), 129 - 34
The in vitro susceptibility of some mycotic agents to a new orally active triazole, itraconazole; Otcenasek M; The growth-inhibitory effect of itraconazole against 85 strains of mycotic agents belonging to 37 species was studied . MIC values were determined in a microtiter broth dilution method using casitone medium . The widest range of susceptibility was noted for yeasts . More strains of Candida albicans, Candida, spp . and Torulopsis spp . were found to be highly sensitive (MIC = 0.22 mg l-1), a single strain of Candida tropicalis and Rhodotorula glutinis was fully resistant (MIC = 200 mg l-1) . Most isolates of yeasts were susceptible at concentrations of 0.19 to 0.78 mg l-1 . Itraconazole showed the best activity against the clinical isolates of Aspergillus . Of the 16 strains tested, 12 isolates had MIC values less than or equal to 0.09 mg l-1 . The drug was inhibitory for the agents of adiaspiromycosis at a narrow range of concentrations (0.19-0.39 mg l-1) . greater variation in the response was noted for Geotrichum candidum (0.045-3.12 mg l-1) . Zygomycetous fungi (Mucor, Rhizopus) were mostly highly resistant (100-200 mg l-1) . Very susceptible strains of Absidia spp . were an exception . In most genera and species, the results of this study were in agreement with the previously reported data of foreign authors.

Ann Pharm Fr, 1990, 48(1), 17 - 22
{Research of antifungal substances secreted by higher fungi in culture}; Pujol V et al.; A screening in vitro of antifungic activity of 24 strains of Basidiomycetes was realized with their culture filtrate . Lycoperdon perlatum Pers . = Pers., Oudemansiella platyphylla (Pers . ex Fr.) Mos., Agrocybe dura (Bolt) Singer have shown an activity against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Aspergillus fumigatus; Pholiota spumosa (Fr.) Singer towards Botrytis cinerea and Lycoperdon perlatum Pers . = Pers . towards Alternaria solani, Botrytis cinerea and Verticillium dahliae . More extensive studies of the kinetics of antifungic substances production from Lycoperdon perlatum Pers . = Pers . were effectued with 2 different media and 2 different seeding technics on the strains which were sensible to the inhibitory character of this Gasteromycete.

Biochemistry, 1989 Dec 12, 28(25), 9633 - 40
Mechanism and inhibition of delta 24-sterol methyltransferase from Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis; Ator MA et al.; The S-adenosyl-L-methionine: delta 24-sterol methyltransferase from Candida albicans has been solubilized with a mixture of octyl glucoside and sodium taurodeoxycholate . The enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of approximately 150,000 as measured by gel filtration chromatography . Zymosterol is the preferred substrate for the microsomal methyltransferase . Other nuclear double bond isomers support reduced rates of methenylation, while sterols which bear methyl groups at C-4 or C-14 are not substrates . Initial velocity and product inhibition studies are consistent with a rapid equilibrium ordered kinetic mechanism . A series of novel sterol analogues which contain heteroatoms substituted for C-24 or C-25 have been kinetically characterized as dead-end inhibitors of the methyltransferase, revealing three distinct mechanisms of interaction with the enzyme . Sterols which contain positively charged moieties in these positions are particularly potent inhibitors, supporting the proposed intermediacy of C-24 and C-25 carbocations . The methyltransferase is reversibly inhibited by low concentrations of 24-thiasterols, while behavior consistent with mechanism-based enzyme inactivation is apparent at higher concentrations . Possible mechanisms for this novel inactivation reaction are discussed.

J Clin Microbiol, 1989 Nov, 27(11), 2426 - 8
Single-source outbreak of Candida tropicalis complicating coronary bypass surgery; Isenberg HD et al.; Candida tropicalis was isolated from the sternal wounds of eight coronary bypass patients from 18 to 89 days postoperatively; infections were limited to soft tissue in five patients but involved the sternum in three patients . Analysis of surgery records implicated one individual as the potential source of the yeast; this was confirmed by microbiological studies of fingertips and nasopharynx cultures of all personnel in contact with these patients . Only the suspect nurse, then acting as a scrub nurse and not as a circulator, infected the eight patients . Her removal from the cardiac team terminated the cluster outbreak.

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1989 Nov-Dec, 12(6), 521 - 3
Rapid identification of Candida albicans using 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-beta-galactosaminide; Dalton MT et al.; Rapid identification of Candida albicans is performed mainly by the germ-tube test . However, recent reports have suggested that up to 5% of C . albicans species can give false negative results . We describe the use of 4-Methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminide (4-MAG) conjugate as an alternative to the germ-tube test . Our results indicate that, in comparison to the germ-tube test, the 4-MAG test has a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 92% . Candida tropicalis can give false-positive results, and that a further screening test is required to identify this species . Problems reading end-points were not encountered.

Zhonghua Min Guo Wei Sheng Wu Ji Mian Yi Xue Za Zhi, 1989 Nov, 22(4), 242 - 8
Production of dodecanedioic acid from n-dodecane by yeasts; Liu WH et al.; In order to develop a process for production of dodecanedioic acid (DC-12) as starting materials for the chemical industry, a n-dodecane assimilating and DC-12-producing yeast was isolated from Taiwan soil . The taxonomical characteristics of this newly isolated yeast were examined and it was identified as Candida tropicalis NTU-512 . The newly isolated strain was improved successively by NTG mutagenesis . A high potency DC-12-producing mutant 91 which showed slight growth both in DC-12 and n-dodecane enrichment media was isolated . The DC-12 productivity of mutant 91 reached 3,326 mg/I by shaking culture at 30 degrees C for 72 h . This figure is 2.5-fold that of the parent strain (1,310 mg/I).

Mycoses, 1989 Nov, 32(11), 578 - 80
Fungi isolated from lymph nodes of buffaloes; Pal M et al.; A preliminary study was undertaken to investigate the occurrence of fungi in various lymph nodes of domestic buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis), subjected to slaughter for human consumption at a local abattoir . Fungi could be demonstrated in 6 out 42 specimens when examined by mycological techniques . Molds were represented by 5 isolates viz., Aspergillus fumigatus (2), A . flavus, A . niger and A . terreus . Candida tropicalis was the only yeast isolate recovered from the lymph node . The significance of fungi in relation to meat inspection is discussed.

FEBS Lett, 1989 Oct 9, 256(1-2), 128 - 34
Heterogeneity within the alkane-inducible cytochrome P450 gene family of the yeast Candida tropicalis; Sanglard D et al.; The reexamination of a genomic lambda gt11 Candida tropicalis expression library for the presence of genes related to the previously reported alkane-inducible cytochrome P450alk gene (P450alk), which is the first member of the P450LII gene family, was undertaken . A positive clone with a DNA fragment having 69% similarity with a portion of P450alk was isolated . As in the case of P450alk, this new putative P450 gene was also induced by tetradecane when C . tropicalis was grown on this carbon source and was therefore named P450alk2, P450alk1 corresponding to the first isolated P450 gene . In addition to P450alk2, the existence of other P450alk-related genes is suggested by the hybridization pattern of P450alk1 and P450alk2 probes with the C . tropicalis genomic DNA . The P450LII gene family in C . tropicalis appears therefore to include several different members . This heterogeneity is presently a unique feature within yeast P450 gene families and resembles the situation existing in P450 gene families of higher eukaryotes.

J Pediatr, 1989 Oct, 115(4), 561 - 7
Role of flexible bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates in pediatric patients with cancer; Stokes DC et al.; We reviewed 60 consecutive flexible bronchoscopies done during a 36-month period in 48 pediatric cancer patients with undiagnosed pulmonary infiltrates . Diagnostic procedures during bronchoscopy included 40 brushings, 50 bronchoalveolar lavages, and 6 transbronchial and mucosal biopsies . A total of 16 specific diagnoses were made by bronchoscopy (27% diagnostic yield), including infection (12), pulmonary leukemia (3), and lymphoma (1) . The largest proportion of specific diagnoses came from lavage (14/50) and the smallest from brushings (1/40) . Biopsies were also useful for selected patients . The low overall yield for bronchoscopy was probably due to the routine use of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics and antifungal therapy, as well as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis . Subsequent specific diagnoses were obtained by other procedures (open biopsy, needle aspiration, or autopsy) for 10 patients with negative bronchoscopy results and 3 patients with diagnostic bronchoscopies . These additional diagnoses included 7 infections (Pneumocystis carinii (1), Candida tropicalis (1), cytomegalovirus (1), and Aspergillus (4), and 6 other diagnoses with nonspecific histologic findings . A positive bronchoscopy result may be useful, but negative bronchoscopy findings do not justify delaying other diagnostic procedures or discontinuing antibiotic and antifungal therapy in children with cancer and pulmonary infiltrates.

Mycopathologia, 1989 Oct, 108(1), 11 - 9
Immunosuppression in experimental cryptococcosis in rats: modification of macrophage functions by T suppressor cells . Macrophages functions in cryptococcosis; Rubinstein HR et al.; The influence of lymphocytes on the modulation of macrophage functions in altered immune states induced by Cryptococcus neoformans infection in rats has been investigated . In this report we observed a decrease of 'in vitro' phagocytic activity by peritoneal cells (PC) from rats that received T suppressor cells induced by cryptococcal infection, against both the same microorganism that stimulated this suppressor population (p less than 0.05) and another non-pathogenic primary yeast (Candida tropicalis), (p less than 0.02) . The microbicide function of the PC from these animals present a significant decrease in challenge by C . tropicalis (p less than 0.002) when compared with PC from animals transferred with T normal cells . The transference of T suppressor cells induced by cryptococcal infection in animals immunized with human serum albumin-complete Freund's adjuvant (HSA-CFA) produces a significant alteration of the phagocytosis to HSA-human red cells (HSA-HRC) when compared with the phagocytosis observed in animals that received T normal cells or the phagocytosis of normal animals (p less than 0.001) . We could also observe that the DTH to HSA studied during 30 days was negative in rats transferred with PC sensitizated with HSA and treated with suppressor T cells, when compared with the DTH response of animals transferred with PC-HSA cocultured with normal cells (p less than 0.05 21st day) . The data presented in this paper illustrated that following infection of rats with C . neoformans there is a change in some population of accessory cells behavior reflected by the modification of several functions, such as phagocytosis, lytic activity and antigen presentation.

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1989 Sep, 106(3), 474 - 8
Peroxisomal acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase from an n-alkane-utilizing yeast, Candida tropicalis: purification and characterization; Kurihara T et al.; Acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (Thiolase I) and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase (Thiolase III) found in peroxisomes of an n-alkane-utilizing yeast, Candida tropicalis pK 233, were each purified to homogeneity by successive column chromatographies . Thiolase I was composed of six identical subunits whose molecular masses were 41,000 Da, and Thiolase III was a homodimer composed of 43,000 Da subunits . The results of limited proteolysis of the respective thiolases indicated that they were quite different in peptide components . Furthermore, these enzymes were immunochemically distinguishable . The kinetic studies showed that the substrates with long chains were degraded exclusively by Thiolase III, while acetoacetyl-CoA was degraded preferentially by Thiolase I . Thus, in the yeast, the complete degradation of fatty acids is suggested to be carried out efficiently in peroxisomes.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989 Sep, 33(9), 1443 - 6
Comparison of in vivo activity of fluconazole with that of amphotericin B against Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, and Candida krusei; Fisher MA et al.; Fluconazole (UK-49,858) is a new oral bis-triazole antifungal agent with demonstrated activity against Candida albicans . Because of the increasing importance of infections due to other species of Candida, we studied the efficacy of fluconazole in a rat model of established systemic candidiasis, using clinical isolates of C . tropicalis, C . glabrata, and C . Krusei . In normal rats, oral fluconazole at both 20 and 80 mg/kg per day for 7 days reduced both kidney and liver titers of C . tropicalis and C . glabrata compared with those in control animals and was only slightly inferior to amphotericin B . Both fluconazole and amphotericin B were ineffective in reducing kidney titers of C . krusei, but amphotericin B was more effective than fluconazole in reducing liver titers . Fluconazole showed no increased efficacy at the higher dose of 80 mg/kg per day compared with 20 mg/kg per day in any experiment . These results suggest that oral fluconazole may be useful in the treatment of established disseminated candidiasis caused by species other than C . albicans . Further in vivo studies are needed, however, to define minimum effective doses and length of therapy and to test additional Candida isolates.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1989 Aug, 33(8), 1391 - 2
Evaluation of cilofungin, a lipopeptide antifungal agent, in vitro against fungi isolated from clinical specimens; Hanson LH et al.; Cilofungin (LY121019) is a new lipopeptide antifungal drug . We tested this drug against 141 pathogenic fungal isolates . All fungal species were tested by broth dilution at 35 degrees C . Malassezia furfur was tested by agar dilution . The results demonstrate the specificity of cilofungin activity . Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Malassezia pachydermatis were highly susceptible, whereas Candida parapsilosis, Candida pseudotropicalis, Candida krusei, Torulopsis glabrata, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus species, M . furfur, and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were more resistant.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1989 Aug, 55(8), 1974 - 80
31P nuclear magnetic resonance study of the effect of azide on xylose fermentation by Candida tropicalis; Lohmeier-Vogel E et al.; Maximal ethanol production by Candida tropicalis grown on xylose was obtained at an oxygen transfer rate of 5 to 7 mmol/liter per h . Addition of 0.2 mM azide increased the ethanol yield by a factor of 3 to 4, based on the cell mass produced, and decreased the formation of the by-product xylitol by 80% . In the presence of azide, ethanol was reassimilated before the carbon source was depleted . At all oxygenation levels studied, azide caused 25 to 60% of the carbon to be lost, most probably as carbon dioxide . Identical spectra were obtained with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy performed on extracts of C . tropicalis grown on xylose in the absence and presence of azide . Azide lowered the levels of sugar phosphates . Enzymatic analysis showed extremely low levels of fructose 1,6-diphosphate compared with the levels obtained in the absence of azide, while the level of malate, a citric acid cycle intermediate, was not influenced by azide . 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy performed on xylose-grown whole cells of C . tropicalis showed that azide lowered the intracellular pH, inhibited the uptake of external Pi, and decreased the buildup of polyphosphate in relation to results with untreated cells . Similar results were obtained with the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), except that CCCP treatment led to extremely high levels of internal Pi . The dual effect of azide as a respiratory inhibitor and as an uncoupler is discussed with respect to the metabolism and product formation in xylose-assimilating C . tropicalis.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1989 Jul 31, 162(2), 646 - 50
Accumulation of cAMP in the cells of Candida tropicalis at an early stage of ethanol-induced filamentous growth and its prevention by myo-inositol; Omi K et al.; Phosphatidylinositol metabolism is enhanced in the cells of Candida tropicalis Pk 233 at an early stage of filamentous growth caused by ethanol, and myo-inositol prevents the ethanol-induced changes in the metabolism and morphology {Uejima et al . (1987) FEBS Lett . 214, 127-129} . The accumulation of cAMP and an increase in adenylate cyclase activity were observed in the cells grown with ethanol to the mid-log phase . Myo-inositol abolished these effects of ethanol also . The activity of cAMP phosphodiesterase was affected by neither ethanol nor myo-inositol . These results suggest that the inositol phospholipid-linked and cAMP-linked signaling pathways may be involved in the mechanism of ethanol-induced filamentous growth of this yeast and also that myo-inositol would affect morphogenesis by controlling these pathways.

Am J Perinatol, 1989 Jul, 6(3), 347 - 8
Candida tropicalis empyema associated with acquired gastropleural fistula in a newborn infant; Malik S et al.; A case of congenital left-sided diaphragmatic hernia complicated by formation of gastropleural fistula and Candida tropicalis empyema is presented . The possibility of pleural fistula should be considered in any undiagnosed case of pleural effusion, pneumothorax, empyema, hemothorax, or hydropneumothorax.

Mikrobiyol Bul, 1989 Jul, 23(3), 210 - 9
{The production of ethyl alcohol in waste sulfite liquor by free and immobilized Candida tropicalis ceppo 571 using batch and continuous systems}; Guven M et al.; In this study, the free and immobilized cells of Candida tropicalis ceppo 571 yeast were used for the production of ethanol . The yield of ethanol under anaerobic conditions was investigated . Batch technique in flasks and continuous in tubular bioreactor were also applied and the results were compared . It has been shown that the production of ethanol by the free cells was 2.36 times higher than the one by the immobilized cells . The continuous process resulted as the free cells produced ethanol 1.25 times more than the immobilized cells did.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1989 Jun 15, 161(2), 843 - 50
Molecular cloning and characterization of the primary structure of the alkane hydroxylating cytochrome P-450 from the yeast Candida maltosa; Schunck WH et al.; A cDNA library was established starting from poly(A) RNA of n-alkane-grown Candida maltosa cells and cDNA clones were isolated containing the entire coding sequence for the alkane hydroxylating cytochrome P-450 . The deduced protein consists of 521 amino acids, contains two putative transmembrane segments in the N-terminal region and has a characteristic heme-binding sequence in the C-terminal part . Sequence alignments with members of 11 reported cytochrome P-450 families revealed a strong homology to an alkane-inducible cytochrome P-450 from Candida tropicalis.

J Bacteriol, 1989 Jun, 171(6), 3586 - 9
Interspecific complementation analysis by protoplast fusion of Candida tropicalis and Candida albicans adenine auxotrophs; Corner BE et al.; A protocol employing inositol starvation was used to isolate proline and adenine auxotrophs of Candida tropicalis . Interspecific hybrids between red adenine auxotrophs of C . tropicalis and Candida albicans were formed by protoplast fusion . These C . tropicalis red adenine auxotrophs were shown to fall into two complementation groups by crossing them with a known C . albicans ade1 tester strain . It is suggested that these two groups correspond to the ade1 and ade2 mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C . albicans and that these defined mutants may be useful in attempts to develop transformation systems for C . tropicalis.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol, 1989 Jun, 10(6), 280 - 3
Candida tropicalis; Gelfand MS; C tropicalis is a frequent and virulent pathogen in neutropenic patients . Infection control personnel should be familiar with this microorganism and the significance of a positive culture for C tropicalis in a setting of poor host resistance.

J Gen Microbiol, 1989 Jun, 135 ( Pt 6), 1423 - 30
Ammonium assimilation by Candida albicans and other yeasts: evidence for activity of glutamate synthase; Holmes AR et al.; Activities and properties of the ammonium assimilation enzymes NADP+-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and glutamine synthetase (GS) were determined in batch and continuous cultures of Candida albicans . NADP+-dependent GDH activity showed allosteric kinetics, with an S0.5 for 2-oxoglutarate of 7.5 mM and an apparent Km for ammonium of 5.0 mM . GOGAT activity was affected by the buffer used for extraction and assay, but in phosphate buffer, kinetics were hyperbolic, yielding Km values for glutamine of 750 microM and for 2-oxoglutarate of 65 microM . The enzymes GOGAT and NADP+-dependent GDH were also assayed in batch cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and three other pathogenic Candida spp.: Candida tropicalis, Candida pseudotropicalis and Candida parapsilosis . Evidence is presented that GS/GOGAT is a major pathway for ammonium assimilation in Candida albicans and that this pathway is also significant in other Candida species.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1989 Jun, 8(6), 564 - 7
Fungicidal activity of cilofungin (LY121019) alone and in combination with anticapsin or other antifungal agents; Pfaller M et al.; Cilofungin (LY121019) was shown to have potent fungicidal activity against clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis but not Candida parapsilosis . Fungicidal activity was evident against both replicating and non-replicating Candida albicans and was progressive over the first 12 h of incubation . The combination of cilofungin (LY121019) with anticapsin but not with amphotericin B, ketoconazole or 5-fluorocytosine resulted in synergistic fungicidal activity . This compound warrants further investigation of its safety and efficacy in the treatment of Candida infections.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1989 May 15, 160(3), 1257 - 66
Disruption of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene for NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase causes increased sensitivity to ketoconazole; Sutter TR et al.; Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae deleted in the NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase gene by transplacement are 200-fold more sensitive to ketoconazole, an inhibitor of the cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase . Resistance is restored through complementation by the plasmid-borne wild type gene from either S . cerevisiae or Candida tropicalis . Neither Southern hybridization nor Western immunoblot techniques provided evidence for a second NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase gene, suggesting that an alternate pathway may provide for the functions of this reductase in S . cerevisiae.

Rev Infect Dis, 1989 May-Jun, 11(3), 379 - 90
Fungemia caused by Candida species and Torulopsis glabrata in the hospitalized patient: frequency, characteristics, and evaluation of factors influencing outcome; Komshian SV et al.; We reviewed 135 cases of candidemia occurring between 1983 and 1986 to examine oncologic and nononcologic populations and assess factors for survival . Candida albicans was the most common species (51%); Candida tropicalis occurred most frequently in leukemia patients (57%), whereas Candida parapsilosis and Torulopsis glabrata were associated with solid tumors and nononcologic diseases . Risk factors identified were: preceding surgery, antibiotics, cannulas, and steroids in solid tumor and nononcologic diseases; and chemotherapy and neutropenia with hematologic malignancies . Even transient cannula-associated candidemia was not a benign process . Intravenous cannulas were common portals of entry (39%) in debilitated patients without cancer (59%) and were associated with high mortality (55%) . Overall mortality was 59%, candidemia directly contributing to death in 75% of cases . In patients with candidemia, failure to initiate therapy with amphotericin B had a negative influence on outcome, whereas analysis of the entire group identified severity of underlying illness as the dominant cofactor influencing outcome.

Med Clin (Barc), 1989 Apr 8, 92(13), 503 - 6
{Post-transfusion graft versus host disease in a patient with Hodgkin's disease}; Tomas Martinez JF et al.; A female with Hodgkin's disease developed graft versus host disease (GVHD) after the administration of two units of packed red cells . Ten days after the transfusion she developed fever and rash, with subsequent hepatic and intestinal disease and a profound bone marrow aplasia . She died from a Candida tropicalis sepsis . The diagnosis of GVHD was made on the basis of clinical and histological criteria . We review this uncommon complication of hemotherapy, with special emphasis on its differential clinical features and its prevention.

Yeast, 1989 Apr, 5 Spec No, S437 - 9
Increase in cyclic AMP content with enhanced phosphatidylinositol turnover in the cells of Candida tropicalis during mycelial growth caused by ethanol; Kamihara T et al.; Ethanol causes mycelial growth of Candida tropicalis Pk 233, which is associated with enhanced metabolism of phosphatidylinositol at the mid-log phase of growth, and the effects of ethanol are prevented by concomitant addition of myo-inositol (FEBS Lett . 214, 127-129, 1987) . Ethanol induced also a marked increase in cellular content of cAMP at the mid-log phase, and myo-inositol abolished this effect of ethanol . The elevated level of cAMP content caused by ethanol was gradually lowered through the late-log and stationary phases and reached to control level . Very similar effects of ethanol and myo-inositol were observed in adenylate cyclase activity, while the activity of cAMP phosphodiesterase was not affected by ethanol . The ethanol-induced change in cAMP content was therefore ascribed to that in adenylate cyclase activity . These results suggested that cAMP plays an important role in combination with phosphatidylinositol turnover in the development of mycelial form in this dimorphic yeast.

Gene, 1989 Mar 15, 76(1), 121 - 36
Characterization of the alkane-inducible cytochrome P450 (P450alk) gene from the yeast Candida tropicalis: identification of a new P450 gene family; Sanglard D et al.; The P450alk gene, which is inducible by the assimilation of alkane in Candida tropicalis, was sequenced and characterized . Structural features described in promoter and terminator regions of Saccharomyces yeast genes are present in the P450alk gene and some particular structures are discussed for their possible role in the inducibility of this gene . Expression of the P450alk gene was achieved in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the yeast alcohol dehydrogenase expression system after removal of the P450alk gene flanking regions . The resultant expressed protein had a molecular mass slightly greater than that of P450alk from C . tropicalis . This alteration did not prevent the function and the localization of P450alk expressed in S . cerevisiae, as this organism showed an acquired microsome-bound activity for the terminal hydroxylation of lauric acid . The deduced P450alk amino acid sequence was compared with members of the nine known P450 gene families . These comparisons indicated that P450alk had a low relationship with these members and was therefore the first member (A1) of a new P450 gene family (LII).

Mycoses, 1989 Mar, 32(3), 145 - 50
Comparative activity in vitro of cilofungin (LY 121019) with other agents used for treatment of deep-seated Candida infections; Rennie RP et al.; Cilofungin (LY 121019) is a semi-synthetic lipopeptide antifungal agent that inhibits beta-1,3-D-glucan synthase activity in the cell wall of yeasts . Clinical strains of Candida species were tested for susceptibility to cilofungin and seven other antifungal agents . Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were susceptible to cilofungin with mean MICs of 0.3 and 0.08 microgram/ml respectively . For most other species the mean MICs were greater than 1-2 micrograms/ml of cilofungin . Studies on the paradoxical growth effect observed with cilofungin in Sabouraud broth showed that, at high concentrations of cilofungin, sufficient damage occurred to make damaged cells highly susceptible to killing by fresh cilofungin . The damaged cells also had increased susceptibility to other antifungal agents to which they were normally resistant . These observations indicate that cilofungin may be a useful agent for the treatment of many invasive Candida infections, either alone or in combination with certain other antifungal agents.

J Clin Microbiol, 1989 Mar, 27(3), 400 - 4
Protein and enzyme electrophoresis profiles of selected Candida species; Lehmann PF et al.; The cellular protein profiles and malate dehydrogenases, superoxide dismutases, alkaline phosphatases, and esterases from whole cell extracts of Candida spp . were studied with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . We investigated isolates that differed in their ability to assimilate sucrose as the sole carbon source . The protein and enzyme patterns of Candida tropicalis and its sucrose-negative variant "Candida paratropicalis Baker, Salkin, Pincus et D'Amato" were indistinguishable . Although the cellular protein and superoxide dismutase patterns of Candida albicans and its sucrose-negative variant "Candida stellatoidea" were quite similar, differences were noted in the profiles of the other enzymes studied . In addition, the C . stellatoidea isolates were found to be separable, on the basis of their enzyme profiles, into the same two types that have been reported by Kwon-Chung et al . (K.J . Kwon-Chung, B.L . Wickes, and W.G . Merz, Infect . Immun . 56:1814-1819, 1988).

Indian J Exp Biol, 1989 Mar, 27(3), 224 - 6
Hydrocarbon emulsification by Candida tropicalis and Debaryomyces polymorphus; Singh M et al.; Potentiality of C . tropicalis and D . polymorphus, to produce surface active compounds (bioemulsifiers/biosurfactants) during shake cultivation on hexadecane and oily waste was studied . Better emulsification activity, specific towards aromatic hydrocarbons, was observed with C . tropicalis culture broth . Emulsification activity of culture broth was quite stable and was unaffected by change in pH and by increasing the concentration of NaCl up to 5% . The activity was marginally affected by heating in boiling water bath for 15 min, but inhibited to the tune of 90% by 0.3% CaCl2 . The isolated bioemulsifying factor contained 40, 22 and 17.5% lipid, protein and carbohydrate, respectively.

Infection, 1989 Mar-Apr, 17(2), 111 - 7
Secondary mycosis in surgery: treatment with fluconazole; Kujath P et al.; Together with the severity of the underlying disease, mycotic infections are assuming increasing significance in surgical patients under intensive care . 26 patients with severe internal mycotic infections were treated with fluconazole in an open clinical trial . The pathogens isolated were Candida albicans in 22 cases, Candida tropicalis in four, Torulopsis glabrata in three, Candida parapsilosis in two and Aspergillus fumigatus in one . Mixed infections were found in five cases . Most of this series of surgical patients had a severe, life-threatening post-operative condition . Their mean classification by the Apache score was 15.35 . The most frequent risk factors were previous injuries to intraabdominal hollow organs and extensive antibiotic therapy; and the peritoneum was, therefore, the commonest site of infection . Antimycotic therapy was with fluconazole at a dose of 200-400 mg daily for at least ten days . The mycosis was cured in 22 of the 26 patients, one of these being a case of severe mycotic peritonitis . Nine patients died of the underlying disease within four weeks of the beginning of treatment . Fluconazole was effective and well tolerated in the treatment of severe life-threatening infections in surgical patients.

Recenti Prog Med, 1989 Mar, 80(3), 119 - 22
{Variability in immunologic aspects of Whipple's disease . Is a unitary interpretation possible?}; Sardeo G et al.; A case of Whipple's disease with histological and ultrastructural studies, characterized by unusual bacteriological and immunologic findings, is reported . Alpha hemolytic Streptococcus and Candida tropicalis were isolated from the culture of the intestinal biopsy specimens . The immunological function study showed a global defect both of humoral and cellular immunity . On the basis of the literature review, the Authors debate a unitary interpretation of the various immunological dysfunctions reported in this disease.

South Med J, 1989 Feb, 82(2), 270 - 3
Intervertebral diskitis due to Candida tropicalis; Herzog W et al.; This report describes a case of Candida tropicalis intervertebral diskitis successfully treated with a brief course of amphotericin B followed by a longer course of ketoconazole . Candida tropicalis is an increasingly frequent pathogen in immunocompromised patients, and infection can become manifest weeks or months after an episode of neutropenia has resolved . The excellent response we observed in this patient adds to a growing body of clinical experience testifying to the effectiveness of ketoconazole in treating certain deep-seated candidal infection.

Gene, 1989 Jan 30, 75(1), 119 - 26
The nucleotide sequence of POX18, a gene encoding a small oleate-inducible peroxisomal protein from Candida tropicalis; Szabo LJ et al.; We report the molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence of the nuclear gene, POX18, encoding an oleate-inducible peroxisomal protein from the yeast Candida tropicalis . POX18 has a single open reading frame of 381 nucleotides (nt), which encodes a protein of 127 amino acids . The predicted Mr of this protein is 13,792 . Codon usage in the expression of POX18 is non-random, and shows a pattern similar to that used for other peroxisomal genes from C . tropicalis and highly expressed genes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Northern analysis of total RNA from oleate-grown cells determined that POX18 mRNA is approximately 750 nt in length . The POX18 gene was expressed in vitro, which resulted in a single translation product that co-migrated in denaturing polyacrylamide gels with an abundant peroxisomal protein (apparent mass of 16 kDa) and was immunoprecipitated by an antiserum against peroxisomal protein.

Rev Infect Dis, 1989 Jan-Feb, 11(1), 89 - 96
Periprosthetic candidal infections following arthroplasty; Darouiche RO et al.; Candidal infection after prosthetic arthroplasty has been reported in six previous cases, to which four cases are now added . Candida albicans was the offending organism in four patients, Candida parapsilosis in three, Candida tropicalis in two, and Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata in one . None of the 10 patients had evidence of disseminated candidiasis, and, except for the uniform presence of a prosthesis, other underlying factors that are generally associated with candidal infections were present in only three . Clinical features that distinguished periprosthetic from natural bone and joint infection included an older patient population, the usual lack of predisposing factors other than the prosthesis, and the absence of evidence of disseminated candidiasis . All patients were treated with removal of the prosthesis and antifungal therapy, consisting of amphotericin B alone (six patients) or combined with 5-fluorocytosine (three patients) or ketoconazole (one patient) . Infection appeared to be cured in nine of the 10 patients, but the follow-up was less than 1 year in five cases . Replacement with a new prosthetic joint was attempted in only two cases and successful in only one . Direct inoculation of organisms during surgery or transient unrecognized candidemia may initiate periprosthetic infection, which might then be promoted by favorable local factors, both mechanical and molecular . The role of prosthetic materials, candidal adhesins, and human factors such as fibronectin in initiating these infections has yet to be characterized.

Avian Dis, 1989 Jan-Mar, 33(1), 177 - 81
In vitro microbicidal activity of avian peritoneal macrophages; Harmon BG et al.; Peritoneal exudate macrophages collected from 4-wk-old broilers were capable of in vitro bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli and fungistatic activity against Candida tropicalis . Bactericidal activity was inhibited by treatment of macrophages with 2-deoxyglucose . These assays may be used to evaluate macrophage function in normal, diseased, and immunomodulated birds or to assess the direct effects of cytokines and toxins on macrophage microbicidal activity.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1989 Jan, 42(1), 31 - 9
{Clinical evaluation of fluconazole}; Oka S et al.; Clinical evaluation of fluconazole was performed on 12 cases of mycotic infections (7 cases of Candida esophagitis; one each case of cryptococcal meningitis with AIDS, Candida tropicalis fungemia and disseminated cryptococcosis in kidney transplant patient; 2 cases of Candida pneumonia) . Satisfactory responses were obtained except 1 case of Candida pneumonia in which clinical efficacy could not be evaluated . Hiccup was noted in 1 case during the fluconazole treatment . No other adverse reaction was observed . When 150 mg and 200 mg of fluconazole were administered orally to a patient with hemodialysis (HD) after HD on separate occasions, concentrations of the drug in serum at 20 hours after ingestion were 5.9 micrograms/ml and 11.6 micrograms/ml, respectively, and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were 3.5 micrograms/ml and 9.2 micrograms/ml, respectively . Two clinical benefits were obtained in our studies . First, it was possible to treat the AIDS-patient as an outpatient with Candida esophagitis using orally administered fluconazole . Second, it was possible to treat the case of cryptococcal meningitis, in which relapse often occurs, to complete the therapy when the cryptococcal antigen in serum and CSF diminished to an undetectable level and to maintain the therapy preventing relapse without severe adverse effects . Ongoing and future clinical trials will define the specific roles of fluconazole more clearly in the treatment of systemic mycosis.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1989 Jan, 42(1), 171 - 8
{Clinical efficacy of fluconazole in urinary tract fungal infections}; Nito H; Fluconazole, a new antifungal agent was administered to 7 patients with complicated urinary tract fungal infections . Patients were 6 males and 1 female with ages of 29 to 83 years, with underlying conditions of bladder tumor (3 patients), neurogenic bladder (3 patients) and hydronephrosis (1 patient) . Urinary fungi identified were Candida albicans in 5 patients and Candida tropicalis in 2 patients over 10(4) CFU/ml . These fungi were isolated at least twice in intervals of 5 to 7 days before treatment . Fluconazole was given either orally (4 patients) or intravenously (3 patients) in a dose of 50 mg per day . Clinical efficacies were excellent in 3 patients, moderate in 3 patients and poor in 1 patient, showing an efficacy rate of 85.7% . Mycologically, 6 Candida out of the 7 were eliminated . No side effects nor abnormal laboratory data were observed . In conclusion, fluconazole is effective and safe in the treatment of urinary tract fungal infections.

Fukuoka Shika Daigaku Gakkai Zasshi, 1989, 16(3), 407 - 22
{Adherence of Candida albicans to acrylic surfaces}; Kaita H; The ability of Candida albicans IFO 1385 to adhere to acrylic and the partial characterization of an adhesive substance, named AS, which was isolated from the yeast, were studied in vitro . The results obtained were as follows: 1 . The cells cultured in the synthetic media (YNB) containing 500 mM galactose showed a much greater tendency to adhere than did those cells cultured in the YNB containing 500 mM glucose . 2 . More cells prepared by the standing cultivation adhered to acrylic than did those prepared by the stirring cultivation . 3 . A large number of the adherent cells was obtained when the acrylic plates were incubated at 37 degrees C for 90 min in the cell suspension at a concentration of 1.0 x 10(7) cells/ml . The plates were observed without staining . 4 . AS was isolated from the surface of C . albicans, grown on different carbon sources (50 mM glucose, 500 mM glucose and 500 mM galactose), by treatment with ultrasonication . 5 . Three different kinds of AS isolated from the three carbon sources were slightly soluble in distilled water . All were similar in composition to each other, and contained 62-68% carbohydrate (as glucose) and 23-26% protein (as BSA) . 6 . Silica particles adhered to acrylic coated with AS and pretreatment of acrylic with AS promoted C . albicans adhesion . However, similar pretreatment inhibited subsequent Candida glabrata and Candida krusei adhesion . As to subsequent adhesion of Candida tropicalis, no significant data were obtained . 7 . Adhesion assay using the silica particles, the adhesive ability of the AS was significantly reduced by treatment with trypsin or pronase E, but not with papain, alpha-amylase, dextranase or zymolyase.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Nov, 26(11), 2307 - 12
Collaborative evaluation in seven laboratories of a standardized micromethod for yeast susceptibility testing; Guinet R et al.; The new micromethod for yeast susceptibility testing, MYCOTOTAL, was evaluated with 10 reference strains in seven laboratories . Ready-to-use microtitration plates and the same synthetic medium were used with two dilutions of imidazoles, flucytosine, and amphotericin B, permitting the categorization of each strain as susceptible, intermediate, or resistant . The results were compared with the MIC for each reference strain, and the repeatability and reproducibility were evaluated . The yeasts tested presenting different patterns of susceptibilities in reference MICs included six strains of Candida albicans, two strains of Candida tropicalis, one strain of Candida parapsilosis, and one strain of Torulopsis glabrata . For 4,200 antifungal agent-yeast results, the repeatability was 99.3% and the reproducibility was 96.3% . The correlation between the reference MICs and the category results was 91.5% for seven laboratories (and 92.7% for six laboratories excluding the laboratory which did not follow exactly the same protocol) . We observed only 7.9% minor discrepancies, 0.5% (0.29% for six laboratories) major discrepancies, and 0.1% uninterpretable results . The percentages of concording results were similar for each strain and each antifungal agent tested . The overall results indicated that MYCOTOTAL was a reliable and reproducible method, well correlated with reference MICs . This ready-to-use micromethod with the same medium for all antifungal agents would be an important step in the necessary standardization of yeast susceptibility testing.

DNA, 1988 Nov, 7(9), 617 - 26
Primary structure of the cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase gene from Candida tropicalis; Chen C et al.; We report the nucleotide sequence of the gene and flanking DNA for the cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (14DM) from the yeast Candida tropicalis ATCC750 . An open reading frame (ORF) of 528 codons encoding a 60.9-kD protein is identified . This ORF includes a characteristic heme-binding domain, HR2, common to all P450 proteins . This protein and the 14DM from Saccharomyces cerevisiae share 66.5% identical and 23.1% conservatively replaced amino acids in a 516-amino-acid alignment, and thus are orthologous forms of the P450LIA1 gene . Conversely, C . tropicalis 14DM shares relatively little sequence similarity with P450alk, the predominant P450 protein present when this organism is grown on n-alkanes . Sequence information of these three yeast P450s will be useful for structure-function analyses in the future.

Ann Acad Med Singapore, 1988 Oct, 17(4), 551 - 3
Acute disseminated cutaneous candidiasis; Fong PH et al.; Acute disseminated candidiasis is a serious and difficult problem often seen in immunocompromised states . Appearance of a characteristic skin eruption is helpful in the diagnostic . We report below a case report of an eight year old girl with aplastic anemia who had received multiple courses of antibiotics . A profuse monomorphic papular nodular eruption subsequently appeared on the face, palms and soles . Candida tropicalis was identified from the skin biopsy taken from one such lesion.

Gene, 1988 Sep 30, 69(2), 171 - 80
cDNA cloning and primary structure determination of the peroxisomal trifunctional enzyme hydratase-dehydrogenase-epimerase from the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233; Nuttley WM et al.; We report the isolation and nucleotide (nt) sequence determination of a cDNA encoding the peroxisomal trifunctional beta-oxidation enzyme hydratase-dehydrogenase-epimerase (HDE) from the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233 . Poly(A)+RNA isolated from C . tropicalis cells grown in oleic acid medium was used to construct a cDNA library in lambda gt11 . The library was screened with a polyclonal antiserum against HDE . A recombinant was confirmed to encode HDE by hybridization-selection translation and immunoprecipitation . The HDE cDNA (HDE) has a single open reading frame of 2718 nt, encoding a protein of 905 amino acids, not including the initiator methionine . The Mr of the protein is 99,350 . A partial gene duplication is believed to have occurred in the evolution of the HDE gene . Codon utilization in the gene is not random, with 86.0% of the amino acids specified by 23 preferentially used codons, a situation similar to that found in genes encoding peroxisomal catalase and the various fatty acyl-CoA oxidases from C . tropicalis . The increase in HDE activity in C . tropicalis cells grown in oleic acid medium as opposed to glucose medium is due, at least in part, to increased HDE-specific mRNA levels.

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis, 1988 Sep, 11(1), 1 - 9
Influence of in vitro susceptibility testing conditions on the anti-candidal activity of LY121019; Pfaller MA et al.; LY121019 is a new antifungal antimicrobic that is structurally similar to the lipopeptide agents echinocandin B and aculeacin A . Because of the importance of in vitro test conditions on the activity of other antifungal agents, we studied the effects of inoculum size, time and temperature of incubation, pH, and medium composition on the in vitro activity of LY121019 against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Candida parapsilosis . LY121019 was highly active against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis and inactive against Candida parapsilosis . The in vitro activity of LY121019 is marked by a paradoxical dose-response with isolates of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis and is influenced by choice of inoculum size, time and temperature of incubation, medium composition, and pH . We recommend the use of an inoculum size of less than 10(5) organisms/ml, a defined medium buffered to a pH of 7.0, and incubation at 30 degrees C for 24 hr for future in vitro studies of LY121019.

Hinyokika Kiyo, 1988 Sep, 34(9), 1679 - 82
{Clinical efficacy of flucytosine on urinary candidiasis}; Yasumoto R et al.; An antifungal agent (Flucytosine) was used to treat urinary candidiasis in 9 patients who had an indwelling catheter and developed fungal colony counts greater than 10(4) . Among 9 patients with catheter drainage, urologic underlying diseases were benign prostatic hyperplasia in 7 and a neurogenic bladder in one patient all of whom had accompanied diabetes mellitus . Only one patient was supravesically diverted from the upper urinary tract through an indwelling catheter of bilateral ureterocutaneostomy after the removal of a tumorous bladder . All patients had previously received antimicrobials . Isolated strains of Candida were Candida albicans in 6, Candida tropicalis in 2, and Candida parapsilosis in one patient . Out of 9 patients having received daily administration of 1,500 mg Flucytosine for 2 weeks, 7 patients subsequently had no yield of fungal colony after the treatment . Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of this agent was determined at the range of 0.1 to 0.2 microgram/ml in 5 patients with C . albicans and 0.2 microgram/ml in both patients with C . tropicalis . Otherwise, a high MIC of over 100 micrograms/ml indicating resistance to this agent was observed in only 2 patients with C . albicans and C . parapsilosis . Three of the 7 patients had recurrent urinary Candida infection even 2 weeks after the discontinuation of this antifungal therapy despite rapid and excellent eradication of urinary candidiasis . From these results, Flucytosine may be one of the most promising antifungal agent with a low MIC in the treatment of compromised urinary Candida infection and should be occasionally supplemented with a topical instillation of amphotericin B without any serious complication in the prevention of recurrence.

Infect Immun, 1988 Sep, 56(9), 2495 - 8
Endothelial cell contraction increases Candida adherence to exposed extracellular matrix; Klotz SA et al.; Bovine vascular endothelial cells treated with EDTA, urea, or thrombin underwent a marked, reversible contraction resulting in exposure of the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) . Candida yeasts adhered more to contracted monolayers than to confluent monolayers (P less than 0.01) by preferentially adhering to the ECM . Two strains of Candida albicans and one strain of Candida tropicalis bound avidly to exposed ECM, but Pseudomonas aeruginosa did not . However, treatment of endothelium with forskolin, which induces cell shape changes without exposure of the ECM, did not cause an increase in adherence.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1988 Sep, 32(9), 1331 - 5
Cilofungin (LY121019), an antifungal agent with specific activity against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis; Hall GS et al.; Cilofungin (LY121019) is an antifungal agent that interferes with beta-glucan synthesis in the cells walls of fungi . The activity of this agent against 256 clinical isolates of yeasts was determined . It was found to be very active in vitro against Candida albicans (MIC for 90% of isolates {MIC90}, less than or equal to 0.31 microgram/ml; minimal fungicidal concentration for 90% of isolates {MFC90}, less than or equal to 0.31 micrograms/ml) and C . tropicalis (MIC90, less than or equal to 0.31 microgram/ml; MFC90, less than or equal to 0.31 microgram/ml) and moderately active against Torulopsis glabrata (MIC90 and MFC90, less than or equal to 20 micrograms/ml) . All C . parapsilosis, Cryptococcus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were resistant . The activity of cilofungin was affected by medium and inoculum size . Antibiotic medium no . 3 was used as the standard medium . Isolates of C . albicans and C . tropicalis demonstrated a paradoxical effect in Sabouraud dextrose broth and yeast nitrogen base broth in that growth was partially inhibited at MICs equivalent to those in antibiotic medium no . 3, but growth continued, in many instances, throughout all concentrations tested . There was decreased activity of cilofungin with inocula greater than 10(5) CFU/ml . The temperature and duration of incubation did not affect its activity.

Eur J Biochem, 1988 Sep 1, 176(1), 159 - 63
Sequence of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CTA1 gene and amino acid sequence of catalase A derived from it; Cohen G et al.; The nucleotide sequence of a 2785-base-pair stretch of DNA containing the Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalase A (CTA1) gene has been determined . This gene contains an uninterrupted open reading frame encoding a protein of 515 amino acids (relative molecular mass 58,490) . Catalase A, the peroxisomal catalase of S . cerevisiae was compared to the peroxisomal catalases from bovine liver and from Candida tropicalis and to the non-peroxisomal, presumably cytoplasmic, catalase T of S . cerevisiae . Whereas the peroxisomal catalases are almost colinear, three major insertions have to be introduced in the catalase T sequence to obtain an optimal fit with the other proteins . Catalase A is most closely related to the C . tropicalis enzyme . It is also more similar to the bovine liver catalase than to the second S . cerevisiae catalase . The differences between the two S . cerevisiae enzymes are most striking within four blocks of amino acids consisting of a total of 37 residues with high homology between the three peroxisomal, but low conservation between the S . cerevisiae catalases . The results obtained indicate that the peroxisomal catalases compared have very similar three-dimensional structures and might have similar targeting signals.

Biochem J, 1988 Aug 1, 253(3), 845 - 9
Biosynthesis of soluble carnitine acetyltransferases from the yeast Candida tropicalis; Kozulic B et al.; Soluble carnitine acetyltransferase from Candida tropicalis is synthesized as a 76 kDa precursor, which is monomeric and possesses no or very little carnitine acetyltransferase activity . Maturation of the enzyme begins with proteolytic processing of the 76 kDa precursor to 64 and 57 kDa subunits . The processed subunits subsequently associate into two kinds of active oligomers; the 57 kDa subunits are assembled into a tetramer and the 64 kDa subunits into an octamer . Formation of these oligomers depends apparently on growth conditions, since both oligomers were present in cells grown in continuous culture, but cells grown batchwise contained only the tetrameric form of carnitine acetyltransferase.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 26(8), 1448 - 59
Multiple Candida strains in the course of a single systemic infection; Soll DR et al.; Species and strain variabilities have been monitored during the history of a prolonged Candida infection in a single compromised bone marrow transplant patient by analyzing sugar assimilation patterns, high-frequency switching repertoires, and Southern blot hybridization patterns with two cloned mid-repeat sequences (Ca3 and Ca7) which are species specific for Candida albicans and one cloned mid-repeat sequence (Ct13-8) which is species specific for Candida tropicalis . Evidence is presented that during the course of this infection (i) two strains of C . albicans and three strains of C . tropicalis were distinguished by their switching repertoires, Southern blot hybridization patterns, and sugar assimilation patterns; (ii) the three C . tropicalis strains were in a high-frequency mode of switching; (iii) two C . tropicalis strains coexisted in the blood and three C . tropicalis strains coexisted in the throat at different times during the history of the infection; (iv) amphotericin B treatment selectively removed one of two C . tropicalis strains coexisting in the blood and this strain exhibited greater susceptibility to amphotericin B in vitro (the remaining strain was subsequently removed from the blood by flucytosine treatment); and (v) both the strain removed from the blood by amphotericin B and the strain removed from the blood by flucytosine reappeared several days later at another site of infection . It is demonstrated for the first time that C . tropicalis is capable of high-frequency switching of colony morphology just as C . albicans is, that there is more than one strain-specific switching repertoire in C . tropicalis, and that a C . tropicalis mid-repeat sequence can be used for discriminating species and assessing strain relatedness, as previously demonstrated for C . albicans mid-repeat sequences.

J Clin Microbiol, 1988 Aug, 26(8), 1437 - 41
Multicenter evaluation of four methods of yeast inoculum preparation; Pfaller MA et al.; We initiated a comparative study of four methods of yeast inoculum preparation: a spectrophotometric method, the Wickerham card method, a hemacytometer method, and the Prompt inoculation system . The variability in inoculum size obtained when each method was applied to two strains each of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Torulopsis glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was analyzed in a single laboratory . Each method was performed in triplicate on the same day and on three separate days to provide estimates of within-day and between-day variations . Inoculum size was determined by viable colony counts . The greatest range of inoculum sizes was seen with the Wickerham card method . Viable counts ranged from 1.1 X 10(6) to 24.2 X 10(6) CFU/ml among the 12 yeast isolates . The greatest variation was observed with the Prompt system . Within-day coefficients of variation averaged 19% (range, 4 to 45%), and between-day coefficients of variation averaged 22% (range, 3 to 51%) . Variation between laboratories was evaluated by comparing inoculum values obtained by each method in three different laboratories for two strains of C . albicans . The spectrophotometric method was the least variable and the Wickerham card and hemacytometer methods were the most variable methods between laboratories . The spectrophotometric method is recommended as the method of choice for preparation of a standardized inoculum suspension for susceptibility testing of yeasts.

J Infect Dis, 1988 Jul, 158(1), 80 - 8
Evaluation of single-drug and combination antifungal therapy in an experimental model of candidiasis in rabbits with prolonged neutropenia; Thaler M et al.; We developed an experimental model of candidiasis in rabbits with prolonged neutropenia . Rabbits were made neutropenic with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) administered through an indwelling silastic catheter that had been surgically implanted in the external jugular vein . Neutropenia was sustained with intravenous Ara-C, and bacterial complications were prevented with parenteral ceftazidime plus ampicillin . Candidiasis was established by intravenously administering Candida albicans or Candida tropicalis (1-2 x 10(5) colony-forming units) and resulted in hepatic and splenic lesions that mimicked those associated with hepatosplenic candidiasis in humans . The kidney proved to be the site most refractory to eradication of Candida spp . and offered a target organ for assessing antifungal therapy . We evaluated amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, ketoconazole, and rifampin, alone and in combination . Although each agent reduced the colony counts of Candida in the liver, spleen, and lung, the combination of amphotericin B and 5-flucytosine was the only regimen effective in eradicating renal candidiasis.

J Am Vet Med Assoc, 1988 Jun 1, 192(11), 1577 - 80
Nonsurgical management of ruptured urinary bladder in a critically ill foal; Lavoie JP et al.; A small tear in the urinary bladder of a severely debilitated 4-day-old foal was managed with an indwelling urinary catheter connected to a urine collecting system . Fluid therapy, parenteral nutrition, and antimicrobial agents were used during the initial management of the ruptured bladder . Aseptic technique for catheter care and systemic administration of antimicrobial agents prevented the development of bacterial cystitis . Catheter management required constant monitoring, but the bladder defect was sealed within 5 days . Fungal arthritis caused by Candida tropicalis, immune-mediated anemia, diarrhea, constipation, venous thrombosis, and pneumonia were observed during 43 days of hospitalization . Although the foal died at 3 months of age, serum creatinine concentration and electrolyte values remained within normal limits during the 3-month period.

Spec Care Dentist, 1988 May-Jun, 8(3), 111 - 4
The relationship of oral Candida tropicalis infection to systemic candidiasis in a patient with leukemia; Redding SP et al.; Oropharyngeal candidiasis is an extremely common complication in patients receiving chemotherapy for leukemia . Candida tropicalis appears to be the major infectious agent when these patients develop candidemia . In this article, a case of C tropicalis fungemia with oropharyngeal manifestations is presented . The relationship of oropharyngeal candidiasis to oral candidal infection is discussed.

EMBO J, 1988 Apr, 7(4), 1167 - 73
Acyl-CoA oxidase contains two targeting sequences each of which can mediate protein import into peroxisomes; Small GM et al.; Acyl-CoA oxidase is a major induced enzyme in peroxisomes of Candida tropicalis grown on fatty acids . The gene, POX4, encoding acyl-CoA oxidase was expressed in vitro, and the resulting polypeptide was imported into purified peroxisomes in a temperature-dependent fashion . Plasmids containing fragments of POX4 were prepared, expressed and the polypeptides tested for import into peroxisomes . We identified two regions of acyl-CoA oxidase (amino acids 1-118 and 309-427) that contained information that specifically targeted fragments of acyl-CoA oxidase to peroxisomes . The corresponding regions of the gene were fused to cDNA encoding the cytosolic enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and the expressed fusion proteins were likewise imported into peroxisomes . DHFR itself neither bound to, nor was imported into peroxisomes . Thus, there are at least two regions of peroxisomal targeting information in the acyl-CoA oxidase gene.

J Med Vet Mycol, 1988 Apr, 26(2), 119 - 26
Polyamine depletion and growth inhibition in Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis by alpha-difluoromethylornithine and cyclohexylamine; Pfaller MA et al.; The ability of two known inhibitors of polyamine synthesis, alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and cyclohexylamine, an inhibitor of spermidine synthase, to inhibit the in vitro growth and polyamine synthesis of clinical isolates of Candida tropicalis and Candida albicans was examined . Treatment of C . tropicalis and C . albicans with either DFMO or cyclohexylamine resulted in depletion of cellular polyamines and inhibition of growth . The growth inhibition produced by each of these compounds was completely reversed by exogenous polyamines . Depletion of polyamines by low concentrations of DFMO significantly enhanced the growth inhibitory activity of cyclohexylamine versus C . albicans . DFMO inhibited ODC activity in both C . albicans and C . tropicalis . These findings document the ability of cyclohexylamine and DFMO to inhibit polyamine synthesis and growth in clinically important species of Candida.

Biochemistry, 1988 Mar 8, 27(5), 1464 - 9
Stereochemical studies of D-glucal hydration by alpha-glucosidases and exo-alpha-glucanases: indications of plastic and conserved phases in catalysis by glycosylases; Chiba S et al.; Alpha-Glucosidases from Aspergillus niger, pig serum, ungerminated rice, buckwheat, and sugar beet seeds (but not from brewers' yeast or honeybee) were found to catalyze the hydration of D-glucal . Each reactive alpha-glucosidase, incubated with D-glucal in D2O, was shown to protonate (deuteriate) this prochiral substrate from above its re face, i.e., from a direction opposite that assumed for protonating alpha-D-glucosidic substrates . At the same time, D-glucal hydration catalyzed by three of the alpha-glucosidases that acted rapidly enough in D2O to determine product configuration was found to yield 2-deoxy-D-glucose of the same specific (alpha-) configuration as the D-glucose produced from alpha-D-glucosidic substrates . These findings substantially extend those reported earlier for the hydration of D-glucal by one (Candida tropicalis) alpha-glucosidase preparation . Together with other recent results, they suggest that the process of catalysis by alpha-glucosidases (and perhaps glycosylases in general) may comprise two separate and separately controlled parts, namely, a "plastic" phase concerned with substrate protonation and a substrate-unrelated "conserved" phase concerned with the creation of product configuration . In contrast to the alpha-glucosidases, three "inverting" exo-alpha-glucanases (Arthrobacter globiformis glucodextranase; Rhizopus niveus and Paecilomyces varioti glucoamylase) were found to protonate D-glucal from below its si face . Further, whereas the catalysis of D-glucal hydration by the alpha-glucosidases was intensively inhibited by excess substrate, that promoted by the exo-glucanases showed no detectable substrate inhibition.

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1988 Mar-Apr, 24(2), 218 - 25
{Study of the structure of mannans from Candida maltosa and Candida tropicalis using 13C-NMR spectroscopy}; Bovina EV et al.; Mannans were isolated from six Candida strains and characterized . 13C-NMR spectroscopy revealed interspecific and interstrain difference of the yeasts in the structure of their mannans.

Infect Immun, 1988 Mar, 56(3), 601 - 6
Antigenic differences in the surface mannoproteins of Candida albicans as revealed by monoclonal antibodies; Sundstrom PM et al.; Monoclonal antibodies to Candida albicans were prepared with blastoconidia bearing germ tubes used as the immunogen . Four antibodies reacted by immunofluorescence with surfaces of C . albicans as well as Candida stellatoidea, Candida tropicalis, and several strains of C . albicans, but not with Torulopsis glabrata . One antibody reacted with Saccharomyces cerevisiae . In addition, the monoclonal antibodies precipitated material of approximately 200 kilodaltons when tested against metabolically labeled blastoconidia digests . The monoclonal antibodies exhibited heterogeneous staining of C . albicans surfaces, as shown by immunofluorescence . None of the monoclonal antibodies were specific to germ tubes . More importantly, however, two of the monoclonal antibodies reacted with the mannoprotein precipitin arc of C . albicans that was produced by reference rabbit polyclonal antisera by crossed immunoelectrophoresis, thus linking the heterogeneity seen by immunofluorescence to the heterogeneity in mannoproteins . Finally, three of the monoclonal antibodies reacted with a glycan fraction of cell digests, indicating their reactivity with the carbohydrate portion of the mannoprotein.

FEBS Lett, 1988 Feb 29, 229(1), 215 - 8
Occurrence and possible roles of acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase in peroxisomes of an n-alkane-grown yeast, Candida tropicalis; Kurihara T et al.; Two kinds of 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolases were found in the peroxisomes of Candida tropicalis cells grown on n-alkanes (C10-C13) . One was a typical acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase specific only to acetoacetyl-CoA, while another was 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase showing high activities on the longer chain substrates . A high level of the latter thiolase activity in alkane-grown cells was similar to that of other enzymes constituting the fatty acid beta-oxidation system in yeast peroxisomes . These facts suggest that the complete degradation of fatty acids to acetyl-CoA is carried out in yeast peroxisomes by the cooperative contribution of acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase and 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase.

Chemioterapia, 1988 Feb, 7(1), 38 - 41
Comparative activity in different media of ketoconazole, miconazole and amphotericin B against Candida lusitaniae and sucrose-negative Candida tropicalis; Mignini F et al.; This study evaluates the susceptibility of sucrose-negative Candida tropicalis and Candida lusitaniae strains to amphotericin B (AMB), miconazole (MCZ) and ketoconazole (KTZ) . The susceptibility tests were carried out in different media: Antibiotic Medium 3 (AM-3m) and Earle Minimum Essential Medium (E-MEM) for AMB: Yeast Nitrogen Base (YNB) and E-MEM for imidazole compounds . The minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) of AMB were slightly higher than minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) except against Candida lusitaniae strains; whereas the MFCs of MCZ and KTZ were higher than the MICs by almost two-fold for all strains tested . AMB was more efficacious against sucrose-negative Candida tropicalis and the MICs were very definite; on the contrary, the MICs with KTZ were difficult to read . The MICs of AMB in E-MEM were essentially the same as those in AM-3m; whereas for KTZ and MCZ determined in YNB the MICs were generally higher than those obtained in E-MEM.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1988 Feb, 7(1), 80 - 1
Comparative in vitro activity of LY121019 and amphotericin B against clinical isolates of Candida species; Spitzer ED et al.; LY121019 and amphotericin B were equally active in vitro against most clinical isolates of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis . Higher concentrations of LY121019 were required for inhibition of Candida glabrata . Other Candida species were inhibited by amphotericin B but not by LY121019.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 1988 Feb, 7(1), 77 - 80
Evaluation of in vitro antifungal activity of LY121019; Hobbs M et al.; LY121019 is a new semisynthetic lipopeptide antifungal agent with potent in vitro fungicidal activity against multiple clinical strains of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis but is 10-100 fold less active against Torulopsis glabrata and Candida parapsilosis . Its in vitro activity against Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis is comparable to that of amphotericin B . The in vitro fungicidal activity of this new agent supports further investigations into its use in treatment of Candida infections.

Nahrung, 1988, 32(4), 327 - 33
Influence of selected sugars and temperature on fatty acids composition in Candida tropicalis; Tahoun MK et al.; Temperature, mono- and disaccharides affected lipids, biomass production as well as odd-chain and unsaturated fatty acids contents of Candida tropicalis . With various sugars as carbon sources at 30 degrees C, the order for biomass production was, galactose greater than glucose greater than sucrose greater than fructose greater than lactose, while lipids production/g biomass decreased as follows: galactose, glucose, sucrose, fructose and lactose . On the other hand, the odd-chain fatty acids contents decreased in the following order: fructose, sucrose, glucose and lactose . Lowering the temperature of cultivation to 15 degrees C, decreased biomass and lipids production . However, a notable decrease in odd-chain fatty acids contents was detected.

Chemotherapy, 1988, 34(2), 96 - 100
In vitro synergistic activity of ketoconazole with trifluoperazine and with chlorpromazine against medically important yeasts; Ben-Gigi G et al.; Combination of ketoconazole and trifluoperazine or chlorpromazine yielded an in vitro synergistic effect on growth inhibition of Candida albicans, Torulopsis glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida tropicalis . The optimal pH range for the synergistic effects was 7.0-7.6 . At pH 5.0 the drug combination was antagonistic . (Application for patent protection has been filed).

Mol Gen Mikrobiol Virusol, 1988 Jan, (1), 29 - 33
{Identification of mutations in the asporogenic yeast Candida tropicalis using intrageneric fusion of protoplasts}; Golovina GI et al.; The possibility of genetic identification of mutations in asporogenic yeast by the technique of intrageneric fusion of yeast protoplasts of Candida tropicals and Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been demonstrated for Candida tropicals strains G5-9 (Ade- Leu-) and G32-4 (Leu-) . The mutations to auxotrophy ade- in the strain G5-9 and leu- in G32-4 of Candida tropicals are allelic to ade2 and leu1 mutations in the genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast . The allelic character of adenine auxotrophy mutation in Candida tropicals and ade2 mutation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is confirmed by the absence of AIR-carboxylase activity in cellular extract from the strain G5-9.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1988, 35(3), 269 - 76
Changes of alternative respiration during the division cycle of Candida tropicalis; Novak B et al.; The changes in cyanide-resistant and SHAM-sensitive respiration have been examined in the cell cycle of yeast cells synchronized by nutrient starvation . The changing of the cyanide-resistant respiration of cells proliferating in synchronizing fermentor, where the glucose concentration was continuously decreasing, was associated with the stage in cell cycle rather than with the alteration of environment . The cyanide-resistant alternative respiration may be attributed characteristic of a certain part of the cell cycle termed "A" phase . This hypothesis is supported by the observation that in cultures proliferating, synchronously under constant conditions, the cyanide-resistant respiration changes periodically and reaches its maximum in the "A" phase after the cell division.

Acta Microbiol Hung, 1988, 35(3), 259 - 68
The kinetics of cell division in a synchronizing fermentor; Novak B et al.; The kinetics of cell proliferation of Candida tropicalis synchronized by periodical glucose starvation was examined in a continuous synchronizing fermentor . The length of the deterministic (B) and stochastic (A) phase of the cell cycle was determined by cell density data analysis using the Transition Probability Model . The size distribution of the population shows that the absence of nutrient stops the cells at the beginning of the cell cycle but the succeeding cell divisions are not perfectly synchronized . The reason of this comes from the difference between the generation times of the cells which is the consequence of the different long "A" phases in their cycle.

Microbiol Immunol, 1988, 32(10), 1013 - 24
Detection of specificity of a new antigen in Candida tropicalis and its evaluation by taxonomic DNA analyses; Hamajima K et al.; Monospecific factor serum for identifying Candida tropicalis was obtained either from rabbit antiserum to heated cells of C . tropicalis M 1519 (S 96) or from antiserum to C . tropicalis IFO 1400, by adsorption with heated cells of Candida albicans serotype A, or C . albicans (A) and Candida krusei, respectively . We designated this adsorbed serum factor t serum . The monospecific factor serum reacted with 31 out of 32 strains of C . tropicalis, only when tested on heat-treated cell antigens, whereas it did not react with any of 72 strains of the six other medically important species of Candida . The morphological and physiological characteristics of the one strain of C . tropicalis that did not react with the factor t serum, designated the t- -strain, were shown to be similar to those of the type strain of C . tropicalis by most of the methods employed for identifying Candida . Therefore, cell wall mannan from the t- -strain was compared with that from several typical strains of C . tropicalis for its specificity by the precipitation reaction and also for its 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum . The results showed that these mannans are similar to each other serologically and physicochemically, suggesting that the new antigen t is not mannan . Taxonomic characterization of the t-- and several typical strains of C . tropicalis was carried out by determining the mol% G+C of their DNA and also their DNA homology . Although the mol% G+C values of four typical strains of C . tropicalis were fairly similar (35.2 to 36.2 mol% by the Tm method and 35.5 to 36.4 mol% by the HPLC method), the t- -strain had a G+C content of 44.1 (Tm) and 43.3 (HPLC) mol% . Furthermore, the DNAs of the t- -strain and the type strain of C . tropicalis showed only 18.2% relatedness . These results suggest that the antigen corresponding to serum factor t exists only in the cell wall of C . tropicalis strains, not in those of the other medically important Candida, and that the t- -strain should not be classified as C . tropicalis . In conclusion, the taxonomic value and usefulness of factor t serum is primarily for differentiating C . tropicalis from C . albicans serotype A serologically.

Eur J Biochem, 1987 Dec 30, 170(1-2), 105 - 10
Catalase gene of the yeast Candida tropicalis . Sequence analysis and comparison with peroxisomal and cytosolic catalases from other sources; Okada H et al.; A clone harbouring the genomic DNA sequence for the peroxisomal catalase of an n-alkane-utilizable yeast, Candida tropicalis, has been isolated by the hybrid-selection method and confirmed with a probe of catalase partial cDNA . Nucleotide sequence analysis of the cloned DNA disclosed that the gene fragment coding for catalase had a length of 1455 base pairs (corresponding to 485 amino acids; m = 54937 Da), and that the size of this enzyme was the smallest among all catalases reported hitherto . No intervening sequence was found in this coding region and some portions coincided with the amino acid sequences obtained from the analysis of the purified catalase . The comparison with three peroxisomal catalases from rat liver, bovine liver and human kidney, and one cytosolic catalase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has revealed that catalase from C . tropicalis was more homologous to the peroxisomal enzymes than to the cytosolic one . C . tropicalis used the codons of the high-expression type . Amino acid residues were all conserved at the active and heme-binding sites . In the N and C-terminal regions there was no characteristic signal sequence or consensus sequence . However, a noticeable region, which can be discriminated between peroxisomal and cytosolic catalases, was proposed.

Arch Intern Med, 1987 Dec, 147(12), 2117 - 20
Nosocomial fungemia in a large community teaching hospital; Harvey RL et al.; This report reviews 48 episodes of hospital-acquired fungemia that occurred over a four-year period at a large community teaching hospital . The incidence of hospital-acquired fungemia increased eightfold during the study period . Candida albicans (58%), Candida tropicalis (25%), and Candida parapsilosis (15%) were the most common fungal pathogens isolated from blood cultures . Twenty-one patients (44%) had concomitant bacteremia . Intravascular catheters (100%), antibiotic administration (98%), urinary catheters (81%), surgical procedures (65%), parenteral alimentation (60%), and corticosteroid administration (54%) were the most common predisposing factors . The overall mortality rate was 75% . Hospitalization on the medical service, age greater than 60 years, and hospital stay less than 100 days were associated with a significantly increased mortality rate.

Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Dec, 6(6), 628 - 33
Predictive value of surveillance cultures for systemic infection due to Candida species; Pfaller M et al.; Weekly fungal surveillance cultures (1,542 cultures) of urine (475), stool (520) and oropharyngeal (547) specimens from 111 patients on the bone marrow transplant and hematologic malignancy services were analyzed . Forty-three percent of the patients were colonized by Candida albicans and 10.8% by Candida tropicalis . There were 22 proven systemic fungal infections, ten due to Candida albicans, eight to Candida tropicalis, one each to Candida pseudotropicalis and Torulopsis glabrata, and two to Aspergillus species . Positive surveillance cultures for Candida tropicalis were highly predictive of systemic infection . The finding of two or more positive cultures yielded high positive predictive values (100%) as a function of body site . Positive surveillance cultures for Candida albicans were not predictive of disease but negative cultures for Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis had a high negative predictive value (95-99%) . Surveillance culture data for specific Candida species may aid in diagnostic and therapeutic decision making.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1987 Dec, 88(6), 743 - 5
The use of the Prompt Inoculation System in preparing a standardized yeast inoculum; Pfaller MA et al.; One of the most important steps in performing broth dilution susceptibility testing of yeast isolates is the preparation of the starting inoculum . Although not specifically developed for yeast inoculum preparation, the Prompt Inoculation System (3M) provides a novel alternative approach that may provide a more standardized yeast inoculum than previously employed methods . The authors examined the relationship between the number of colonies picked with the Prompt Inoculation Wand and the hemacytometer and viable colony counts for each of six test organisms, including Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, and Cryptococcus neoformans . They found that by picking five colonies 1-2 mm in diameter, inoculum densities of 1 to 5 X 10(6) CFU/mL were obtained with most of the test organisms . A considerably higher inoculum density was observed with C . glabrata (1 to 2 X 10(7) CFU/mL) because of the small size of this organism . No overfilling of the Inoculation Wand was observed when more colonies were touched . This study indicates that the Prompt Inoculation System offers a convenient and simple method for yeast inoculum preparation.

Eur J Biochem, 1987 Oct 1, 168(1), 245 - 50
Characterization of a soluble carnitine acetyltransferase from Candida tropicalis; Kozulic B et al.; Carnitine acetyltransferase was purified from the cytoplasmic fraction of Candida tropicalis grown on alkanes in continuous culture . By ion-exchange chromatography the enzyme was resolved in two fractions with the same specific activity of 80 U/mg . The molecular mass of both enzyme forms, determined by non-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, was 540 kDa . After SDS electrophoresis only one band of 64 kDa was detected indicating that both enzymes are oligomers each containing eight subunits . Isoelectric focusing in agarose under non-denaturing conditions demonstrated the presence of at least four different charged species in the pH range between 5.6 and 6.7 . After isoelectric focusing in 9 M urea/1% Nonidet P-40 gels, both enzyme forms were resolved into four bands . Peptide mapping, performed by cyanogen bromide cleavage of polypeptides separated by denaturing isoelectric focusing followed by second-dimension SDS electrophoresis, revealed a very high degree of homology between these polypeptides . The presence of the octameric form of carnitine acetyltransferase already in the starting material was demonstrated by non-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting . Antibodies against carnitine acetyltransferase from C . tropicalis ATCC 32113 formed precipitation lines with extracts from several Candida species but not with extracts of Candida utilis, Candida ethanothermophilum and an another strain of C . tropicalis.

Carcinogenesis, 1987 Oct, 8(10), 1543 - 8
Possible mycological etiology of oral mucosal cancer: catalytic potential of infecting Candida albicans and other yeasts in production of N-nitrosobenzylmethylamine; Krogh P et al.; Yeasts were isolated from 12 cases of oral precancerous lesions (leukoplakia and erythroleukoplakia) by sampling the lesion as well as normal mucosa of each patient, yielding 21 strains of Candida albicans belonging to 15 biotypes, two strains of C . tropicalis, one strain of C . parapsilosis and two strains of Torulopsis glabrata . Biopsies were obtained from the lesions for histologic examination . The catalytic potential of the yeast strains to form N-nitrosobenzylmethylamine (NBMA) from the precursors N-benzylmethylamine and nitrite was assessed at pH 6.8 . The NBMA produced was identified and quantitated by h.p.l.c . and confirmed by g.c.-m.s . Nitrosation rates were calculated as total nitrosamine subtracted the chemically produced nitrosamine, and related to number of yeast cells . The yeast strains differed in nitrosation potential (P less than 0.001), ranking from 0 to 1.2 micrograms NBMA/10(6) cells . Candida albicans strains, belonging to the biotypes 051, 147, 151, 153, 157 and 353, which constitute more rarely occurring biotypes, exhibited the highest nitrosation potential . Candida tropicalis, C . parapsilosis and T . glabrata were ranked lower . Strains with high nitrosation potential were generally isolated from lesions with more advanced precancerous changes . The yeast cells were present in the superficial part of the epithelium of the lesions as branching mycelium, and in some cases extending from the mucosal surface to the deeper epithelial cell layers . This might represent a fungal transportation system which could channel precursors in the saliva at the mucosal surface to the deeper part of the epithelium where the produced nitrosamine could be deposited . Thus, further evidence is provided supporting the hypothesis that certain strains of C . albicans and of other yeasts play a causal role in the development of oral cancer, by means of endogenous nitrosamine production.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1987 Oct, 42(10), 747 - 53
Antimycotic action of methyl substituted N-(5-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamide derivatives; Pecorari P et al.; Some series of N-(5-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamide variously methylated at the ring and/or sulfonamidic nitrogens and substituted at the benzene with NO2 or NH2 were synthesized and studied spectrometrically (N.M.R) . When tested on several strains of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis, some of the compounds exhibited very slight antimycotic activity.

Rev Infect Dis, 1987 Sep-Oct, 9(5), 1006 - 12
Mycoses caused by Candida lusitaniae; Hadfield TL et al.; Candida lusitaniae, a fungus with a low incidence of infection in immunocompetent people, is emerging as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised hosts . This yeast is generally resistant to amphotericin B and may present therapeutic difficulties . C . lusitaniae may be misidentified as one of several other fungal species, including Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, and even Saccharomyces cerevisiae . As judged by in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing, minimal inhibitory concentrations of antifungal agents other than amphotericin B are achievable, but fungicidal levels are not . When encountered in blood or other body sites, C . lusitaniae should be carefully considered as a potential pathogen.

Mycopathologia, 1987 Sep, 99(3), 155 - 71
Uncommon yeastlike zoopathogens and commercial systems for their identification; Land GA et al.; Opportunistic infections caused by yeasts or yeastlike fungi have increased in incidence in recent years as a result of clinical and therapeutic factors . Several formerly uncommon yeastlike zoopathogens--Candida lusitaniae, Candida paratropicalis (sucrose-negative variant of Candida tropicalis), Trichosporon beigelii, Blastoschizomyces capitatus, and Rhodotorula species--have been isolated from patients with invasive infections . The increased isolation of such opportunistic pathogens from a variety of clinical specimens has created a demand for simple, rapid, reliable, and accurate commercial systems to assist laboratorians in identification . Here we summarize the manual and automated systems currently available and present detailed descriptions of three representative commercial products, i.e., API 20C, Abbott Quantum II, and API Yeast-Ident.

J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Sep, 25(9), 1701 - 4
Reaction of fungal products with amebocyte lysates of the Japanese horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus; Hodes DS et al.; A commercially available endotoxin assay (CS-TAL) employing a chromogenic peptide and an amebocyte lysate from the Japanese horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus, gave a positive result with aqueous extracts of all 15 strains of Candida albicans and 1 strain each of Candida tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformans, and a Mucor species that we tested . Purified glucans prepared from the Candida strains gave the same results . Reconstruction experiments showed that the positive results were not due to contaminating endotoxin . By contrast, assays employing amebocyte lysates of the American horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, were inconsistent . Japanese workers have presented evidence that glucans activate the Tachypleus amebocyte lysate system by acting on an enzyme different from that on which endotoxin acts . Using a Tachypleus lysate preparation (Endospecy; Seikagaku Kogyo, Tokyo, Japan) from which this enzyme was excluded, we demonstrated a 5- to 10-fold drop in reactivity to the aqueous Candida extracts and glucans, whereas reactivity to endotoxin was unchanged . Normal human plasma was shown to decrease the effect of fungal extracts on CS-TAL . This inhibition was completely removed by heating the plasma . Our results suggest that Tachypleus systems may be of use clinically in distinguishing bacterial from fungal infections.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1987 Aug 14, 146(3), 1311 - 7
Isolation of the Candida tropicalis gene for P450 lanosterol demethylase and its expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Chen C et al.; We have isolated the gene for cytochrome P450 lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (14DM) from the yeast Candida tropicalis . This was accomplished by screening genomic libraries of strain ATCC750 in E . coli using a DNA fragment containing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae 14DM gene . Identity of this gene was confirmed by a) observing a heme binding region common to all P450s after sequencing the 3' portion of the gene, and b) based upon tests of its expression in strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

FEBS Lett, 1987 Aug 10, 220(1), 31 - 5
Isolation of several cDNAs encoding yeast peroxisomal enzymes; Ueda M et al.; Several candidate clones carrying partial cDNAs for yeast peroxisomal enzymes, such as catalase, carnitine acetyltransferase, isocitrate lyase, malate synthase and acyl-CoA oxidase, were efficiently isolated at a single plating from a phage lambda gt11 recombinant cDNA library prepared with poly(A)-rich RNA from an n-alkane-grown yeast, Candida tropicalis, with a mixture of antibodies against the respective purified enzymes . Among them, one candidate clone carrying partial cDNA for catalase was subcloned and subjected to nucleotide sequence analysis . We succeeded in determining that the amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide analysis included the sequences derived from the two peptide fragments obtained from the purified enzyme.

J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Aug, 25(8), 1416 - 20
Candida tropicalis infection in normal, diabetic, and neutropenic mice; Fromtling RA et al.; Opportunistic infections caused by Candida tropicalis have been noted with increasing frequency in compromised patients . The pathogenicity of three isolates of C . tropicalis was studied in normal CD-1 mice, streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, and cyclophosphamide-induced neutropenic mice . Lethal dose 50% endpoints and quantitative distribution of yeast cells in spleen, liver, and kidneys of mice infected intravenously were determined . The virulence of one yeast isolate was greater than that of the other two . The order of susceptibility to mortality and degree of organ colonization was neutropenic greater than diabetic greater than normal . Renal lesions resembling those associated with infection by C . albicans appeared by day 5 postinfection in diabetic and neutropenic mice . Greater numbers of C . tropicalis yeast cells were isolated from homogenates of the affected kidneys, suggesting that the kidney is a target organ for this fungus . This study demonstrates the increased susceptibility of compromised mice to C . tropicalis as compared with normal mice and verifies the ability of these yeasts to cause opportunistic disease.

J Bacteriol, 1987 Aug, 169(8), 3696 - 700
Kinetics and inhibition studies of catechol O-methyltransferase from the yeast Candida tropicalis; Veser J; The Kms for esculetin and S-adenosyl-L-methionine for catechol O-methyltransferase from the yeast Candida tropicalis were 6.2 and 40 microM, respectively . S-Adenosyl-L-homocysteine was a very potent competitive inhibitor with respect to S-adenosyl-L-methionine, with a Ki of 6.9 microM . Of the catechol-related inhibitors, purpurogallin, with a Ki of 0.07 microM, showed the greatest inhibitory effect . Sulfhydryl group-blocking reagents, such as thiol-oxidizing 2-iodosobenzoic acid and mercaptide-forming p-chloromercuribenzoic acid, provided evidence for sulfhydryl groups in the active site of the enzyme . Yeast catechol O-methyltransferase is a metal-dependent enzyme and requires Mg2+ for full activity . Zn2+ and Mn2+ but not Ca2+ were able to substitute for Mg2+ . Mn2+ showed optimal enzyme activation at concentrations 50- to 100-fold lower than those of Mg2+.

J Cell Biol, 1987 Jul, 105(1), 247 - 50
Import of the carboxy-terminal portion of acyl-CoA oxidase into peroxisomes of Candida tropicalis; Small GM et al.; We report the sequence of a cDNA clone that codes for the carboxy-terminal portion of the peroxisomal protein, acyl-CoA oxidase, from the yeast, Candida tropicalis . This is a newly identified acyl-CoA oxidase sequence, most likely a second allele of POX4 . The cDNA clone was expressed by in vitro transcription followed by translation . The major product, a 43-kD protein, associated with isolated peroxisomes in an in vitro import assay . More than half of the peroxisome-associated protein was protected from added protease, implying that it was internalized within the organelle . These findings indicate that there is sufficient information in the carboxy-terminal portion of the protein to target it to peroxisomes.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1987 Jun 6, 909(1), 35 - 43
Isolation of cDNA clones coding for peroxisomal proteins of Candida tropicalis: identification and sequence of a clone for catalase; Rachubinski RA et al.; A cDNA library, complementary to mRNAs of alkane-grown Candida tropicalis, was screened by differential DNA dot-blot hybridization with {32P}cDNA reverse-transcribed from mRNA of alkane-grown cells or from cells in which peroxisome formation was repressed by growth on glucose . 9% of the library encodes alkane-induced sequences . The cell-free translation products of eight hybrid-selected mRNAs were characterized by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography: most of them are probably peroxisomal proteins . Among these, a catalase clone was identified by immunoprecipitation of the translation product with anti-catalase . The clone was sequenced: the inferred amino acid sequence is homologous to the carboxytermini of mammalian and Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalases . C . tropicalis catalase mRNA is 1.7-1.8 kb long by Northern analysis, of which 1.5-1.6 kb is required to code for the 57 kDa polypeptide . Catalase mRNA (assayed by dot-blot hybridization) is strikingly induced in C . tropicalis by growth on alkanes, suggesting that peroxisome induction is transcriptionally regulated . This sublibrary of alkane-induced, mostly peroxisomal clones, together with a recently developed cell-free peroxisome protein import assay, will permit investigation of the targeting of proteins to peroxisomes.

Pharmazie, 1987 Jun, 42(6), 378 - 81
Synthesis and antimycotic activity of some benzyloxyimino compounds; Garuti L et al.; Some benzyloxyimio compounds, related to oxiconazole and having a 1H-indole or 1H-benzimidazole moiety, have been synthesized and tested in vitro for their antimycotic activity against Candida tropicalis and C . albicans . The most active was showed to be 0-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl)-1-benzyl-5-nitro-1H-benzimidazole-2-carboxaldehyd e oxime (MIC: 25 micrograms/ml against both microorganisms) . A structural feature important for the biological activity of the series appears to be presence of a benzimidazole nucleus substituted by an electron withdrawing group.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1987 Jun, 35(5 Pt 2), 879 - 81
{In vitro antifungal activity of nitroxoline . Preliminary clinical results}; Cancet B et al.; Nitroxoline is an oxyquinoline derivative with a large antifungical activity . The fungistatic activity of nitroxoline is greater against Candida albicans than against Torulopsis glabrata, Candida tropicalis and Candida krusei . The MIC are compatible with urinary concentrations of nitroxoline . These preliminary clinical results favor the use of nitroxoline in the management of fungal urinary tract infections.

Infect Immun, 1987 Jun, 55(6), 1490 - 7
Flow cytometric analysis of the DNA synthetic cycle of Candida species; Dvorak JA et al.; The total DNA per cell and DNA synthetic cycle phases were determined by flow cytometry in five Candida isolates including three species: Candida albicans 208R1, Candida tropicalis ATCC 750, and Candida parapsilosis 970, 3138, and ATCC 22019 . The cells were prepared for flow cytometry by fixation in Carnoy fixative followed by staining with mithramycin . Marked but stable and reproducible inter- and intraspecific differences in total DNA per cell of stationary-phase cultures were found which did not correlate directly to diphenylamine estimates of the same parameter . This discrepancy was resolved by mathematically converting flow cytometry data into diphenylamine data . The reason for the discrepancy was found in studies of the DNA synthetic cycle of these yeasts: a large but isolate-specific variable proportion of the population is arrested in the S and G2-M phases after the culture passes from exponential to stationary phase . Histograms of exponential-growth-phase Candida isolates demonstrate that the majority of the population is in the G2-M phase of the DNA synthetic cycle . The DNA content of the C . tropicalis and C . parapsilosis isolates studied is as high as or higher than that of C . albicans . Extranuclear fluorescent particles were observed in the C . tropicalis isolate . No equivalent particles could be detected in the other four Candida isolates . The nature of the particles is unknown.

Mol Cell Biol, 1987 May, 7(5), 1848 - 55
Efficient association of in vitro translation products with purified stable Candida tropicalis peroxisomes; Small GM et al.; Newly synthesized peroxisomal proteins enter preexisting peroxisomes posttranslationally in vivo, generally without proteolytic processing . An efficient reconstitution of this process in vitro together with cloned DNAs for peroxisomal proteins would make possible investigation of the molecular information that targets proteins to peroxisomes . We have previously reported the isolation of clones for Candida tropicalis peroxisomal proteins; here we describe the association (and possible import) of peroxisomal proteins with peroxisomes in vitro . C . tropicalis was grown in a medium containing Brij 35, resulting in the induction of a moderate number of medium-sized peroxisomes . These peroxisomes, isolated in a sucrose gradient, had a catalase latency of 54% and were sufficiently stable to be concentrated and used in an import assay . The reticulocyte lysate translation products of total RNA from oleate-grown cells were incubated with the peroxisomes at 26 degrees C in the presence of 50 mM KCl, protease inhibitors, 0.5 M sucrose, 2.5 mM MOPS (morpholinepropanesulfonic acid) (pH 7.2), and 0.5 mM EDTA . Ten major translation products (which could be immunoprecipitated with antiserum against peroxisomal protein) became progressively associated with the peroxisomes during the first 30 min of incubation (some up to approximately 70%) . These include acyl coenzyme A oxidase and the trifunctional protein hydratase-dehydrogenase-epimerase . This association did not occur at 4 degrees C nor did it occur if the peroxisomes were replaced with mitochondria.

J Bacteriol, 1987 May, 169(5), 2284 - 6
Peroxisomal localization and activation by bivalent metal ions of ureidoglycolate lyase, the enzyme involved in urate degradation in Candida tropicalis; Takada Y et al.; Ureiodoglycolate lyase (EC 4.3.2.3) was found only in the peroxisomes in urate-induced Candida tropicalis . The enzyme was markedly activated by the bivalent metal ions Mn2+, Fe2+, and Ni2+ . The activation by Mn2+ was suggested to be the result of its binding to the apoenzyme.

J Oral Pathol, 1987 May, 16(5), 282 - 4
Carriage of Candida species in the oral cavity in diabetic patients: relationship to glycaemic control; Fisher BM et al.; To study the possible relationship between the quality of glycaemic control in diabetes mellitus and the carriage of Candida species, the candidal carrier status of 412 diabetic patients was examined using an oral rinse technique and correlated with measurements of random blood glucose and total glycosylated haemoglobin . Candida was isolated in 210 diabetics (51%) with 13 patients (6%) carrying more than one species . The positive isolates were: Candida albicans (89%), Candida krusei (2.8%), Candida glabrata (2.8%), Candida tropicalis (6.2%), Candida stellatoidea (2.8%) and Candida parapsilosis (0.5%) . No association was identified between carriage rates and the type of treatment of diabetes, or with the quality of glycaemic control . As in non-diabetic subjects, the carriage rates were higher in diabetic patients wearing dentures . Thus, the oral carriage of Candida in diabetic patients was independent of glycaemic control but in certain sub-groups the carriage rates were higher, and involved uncommon candidal species.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1987 Apr 14, 144(1), 251 - 7
Isolation of the alkane inducible cytochrome P450 (P450alk) gene from the yeast Candida tropicalis; Sanglard D et al.; The gene for the alkane-inducible cytochrome P450, P450alk, has been isolated from the yeast Candida tropicalis by immunoscreening a lambda gt11 library . Isolation of the gene has been identified on the basis of its inducibility and partial DNA sequence . Transcripts of this gene were induced by alkane to levels 500 to 1000 fold over those detected in glucose-grown cells . The nucleotide sequence of the 3' portion of this gene revealed a coding sequence for the heme binding segment characteristic of the P450 gene family.

Infect Immun, 1987 Mar, 55(3), 541 - 6
Candidacidal factors in murine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; Nugent KM et al.; Respiratory secretions provide an efficient method for protecting the large surface area of the lower respiratory tract . To determine whether lung secretions contribute to antifungal defenses, we tested bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for fungicidal activity . Candida albicans (blastoconidia) was incubated in unconcentrated cell-free lavage fluid from Swiss Webster mice and then cultured quantitatively to measure residual viability . In control buffer the residual fractions of viable fungi were 1.03 +/- 0.12 at 60 min and 0.84 +/- 0.05 at 120 min, whereas the residual fractions in lavage fluid were 0.64 +/- 0.07 and 0.23 +/- 0.05, respectively (P less than 0.05 by t tests) . This activity was trypsin sensitive and heat stable (56 degrees C) and did not require divalent cations . It did not sediment with the surfactant fraction of lung lavage fluid . Unconcentrated lavage fluid reduced the adherence of C . albicans to serum-coated glass tubes to 2.3 +/- 1.5% of that of control Candida suspensions (n = 5, P less than 0.05 by t test) . It did not alter Candida ingestion or intracellular processing by alveolar macrophages . Lavage fluid also killed clinical isolates of Candida tropicalis and Torulopsis glabrata but did not kill Candida krusei or Candida parapsilosis . Lavage fluid was concentrated and passed through an acrylamide-agarose gel matrix . The chromatogram indicated that the candidacidal activity eluted in a peak with a molecular weight range of 29,000 to 40,000 . After electrophoresis on 15% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, these fractions resolved into three bands . These were transferred to nitrocellulose and then eluted with Triton X-100; this procedure permitted the isolation of a single band of candidacidal activity with a molecular weight of 29,000 . In summary, murine lavage fluid contains a heat-stable protein with direct antifungal activity . This soluble factor may contribute to lung defense processes by reducing fungal viability and adherence to tissue surfaces.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Mar, 31(3), 421 - 9
Effect of lipid composition and liposome size on toxicity and in vitro fungicidal activity of liposome-intercalated amphotericin B; Szoka FC Jr et al.; Intercalation of amphotericin B into liposomes at a 10 mol% drug/lipid ratio decreased its cytotoxicity by 3- to 90-fold in cultured murine cells and reduced its lethality by 2- to 8-fold in a median lethal dose (LD50) test in mice when compared with the commercial deoxycholate-solubilized drug (LD50 = 2.3 mg/kg) . The cytotoxicity and lethality of the liposomal preparations were a function of their lipid composition and diameter . There was no correlation between the reduction of toxicity in the tissue culture assay and the reduction of lethality in the LD50 test . The rank order of reduction of lethality was sterol-containing liposomes greater than solid liposomes greater than fluid liposomes . In general, small sterol-containing vesicles were less lethal than large vesicles of the same composition . Intercalation of amphotericin B in sterol or solid liposomes increased not only the LD50 but also the time to death . The organ distribution of amphotericin B 24 h after intravenous administration was similar whether the drug was given as the commercial deoxycholate preparation or in liposomes . Finally, there were no differences among any of the formulations in their fungicidal activity against Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in vitro . The lesser and slower lethality of the liposomal and detergent-solubilized drug suggests that the mechanism by which liposomes reduce the lethality of amphotericin B is by slowing its rate of transfer to a sensitive cellular target.

Rev Infect Dis, 1987 Mar-Apr, 9(2), 398 - 402
Rapid diagnosis of candidiasis and aspergillosis; Bennett JE; Published studies support the hypothesis that at least two antigens of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis circulate in the bloodstream of patients with severe candidiasis . One antigen (probably mannan) is stable and the other (probably protein) is labile . The stabile antigen can rarely be detected without prior dissociation from antibody . Dissociation treatment destroys the labile antigen, leaving in doubt whether any is antibody bound . Dissociation steps have also been necessary for detection of Aspergillus fumigatus antigen in sera from patients with invasive aspergillosis . Concentrations of the stable antigens of both Candida and Aspergillus appear to be in the nanogram-per-milliliter range, generally lying at the limits of detection by conventional assays . Improvements in sensitivity and practicality are needed, but the tests are clearly promising.

J Clin Microbiol, 1987 Mar, 25(3), 563 - 6
Molecular probe for identification of medically important Candida species and Torulopsis glabrata; Mason MM et al.; A cloned DNA fragment from Candida albicans containing the gene for the protein actin was used to probe the molecular structure of the actin gene of several medically important yeasts (C . albicans, Candida stellatoidea, Candida tropicalis, Candida pseudotropicalis, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, Candida guilliermondii, and Torulopsis glabrata) . Whole-cell DNA from each species was digested with restriction endonucleases, electrophoresed on agarose gels, and transferred to nitrocellulose . Radioactively labeled C . albicans actin gene was hybridized to the DNA fragments on the nitrocellulose . The C . albicans probe produced a strong signal with all of the Candida DNAs tested, indicating considerable conservation of this gene . In addition, the actin genes of all of the species tested were found to have no internal EcoRI or SalI restriction sites . With the exception of C . guilliermondii, all of the species tested had a single internal HindIII recognition site . However, the location of flanking restriction sites was found to be species specific . For all of the enzymes tested, the locations of the flanking restriction sites in C . albicans and C . stellatoidea were identical; all of the other strains yielded fragments clearly distinct from one another . These differences provide a molecular tool for the differentiation of medically important Candida species.

Jpn J Antibiot, 1987 Feb, 40(2), 271 - 83
{Laboratory and clinical study of intravenous miconazole}; Sawae Y et al.; Laboratory and clinical study was carried out on miconazole (MCZ), a new synthetic imidazole . The antifungal activity of MCZ was studied and expressed as MICs for clinical isolates . The drug proved to have the highest activity against Cryptococcus neoformans, with MICs of no more than 0.16 micrograms/ml for all isolates of this species . MICs of Torulopsis glabrata were 0.08-5 micrograms/ml for all isolates and those of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis were 5-20 micrograms/ml for more than 90% of the isolates . Most of other strains were less than 10 micrograms/ml . When 3 healthy adult men were administered each with 200 mg of MCZ by intravenous drip infusion for 1.25 hours, the mean serum MCZ concentration was 1.39 micrograms/ml at the end of the infusion, then decreased rapidly to 0.49 microgram/ml in following 30 minutes, and then decreased gradually to 0.17 microgram/ml 6 hours later . The mean cumulative urinary excretion rate of the drug was as low as 3.0% at this stage . A total of 25 patients with ages of 30-78 years, comprising 17 men and 8 women, were treated with 200-1,800 mg of MCZ daily for 3-93 days . The clinical effectiveness was ascertained in 19 cases among the patients; 9 cases with candidiasis, 3 with cryptococcosis and 7 with aspergillosis . Clinical responses were excellent in 2, good in 9 and poor in 8 cases, and its efficacy rates was 58% . The efficacy rate of the combination therapy with other antifungal agents was 60% in comparison with 57% of MCZ alone . Adverse reactions to the drug such as nausea, vomiting and anorexia were observed in 3 cases (12%) . Abnormal changes in laboratory parameters were also observed: 3 patients with elevations of GOT and GPT, and another with eosinophilia.

Gene, 1987, 58(1), 37 - 44
Peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase multigene family of the yeast Candida tropicalis; nucleotide sequence of a third gene and its protein product; Okazaki K et al.; We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of gene POX2, which encodes one of the major peroxisomal polypeptides (PXPs) of Candida tropicalis . POX2 is linked to gene POX4, which codes for a subunit (PXP-4) of long-chain acyl-CoA oxidase . Southern blot analysis revealed that POX2 had a significant homology to POX4, and also to gene POX5 which encodes a subunit (PXP-5) of the isozyme of acyl-CoA oxidase . PXP-2, the protein product of POX2, was co-purified with PXP-4 from the isolated peroxisomes . PXP-2 itself was a flavoprotein and likely to form an equimolar complex with PXP-4, although its enzymatic activity was uncertain . POX2 corresponds to a single open reading frame of 724 amino acids and has no introns . The N-terminal sequence and the calculated Mr of the deduced polypeptide were consistent with those of isolated PXP-2 . The primary structure was highly homologous to those of PXP-4 and PXP-5 in respect of the amino acid sequence and the hydropathy profile . We conclude that POX2 is a third gene of the peroxisomal acyl-COA oxidase multigene family.

Gene, 1987, 51(2-3), 119 - 28
The primary structure of a peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase from the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233; Murray WW et al.; We report the isolation and nucleotide (nt) sequence determination of a gene encoding peroxisomal fatty acyl-CoA oxidase (AOx) from the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233 . The AOx gene contains no intervening sequences and has a single open reading frame of 2127 nt encoding a protein of 708 amino acids (aa), not including the initiator methionine . The Mr of the protein is 79,155 . Codon utilization in the gene is not random, with 87.4% of the aa specified by 25 principal codons . The principal codons used in the expression of AOx in C . tropicalis are similar to those used in highly expressed genes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The AOx protein shows a 94.2% homology with POX4 protein of C . tropicalis . One stretch of 36 aa shows no homology between the two proteins.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1987 Jan, 31(1), 11 - 5
Amphotericin B or ketoconazole therapy of fungal infections in neutropenic cancer patients; Fainstein V et al.; Fungal infections in neutropenic cancer patients have increased in frequency and constitute an important cause of morbidity and mortality . Empiric antifungal therapy is often administered to those patients who have failed to respond to antibacterial antibiotics . We conducted a prospective, randomized trial of amphotericin B and ketoconazole for 172 neutropenic cancer patients with presumed or proven fungal infections . Overall, amphotericin B and ketoconazole were equally effective . Amphotericin B may have been more effective than ketoconazole for the treatment of pneumonia . Also, five of eight Candida tropicalis infections treated with amphotericin B responded, whereas all eight infections treated with ketoconazole failed to respond (P = 0.03) . Response rates for localized fungal infections were similar with both drugs . Ketoconazole should not be used as empiric antifungal therapy at institutions where there is a high frequency of infections caused by Aspergillus spp . or C . tropicalis because this agent lacks activity in vitro against these species.

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 1987 Jan, 63(1), 48 - 54
Yeast species and biotypes associated with oral leukoplakia and lichen planus; Krogh P et al.; Of 36 patients, 17 had oral leukoplakia, including homogeneous and nonhomogeneous types, and 19 had reticular lesions of oral lichen planus . A sample of yeast flora in each patient was taken from the pathologic lesion as well as from normal-appearing mucosa . The isolated yeasts were identified according to species level, and identification was extended beyond the species level for one species, Candida albicans, to reveal the biotype by means of the Odds and Abbott procedure comprising tests for acid and salt tolerance, proteinase production, resistance to 5-fluorocytosine and safranine, and assimilation of urea, sorbose, and citrate . Yeasts were present in the lesions of 82% of leukoplakia patients, compared to 37% of lichen planus patients, a frequency of yeasts corresponding to that in healthy adults . C . albicans was the dominating species in lesions of both diseases, constituting 82% of all yeasts in the leukoplakia lesions . In addition, the following species were identified: Candida tropicalis, Candida pintolopesii, Torulopsis glabrata, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Eighteen biotypes of C . albicans were encountered, the most frequently occurring biotypes being 355 and 177 . Differences between C . albicans biotypes isolated from pathologic and normal mucosa were encountered in five of eleven leukoplakia patients and in one of three lichen planus patients . This indicates that the oral cavity comprises several ecologic niches for yeasts . As nonhomogeneous leukoplakias are more likely to develop into carcinoma than are homogeneous leukoplakias, it is interesting to note that the C . albicans biotypes isolated from nodular lesions (one type of nonhomogeneous leukoplakia)--biotypes 145, 175, and 575--rarely occur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Gene, 1987, 61(3), 401 - 13
The nucleotide sequence of complementary DNA and the deduced amino acid sequence of peroxisomal catalase of the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233; Murray WW et al.; We report the isolation and nucleotide (nt) sequence determination of cDNA encoding peroxisomal catalase (Cat) from the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233 . The catalase cDNA (Cat) has a single open reading frame (ORF) of 1455 nt, encoding a protein of 484 amino acids (aa), not including the initiator methionine . The Mr of the protein is 54767 . Codon use in the gene is not random, with 90.9% of the aa specified by 25 principal codons . The principal codons used in the expression of Cat in C . tropicalis are similar to those used in the expression of the fatty acyl-CoA oxidase gene of C . tropicalis and of highly expressed genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Cat shows 48.0%, 49.7%, and 48.3% aa identity with human, bovine, and rat catalases, respectively, and 44.3% aa identity with catalase T of S . cerevisiae . The 3 aa of bovine liver catalase previously postulated to participate in catalysis and 79.5% of those aa in the immediate environment of hemin, the prosthetic group of catalase, are conserved in Cat of C . tropicalis.

Acta Orthop Scand, 1986 Dec, 57(6), 563 - 5
Fungal spondylitis . A case of Torulopsis glabrata and Candida tropicalis infection; Bruns J et al.; A case of spondylitis due to Torulopsis glabrata and Candida tropicalis is reported . Fungal osteomyelitis should be suspected in the presence of predisposing factors, such as long antibiotic treatment or reduced immune defense.

J Biol Chem, 1986 Nov 25, 261(33), 15787 - 93
Induction, identification, and cell-free translation of mRNAs coding for peroxisomal proteins in Candida tropicalis; Fujiki Y et al.; Peroxisomes have been purified from Candida tropicalis grown on oleic acid and shown to be nearly pure by marker enzyme analysis, electron microscopy, and comparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . They contain approximately 20 polypeptides, among which acyl-CoA oxidase, trifunctional hydratase-dehydrogenase-epimerase, and catalase have been identified . Rabbit antisera have been elicited that react with these three proteins . When C . tropicalis is grown on alkanes, a dozen mRNAs are strikingly induced . Nine of the 12 induced mRNAs code for polypeptides that comigrate in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with peroxisomal proteins, among which three have been identified immunochemically as the acyl-CoA oxidase, the trifunctional protein, and catalase . These results indicate that some genes coding for peroxisomal proteins are strongly expressed during growth of C . tropicalis on alkanes . The data are consistent with evidence in other species that peroxisomes form by the post-translational incorporation of newly made proteins into pre-existing peroxisomes, generally without proteolytic processing, followed by peroxisome division.

Arch Biochem Biophys, 1986 Nov 15, 251(1), 276 - 86
The distinction of different types of cytochromes P-450 from the yeasts Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces uvarum; Sanglard D et al.; The distinction between two types of cytochromes P-450 originating from microsomes of Candida tropicalis grown on glucose and on alkane was achieved . Criteria of differentiation between these two cytochrome P-450 forms were based on the characteristics of reduced carbon monoxide difference spectra, on substrate specificity, and on binding and inhibition kinetics of the fungistatic compound propiconazole . One cytochrome P-450 form catalyzed the 14 alpha-demethylation of lanosterol and bound propiconazole with an equimolar ratio . This form was present in microsomes from glucose-grown cells and shared similar characteristics with the cytochrome P-450 originating from Saccharomyces uvarum grown on the same carbon source . The other cytochrome P-450 form catalyzed the terminal hydroxylation of aliphatic hydrocarbons and showed a less specific binding ratio with propiconazole (10(3) mol propiconazole for 1 mol cytochrome P-450) . This type of cytochrome P-450 was only present in the microsomes of C . tropicalis grown on alkane.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1986 Nov, 30(5), 756 - 62
Noninvasive and quantitative 19F nuclear magnetic resonance study of flucytosine metabolism in Candida strains; Vialaneix JP et al.; 19F nuclear magnetic resonance was used for a noninvasive and quantitative study of flucytosine (FC; 5-fluorocytosine) metabolism in two strains of Candida albicans and one strain of Candida tropicalis with various susceptibilities to FC . Three intracellular fluorinated metabolites were detected in the highly susceptible strain, F-nucleotides (Fnt), F-nucleosides, and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) . Fnt were partially converted into 5FU when the spectra of the yeasts were recorded at 37 degrees C without perfusion, but the intensities of the signals were not modified at 4 or 37 degrees C if the cells were perfused . In the acid extract, the Fnt signal was resolved into three distinct peaks; none of them was attributable to 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate . The same signals were detected in the partially resistant strain, but only 5FU was observed in the highly resistant strain; the resistance of the latter strain therefore was primarily due to a defect in UMP pyrophosphorylase . At the end of the incubation period, only FC and released 5FU were present in the culture media . The concentration of the intracellular fluorinated metabolites was increased if the strain was susceptible to FC . The total amount of metabolized FC was very similar for the highly susceptible and the partially resistant strains, but the percentage of Fnt was much higher in the former (38%) than in the latter (8%); the mild resistance of the partially resistant strain therefore was attributed to the decreased activity of UMP pyrophosphorylase.

J Clin Microbiol, 1986 Nov, 24(5), 796 - 802
Monoclonal antibodies against Candida tropicalis mannan: antigen detection by enzyme immunoassay and immunofluorescence; Reiss E et al.; Three strains of mice were immunized with Candida tropicalis cell walls, and antibodies against mannan were detected by indirect enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in 3 of 9 BALB/c mice, 4 of 11 C57BL/6 mice, and 4 of 8 CFW mice . Responding mice produced immunoglobulin M (IgM), but IgG was not detected in their sera . Fusion of the high-responder BALB/c mouse with a plasmacytoma cell line resulted in 41 clones secreting antimannan monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) . Four clones selected for propagation included one IgM and one IgG MAb that reacted with mannans of Candida albicans serotypes A and B and of C . tropicalis and two IgM MAbs specific for an epitope only in the mannans of C . albicans serotype A and C . tropicalis . One of the IgM MAbs, CB6, was an effective substitute for rabbit antibodies in the double-antibody sandwich EIA to detect antigenemia produced in rabbits infected with C . albicans A or C . tropicalis . It could function either as the peroxidase-conjugated indicator antibody or as the capture antibody . Two MAbs, CB6 (C . tropicalis and C . albicans A specific) and AC3 (C . tropicalis and C . albicans A and B specific), functioned in place of polyclonal antisera in the serotyping of C . albicans by immunofluorescence . There was 95.8% agreement in the results of serotyping using MAbs as reagents compared with rabbit antisera . Competitive inhibition in EIA between CB6 and monospecific antisera against C . albicans factors 1, 4, and 6 indicated that CB6 binds to an epitope which is probably factor 6 . Serologic similarity between factor 4 and the binding site of MAb AC3 was also determined.

Microbiol Sci, 1986 Oct, 3(10), 316 - 9
Cleavage of immunoglobulins by pathogenic yeasts of the genus Candida; Ruchel R; The yeast-like fungi Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis are opportunistic pathogens which are distinguished from less virulent yeasts by the secretion of acid proteases . Candida proteases cleave various human immunoglobulins including IgA2 and secretory immunoglobulins . They cover a wider range of substrates than bacterial IgA-proteases, and possibly play a role in the pathogenesis of thrush and deep candidosis.

J Reprod Med, 1986 Sep, 31(9), 821 - 4
Topical flucytosine therapy for chronic recurrent Candida tropicalis infections; Horowitz BJ; Forty-one women with a culture-proven diagnosis of Candida tropicalis were treated with miconazole or clotrimazole cream topically or ketoconazole orally . In 15 patients the infection recurred or remained uncured . Five-fluorocytosine was compounded into a topical vaginal cream and applied nightly for seven nights . In 14 of the 15 patients the infection disappeared . One patient remains uncured.

Pediatrics, 1986 Aug, 78(2), 225 - 32
Fungal colonization in the very low birth weight infant; Baley JE et al.; In the neonate, fungal infections result in significant morbidity and mortality . For very low birth weight (less than 1,500 g) infants, we prospectively determined the fungal colonization rate to be 26.7% . In one third of infants with fungal colonies, mucocutaneous candidiasis developed, and in 7.7%, systemic disease developed . Two thirds of the infants had colonies in the first week of life . This colonization was probably acquired during labor and delivery, because those infants who had colonization were more often delivered vaginally than by cesarean section . Early colonization, commonly from the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract, featured Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis . Late colonization, occurring after 2 weeks of life (15.0% of patients), was more likely to be cutaneous and was associated with either Candida parapsilosis or such poor growth that the organism could not be identified . Infants with colonization only rarely had budding yeasts (6.1%), whereas more than half of the infants with either a urinalysis showing budding yeasts or a urine culture growing fungi had invasive disease . Fungal contamination was not found on either thoracotomy tubes or catheter tips . In the low birth weight infant, fungal colonization represents a significant risk factor for cutaneous or systemic candidiasis in these infants.

Am J Vet Res, 1986 Jun, 47(6), 1229 - 34
Antifungal activity of ketoconazole with emphasis on zoophilic fungal pathogens; Gabal MA; The antifungal activity of ketoconazole was studied against fungal pathogens associated with various mycotic infections in animals . A concentration of 10 micrograms of ketoconazole/ml of medium proved fungicidal to Trichophyton verrucosum . The same concentration acted as a strong fungistat against the majority of the tested dermatophytes . Yeasts were generally more sensitive than yeast-like pathogens . Ketoconazole also proved fungicidal against Pityrosporon canis and strongly inhibitory on Cryptococcus neoformans and Torulopsis famata at the lowest used concentration . Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, and Aspergillus fumigatus required a higher concentration in order for the drug to demonstrate some gross changes . However, variable serious microscopic effects were detected . The most marked effect of ketoconazole was in connection with the dimorphic fungi . The action was fungicidal or strongly inhibitory on both the mycelial form and the tissue phase, respectively . The effect of the drug involved both gross morphologic and microscopic changes of the fungi . The mechanism of action of the drug is described in detail . The results are promising and encouraging for the use of ketoconazole in veterinary medicine.

Pathol Biol (Paris), 1986 May, 34(5), 536 - 9
{Comparative sensitivity of yeasts to antifungal agents using a standardized micromethod}; Guinet R; The comparative susceptibility of 1 850 yeast strains belonging to 8 species was determined . The standardized micromethods used allows determinations of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) or categorized sensitivities for two different concentrations (AB) . Overall results showed that amphotericin B (AMB) is the most active agent, followed by the various imidazoles . 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) was the least effective drug, with 68% susceptible strains . However, results varied widely across species and drugs . For instance, among Candida albicans and Torulopsis glabrata strains, none were resistant to AMB and only 6% were resistant to 5-FC; in contrast, Candida albicans was highly susceptible to imidazoles (0.8 to 2.5% resistant strains) whereas Torulopsis glabrata showed much higher resistance rates (18% of strains for tioconazole and 70% for ketoconazole) . Variations in susceptibility were also recorded across imidazoles: clotrimazole, tioconazole and ketoconazole were much more effective against Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis than miconazole and econazole, whereas almost no strains were resistant to AMB and more than 50% of strains were resistant to 5-FC . Results obtained by AB (967 strains) and MIC (455 strains) were consistent for the 1 422 Candida albicans strains . Our results show that standardized micromethods should be used to determine the susceptibility of yeasts to antifungal agents.

Biol Chem Hoppe Seyler, 1986 May, 367(5), 441 - 5
Isolation purification and properties of a site-specific proteolytic enzyme "valyl-proteinase" from Candida tropicalis; Abbasi A et al.; A highly specific proteolytic enzyme cleaving at the carboxyl group of valine has been isolated from Candida tropicalis . Its specificity has been determined by digesting beta-lactoglobulin and a number of synthetic peptides . The enzyme a glycoprotein, has a molecular mass of 40 +/- 7 kDa on the basis of sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Its optimum activity occurs at 37 degrees C at a pH between 8-9 . It has been named "Valyl-proteinase" because of its selective cleavage.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1986 Apr, 85(4), 498 - 502
Pathologic features in the human alimentary tract associated with invasiveness of Candida tropicalis; Walsh TJ et al.; The pathologic features of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis in 23 consecutive autopsied patients with culture-proven disseminated candidiasis were studied in order to determine the pathologic basis for the greater virulence of C . tropicalis . Disseminated C . tropicalis infection with gastrointestinal invasion occurred only in eight neutropenic patients; whereas, C . albicans infection occurred in nine neutropenic and six nonneutropenic patients . C . tropicalis involved the entire alimentary tract in four of eight patients versus one of fifteen patients with C . albicans . C . tropicalis penetrated to the deep submucosa in six of eight patients with C . tropicalis and four of fifteen patients with C . albicans . Nine of ten patients with submucosal invasion were neutropenic . Invasion of submucosal blood vessels occurred in six of eight patients with C . tropicalis and only two of fifteen patients with C . albicans . All patients with submucosal blood-vessel invasion were neutropenic . A band of tissue necrosis at the advancing mycelial margin was present with C . tropicalis but not with C . albicans . These autopsy findings indicate that the greater virulence of C . tropicalis is related to increased invasiveness in the gastrointestinal tract in susceptible hosts.

Arch Microbiol, 1986 Apr, 144(3), 207 - 12
Immunological evidence for the involvement of cell wall proteins in phosphate uptake in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Jeanjean R et al.; Immunological cross-reactivity between cell wall proteins obtained from two yeast genera (Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is reported . Specific retention of two cell wall proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae by an immunoabsorbent column coupled with antibodies against phosphate binding protein 2(PiBP2) from Candida tropicalis allowed to generate antibodies against the proteins from S . cerevisiae . These antibodies were effective in inhibiting phosphate uptake by S . cerevisiae cells . The proteins from S . cerevisiae displayed a phosphate binding activity which was inhibited in the presence of the forementioned antibodies . These results and the observation that the amount of these proteins in the shock fluid was dependent of the growth conditions (i.e., in the presence or in the absence of phosphate) support the idea that these proteins are involved in the high affinity phosphate transport system.

Am J Med, 1986 Apr, 80(4), 679 - 84
Disseminated intravascular coagulation and purpura fulminans in a patient with Candida sepsis . Biopsy of purpura fulminans as an aid to diagnosis of systemic Candida infection; Silverman RA et al.; Disseminated intravascular coagulation and purpura fulminans developed in association with septicemia and meningitis due to Candida tropicalis in an 18-year-old female immunosuppressed renal allograft recipient . Although systemic Candida infection was initially suspected, blood cultures showed no growth of this organism until after its identification in the dermis of a skin biopsy specimen obtained from the site of purpura fulminans . This case illustrates the association between Candida sepsis and purpura fulminans, and demonstrates the usefulness of skin biopsy of purpura fulminans in the early diagnosis of Candida sepsis.

Eur J Biochem, 1986 Mar 17, 155(3), 527 - 31
Properties of catalase purified from a methanol-grown yeast, Kloeckera sp . 2201; Mozaffar S et al.; Catalase, a marker enzyme of peroxisomes, was purified to homogeneity from whole cells of Kloeckera sp . 2201 (a strain of Candida boidinii) grown on methanol by means of ammonium sulfate fractionation followed by hydroxyapatite, Sephacryl S-300 and DEAE-Sepharose column chromatographies . Crystallized catalase was brown-coloured and needle-like . The molecular mass of the enzyme was about 240 000 daltons consisting of four identical subunits of 62 000 daltons . The minimum size of catalase molecule was estimated to be about 6 X 10 nm from an electron micrograph . Judging from the absorption spectrum, the enzyme seemed to belong to a group of T-type catalase . The Km value of the enzyme for hydrogen peroxide (catalatic activity) was 25 mM, while that for methanol (peroxidatic activity) was 83 mM . Catalase from Kloeckera sp . cells showed a certain degree of similarity to the enzyme purified from alkane-grown Candida tropicalis {T . Yamada et al . (1982) Eur . J . Biochem . 125, 517-521 and 129, 251-255} in its immunochemical properties.

Mikrobiologiia, 1986 Mar-Apr, 55(2), 198 - 204
{Nature of the stimulating substances found in the vital activity products of yeastlike fungi}; Iakovleva EP et al.; The cultural broth of Candida tropicalis was shown to contain an active compound which stimulated the synthesis of levorin, a polyene antibiotic Succinic acid was found to stimulate the antibiotic synthesis . The stimulating effect of the active compound increased in proportion to the content of succinic acid in it and became maximal at the same concentration of succinic acid as in a pure preparation . However, succinic acid was not an only compound responsible for the elevated synthesis of the antibiotic since the biostimulating effect was higher than that of pure succinic acid.

Mikrobiologiia, 1986 Mar-Apr, 55(2), 192 - 7
{Biosynthesis of the polyene antibiotic levorin and the membrane composition of Streptomyces levoris}; Novikova ML et al.; Changes in the composition of Streptomyces levoris membranes were studied in the course of the polyene antibiotic levorin biosynthesis when the process was stimulated by Candida tropicalis metabolites and inhibited by inorganic phosphate . In the presence of stimulating compounds, the percentage of membranes increased in S . levoris cells and the membrane composition changed: the protein-to-lipid ratio and the concentration of total phosphorus decreased while the content of carbohydrates increased . Analysis of the lipid component showed that these changes were due to a gradual substitution of non-phosphorus glycolipids for membrane phospholipids and to an enrichment of the membranes with proteolipids . Such changes were not detected in a medium containing the inhibitor . It was for the first time that a considerable amount of the antibiotic produced by the culture was found in the membrane fractions . The data are discussed in relation with a possible role of the actinomycete membrane structures in levorin biosynthesis.

Arch Microbiol, 1986 Mar, 144(2), 137 - 41
Purification of peroxisomal malate synthase from alkane-grown Candida tropicalis and some properties of the purified enzyme; Okada H et al.; Malate synthase, one of the key enzymes in the glyoxylate cycle, was purified from peroxisomes of alkane-grown yeast, Candida tropicalis . The enzyme was mainly localized in the matrix of peroxisomes, judging from subcellular fractionation followed by exposure of the organelles to hypotonic conditions . The molecular mass of this peroxisomal malate synthase was determined to be 250,000 daltons by gel filtration on a Sepharose 6B column as well as by ultracentrifugation . On sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide slab-gel electrophoresis, the molecular mass of the subunit of the enzyme was demonstrated to be 61,000 daltons . These results revealed that the native form of this enzyme was homo-tetrameric . Peroxisomal malate synthase showed the optimal activity pH at 8.0 and absolutely required Mg2+ for enzymatic activity . The Km values for Mg2+, acetyl-CoA and glyoxylate were 4.7 mM, 80 microM and 1.0 mM, respectively.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1986 Mar, 83(5), 1232 - 6
Two acyl-coenzyme A oxidases in peroxisomes of the yeast Candida tropicalis: primary structures deduced from genomic DNA sequence; Okazaki K et al.; We report the complete nucleotide sequence of two genes encoding major peroxisomal polypeptides (PXPs) of Candida tropicalis . One, POX4, encodes PXP-4, which is the most abundant polypeptide in cells grown on oleic acid, and the other, POX5, is the gene for PXP-5 . Each of the two polypeptides was found to be the subunit of a distinct long-chain acyl-coenzyme A oxidase: acyl-CoA oxidase II (PXP-4) or acyl-CoA oxidase I (PXP-5) . Both the genes had no intron and gave a single open reading frame . The NH2-terminal sequences, except the initiator methionine, and the calculated molecular weights of the deduced polypeptides were consistent with those of the respective PXPs . Well-conserved sequences of 12 and 16 hydrophobic amino acids were present in the middle of the polypeptide, instead of at the NH2 terminus, and may be internal signal sequences for the peroxisomal location of PXPs . Although the two polypeptides were significantly homologous throughout their sequences, the local homologies in two regions out of five were markedly diverged from the average (63%); the homology in the second region was 93%, whereas that in the fourth one was only 24% . The implications of this finding are discussed in respect to the multiplicity of peroxisomal enzymes and the presence of multifunctional proteins in peroxisomes.

Genetika, 1986 Feb, 22(2), 336 - 8
{Characteristics of Candida tropicalis D-2 mutants resistant to nystatin, levorin, amphotericin B . I . Frequency of induction depending on the intracellular lipid level and phenotypic characteristics of mutants}; Danilenko II et al.; Induction frequency of mutants of Candida tropicalis D-2 strain depends on the number of intracellular lipids and the nature of a chemical mutagen . Para-aminobenzoic acid leads to a decrease in the lethality and mutagenicity of nitrosocompounds, which is stronger expressed in cells with enhanced quantity of lipids . Among nystatin and levorin-resistant mutants obtained independently, the mutants with supersensitivity to other antibiotics were discovered . The majority of mutants possess cross-resistance.

J Med Vet Mycol, 1986 Feb, 24(1), 81 - 4
Biotypes of oral Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis isolates; Williamson MI et al.; 213 oral isolates of Candida albicans and 62 isolates of C . tropicalis were tested for their hydrolytic enzyme profiles with the API ZYM system . One major biotype accounted for more than 50% of the isolates and a number of minor biotypes was recognized in both Candida species . The enzyme profiles of the major biotypes were identical and one quarter of the C . tropicalis isolates possessed a beta-glucosidase which has not been previously described.

J Basic Microbiol, 1986, 26(5), 271 - 81
Degradation of phenolic compounds by the yeast Candida tropicalis HP 15 . II . Some properties of the first two enzymes of the degradation pathway; Krug M et al.; The first two enzymes of the phenol degradation pathway were determined and characterized in crude extracts from Candida tropicalis HP 15 . The phenol hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.7) was a stable NADPH2- and FAD-dependent enzyme with a pH-optimum of 7.6 to 8.0 and a broad substrate specificity . Influence of ultrasound rapidly reduced the enzyme activity . The catechol 1,2-oxygenase (EC 1.13.1.1) had a broad pH-optimum between 7.5 and 9.6 and a limited substrate specificity . Two active protein bands indicating the presence of two isofunctional enzymes were detectable after electrophoretic separation of crude and partially purified extracts on polyacrylamide gels and specific staining for catechol 1,2-oxygenase activity.

Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki, 1986, (4), 24 - 9
{Effect of pancreatic DNAse on the nuclear DNA topology of Candida tropicalis yeasts}; Kupriianova FG et al.; It has been shown that pancreatic DNAase added to the nutritious medium caused the change in the nuclear DNA topology of asporogenic Candida tropicalis yeast . DNA conformative changes are due to the unwinding of supertwisted molecules as a result of single-strand ruptures formation which induce DNA synthesis acceleration, cell growth and division.

Mikrobiologiia, 1986 Jan-Feb, 55(1), 155 - 7
{Process of Candida tropicalis adaptation to L-arabinose}; Karasevich IuN; When biotin (an essential growth factor) is removed from the mineral Rieder medium, a mutation process is induced, particularly, if a nutrition source (glucose) is present in the medium . Hence, a mutation process can be induced under the conditions of an unbalanced 'organism--medium' system.

Rev Infect Dis, 1986 Jan-Feb, 8(1), 73 - 85
Adherence of Candida species to host tissues and plastic surfaces; Rotrosen D et al.; Adherence of Candida species to host tissues and nonbiologic materials has been studied in vivo and in vitro . Attachment of Candida albicans to mucosal cells, fibrin-platelet matrices, vascular endothelial cells, and plastic materials has been examined to elucidate early events in the pathogenesis of mucosal colonization and infection, candidal endocarditis, tissue invasion from the intravascular space, and infection of prosthetic devices . Adherence of C . albicans and Candida tropicalis exceeds that of less virulent Candida species, and germinated C . albicans cells adhere to host tissues more readily than do yeast-phase organisms . The adhesin of Candida that mediates attachment has yet to be characterized at the molecular level; however, on the basis of competitive inhibition by crude and purified cell wall products, blocking by antibody and lectin, and controlled degradation of the cell surface of Candida, it appears that mannans and mannoproteins are important constituents of the adhesin . The methods currently used to assay adherence of Candida all have limitations, and an approach to resolving these limitations is one of several areas that warrant further investigation.

Infect Immun, 1985 Dec, 50(3), 655 - 9
Protection by Candida albicans of Staphylococcus aureus in the establishment of dual infection in mice; Carlson E et al.; Candida albicans has been shown to stimulate infection in mice by a number of bacteria when both organisms are inoculated intraperitoneally (E . Carlson, Infect . Immun . 39:193-197, 1983) . When subcutaneous and intraperitoneal inoculations were given with Staphylococcus aureus and C . albicans injected at opposite sites, mixed infection was established at the site of fungal inoculation but not at the site of the bacterial injection . Histopathologic evaluation of tissues for the presence of C . albicans and S . aureus after intraperitoneal inoculation of both showed fungal growth in the mesentery and omentum of the abdominal cavity . Cocci were numerous and always associated with the fungi, located within the fungal growth rather than at its periphery . It was concluded that this growth pattern in some way protected the bacteria and was the basis for the generalized fungal stimulation of the bacterial infections observed . In addition to C . albicans, Candida stellatoidea, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Torulopsis glabrata, and heat-inactivated C . albicans also demonstrated some ability to protect bacteria injected simultaneously, although C . parapsilosis and T . glabrata were less effective than the other yeasts in this respect.

South Med J, 1985 Oct, 78(10), 1247 - 9
Invasive candidal balanitis due to a condom catheter in a neutropenic patient; Morrissey R et al.; A 58-year-old man with acute leukemia had balanitis and penile ulceration due to Candida tropicalis after a condom catheter was used because of urinary incontinence . This case illustrates that condom catheters can be associated with serious complications in neutropenic patients and should be used only when absolutely necessary.

J Infect Dis, 1985 Oct, 152(4), 750 - 4
Use of a new bioassay to study pentamidine pharmacokinetics; Bernard EM et al.; We developed a sensitive and specific agar-diffusion bioassay for pentamidine by using an amphotericin B-resistant isolate, Candida tropicalis ATCC 28707, as the test organism . We determined levels of pentamidine in serum of rats given intramuscular or intravenous injections and levels in serum, urine, and tissues of humans who had received the drug by slow intravenous infusion . Rats given intravenous pentamidine at a dose of 2 mg/kg had higher serum levels than those given intramuscular injection at a dose of 10 mg/kg; however, the drug was detectable in serum for 4 hr after intramuscular administration . The serum half-life in rats after intravenous injection was 2 min . Humans treated with 4 mg of pentamidine/kg by slow (1-2 hr) intravenous infusion had peak serum concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 3.4 micrograms/ml . The mean half-life of elimination from serum in humans was 17 +/- 4 min (n = 3) . In two patients, studied after completion of therapy, urinary excretion rates declined with a half-life of five and nine days . In tissues obtained at autopsy from four patients who had received pentamidine, the drug was present in highest concentration in the spleen and liver, followed by kidneys, adrenals, and lungs.

Rev Infect Dis, 1985 Sep-Oct, 7(5), 646 - 55
Fungemia in a cancer hospital: changing frequency, earlier onset, and results of therapy; Horn R et al.; Two hundred episodes of fungemia that occurred at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between January 1, 1978, and June 30, 1982, are reviewed and compared with those seen from 1974 through 1977 . The total number of episodes of fungemia per year increased by 30.6%, episodes per 100 new lymphoma and solid tumor patients increased by 73% and 95%, respectively, and episodes per 100 new leukemia patients decreased by 50% . Fungemia also occurred earlier during hospitalization, and embolic skin lesions were a common early sign of Candida tropicalis fungemia . Mortality was not significantly different with and without amphotericin B therapy in fungemic patients with leukemia, lymphoma, or aplastic anemia (51 of 70 vs . 21 of 24) or solid tumors (29 of 36 vs . 29 of 43); however, some patients appeared to benefit from combination therapy with amphotericin B and flucytosine . The prevalence of disseminated candidiasis at autopsy was the same in treated (11 of 15) and untreated (8 of 11) patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anemia, but it was significantly lower in treated (none of 8) than in untreated (5 of 11) patients with solid tumors.

Obstet Gynecol, 1985 Aug, 66(2), 229 - 32
Candida tropicalis vulvovaginitis; Horowitz BJ et al.; In a majority of patients with candidal vulvovaginitis, drug therapy is convenient and effective . A small but significant group of patients remain symptomatic with recurrent, chronic candidiasis . A study of 805 patients was undertaken to delineate microbiologically candidal species . The study revealed that the recurrence rate for Candida tropicalis was twice the rate for Candida albicans, and that despite continuous medical care and multiple therapies, the recurrent C tropicalis patients remained symptomatic with persistence of the organism . The difficulty encountered with eradication of C tropicalis may have been due to the lack of susceptibility of the cell membrane to the commonly used antifungal agents.

Biochemistry, 1985 Jun 4, 24(12), 2947 - 54
Structure-function correlation of fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and fatty acyl-CoA oxidase; Rojas C et al.; We have employed a new pseudosubstrate, beta-(2-furyl)propionyl coenzyme A (FPCoA), to study the functional properties of two enzymes, fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase from porcine liver and fatty acyl-CoA oxidase from Candida tropicalis, involved in the oxidation of fatty acids . Previous studies from our laboratory have shown that the dehydrogenase exhibits oxidase activity at the rate of dissociation of the product charge-transfer complex . This raises the question of the difference in functionality between these two flavoproteins . To investigate these differences, we have compared the pH dependence of product formation, the isotope effects using tetradeuterio-FPCoA, and the spectral properties and chemical reactivity of the product charge-transfer complexes formed with the two enzymes . The pH dependencies of the reaction of FPCoA with electron-transfer flavoprotein (ETF) for the dehydrogenase and of the reaction of FPCoA with O2 for the oxidase are quite similar . Both reactions proceed more rapidly at basic pH values while substrate binds more tightly at acidic pH values . These data for both enzymes are consistent with a mechanism in which enzyme is involved in protonation of the carbonyl group of substrate followed by base-catalyzed removal of the C-2 proton from substrate . The C-2 anion of substrate may then serve as the active species in reduction of enzyme-bound flavin . The deuterium isotope effects for both enzyme systems are primary across the entire pH range, assuring that the chemically important step of substrate oxidation is rate limiting in these steady-state kinetic experiments . The two enzymes differ in the chemical reactivity of their product charge-transfer complexes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1985 Jun, 82(12), 3973 - 7
Cloning of cDNA coding for peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase from the yeast Candida tropicalis pK233; Rachubinski RA et al.; Candida tropicalis pK233 cells were grown with n-alkanes as carbon source to induce the synthesis of peroxisomal proteins and the proliferation of peroxisomes . Poly-(A)+ RNA was isolated and used to construct a cDNA library by insertion of double-stranded reverse transcripts into the Pst I site of pBR322 followed by cloning in Escherichia coli . Clones complementary to mRNAs induced by growth on alkanes were selected by differential DNA dot-blot analysis using {32P}cDNA reverse-transcribed from poly(A)+ RNA of glucose-grown cells (which contain few peroxisomes) or of alkane-grown cells . Among these clones, one containing a 1.7-kilobase insert coding for acyl-CoA oxidase (the first enzyme in the peroxisomal Beta-oxidation pathway) was identified by hybridization-selection translation and immunoprecipitation . By RNA blot analysis, the acyl-CoA oxidase mRNA was estimated to be approximately equal to 2.2 kilobases long, of which 2.1 kilobases are required to code for the approximately equal to 76-kDa protein . Since the mRNA is polyadenylylated, there appears to be little additional nontranslated region . Cell-free mRNA translation and RNA dot-blot hybridization analyses demonstrated that, whereas glucose-grown C . tropicalis contained little or no acyl-CoA oxidase mRNA, alkane-grown cells contained so much of this mRNA as to make acyl-CoA oxidase one of the major in vitro translation products.

J Pharm Sci, 1985 May, 74(5), 556 - 8
Antifungal properties of 3-n-alkyn-1-ols and synergism with 2-n-alkyn-1-ols and ketoconazole; Gershon H et al.; Twelve 3-n-alkyn-1-ols (C4-C12, C14, C16, and C18) were tested against Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride, and Myrothecium verrucaria in Sabouraud dextrose agar at pH 5.6 and 7.0 . Toxicity to Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Mucor mucedo was determined in the same medium at pH 5.6 and 7.0 in the absence and presence of 10% beef serum . Fungitoxicity was strongly influenced by chain length, slightly by pH of the medium, and significantly but not strongly by the presence of beef serum . 3-n-Decyn-1-ol, 3-n-undecyn-1-ol, and 3-n-dodecyn-1-ol were the most active members of the series . Synergism toward C . albicans and C . tropicalis was observed between 3-n-undecyn-1-ol and ketoconazole, and a mixture of 3-n-undecyn-1-ol, 2-n-undecyn-1-ol, and ketoconazole in Sabouraud dextrose agar at pH 7.0 in the presence of 10% human serum.

Ophthalmology, 1985 May, 92(5), 706 - 9
Ocular involvement in patients with fungal infections; McDonnell PJ et al.; Autopsy findings of 133 patients who died following fungemia or with invasive fungal infection were reviewed . Common clinical factors included antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, corticosteroid administration, hyperalimentation, malignancy, and bone marrow transplantation . Fungal infection was seldom diagnosed antemortem and fungemia was detected in only 24 patients (18%) . Ocular involvement occurred in 14 patients (Candida 11, Aspergillus 2, and Cryptococcus 1) . The eye was the fifth most commonly involved organ at autopsy among patients with candida infection . Ocular involvement occurred with a significantly greater frequency in patients with Candida tropicalis than with Candida albicans infections (P less than 0.05) . Although only about 10% of patients with fungal infections had ocular involvement, all those with ocular lesions had widely disseminated disease . Realizing the potential toxicity of antifungal therapy, we recommend that screening ophthalmologic examinations be performed on patients with fungemia or patients at high risk for development of fungal infection . The presence of ocular lesions consistent with fungal disease, in the appropriate setting, is a strong indication for investigation of possible systemic fungal infection and therapy once a definitive diagnosis is established.

Eur J Biochem, 1985 Apr 15, 148(2), 285 - 91
Peroxisomal beta-oxidation system of Candida tropicalis . Purification of a multifunctional protein possessing enoyl-CoA hydratase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase activities; Moreno de la Garza M et al.; A multifunctional protein from oleate-grown cells of Candida tropicalis has been purified and partially characterized . A simple two-step purification has been developed involving ion-exchange chromatography followed by dye-ligand chromatography on blue Sepharose CL-6B . Homogeneous enzyme with a subunit Mr of 102 000 is obtained in 60% yield . The native relative molecular mass, determined by three different methods, yielded values which suggest that the enzyme is dimeric . Sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified protein revealed a single polypeptide band and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography indicated a single component suggesting that this protein may consist either of two identical or very similar subunits . Three beta-oxidation activities, enoyl-CoA hydratase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA epimerase, co-purified with this protein . The ratio of the three beta-oxidation enzyme activities remained constant during purification and was unchanged by additional chromatographic methods (adsorption and affinity chromatography), thus indicating the multifunctional nature of this protein . Enzymatic staining of the purified protein for 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and epimerase, following electrophoresis in a polyacrylamide density gradient, further supported the multifunctionality of this protein . After isopycnic centrifugation of a particulate fraction from oleate-grown cells in a linear sucrose gradient the activities of all individual beta-oxidation enzymes cosedimented with catalase and with the glyoxylate bypass enzymes . This result demonstrated the peroxisomal localization of the multifunctional enzyme . The relationship of this multifunctional protein to the two bifunctional beta-oxidation enzymes isolated from peroxisomes of rat liver and from glyoxysomes of cucumber seeds is discussed.

J Appl Bacteriol, 1985 Apr, 58(4), 355 - 7
Production of ethanol from infant food formulas by common yeasts; Bivin WS et al.; Four common yeasts (Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Torulopsis glabrata and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were combined with five infant food formulas and/or supplements (Isomil, Nutramigen, 5% glucose, Coca Cola and Similac) and incubated at 37 degrees C . Gas chromatography was used to measure ethanol production after 24 and 48 h incubation . The quantities of ethanol produced suggest a possible explanation for patients exhibiting the 'Auto-Brewery Syndrome' and raises interest in the role auto-produced ethanol could have in explaining the etiology of Sudden Infant Death.

J Infect Dis, 1985 Apr, 151(4), 711 - 5
Stereoisomeric configuration of arabinitol in serum, urine, and tissues in invasive candidiasis; Bernard EM et al.; Because routine analytical methods cannot differentiate D- from L-arabinitol, a combined microbiological and gas chromatographic method was developed to study the stereoisomeric configuration of the arabinitol in humans and rats with invasive candidiasis . D-Arabinitol was defined as the difference between arabinitol concentrations measured with and without incubation with 5.0 X 10(5) blastospores of Candida tropicalis strain CT 12 at 37 C for 24 hr . The yeast consumed at least 95% of the D-arabinitol and none of the L-arabinitol added to normal serum and urine . D-Arabinitol as a fraction of D,L-arabinitol was 0.43 +/- 0.15 (mean +/- SD) in the urine of 10 normal humans, 0.82 +/- 0.12 in the serum or urine of five patients with cancer and invasive candidiasis (P less than .001), and 1.0 in the kidneys of rats with candidiasis . Because most or all of the excess arabinitol in body fluids or tissues in candidiasis was the D isomer, which is produced by fungal metabolism, stereospecific quantitation of arabinitol should improve the sensitivity of this approach to diagnosis of candidiasis.

J Bacteriol, 1985 Apr, 162(1), 55 - 60
5-Methyl-2-thiouridine in the tRNA of Candida tropicalis and its localization in lysine tRNA; Patwardhan S et al.; 35S incorporation studies showed that Candida tropicalis tRNA contained two thionucleosides, one of which was identified as 5-methyl-2-thiouridine . The other thionucleoside was alkali labile, and it appeared to be an ester . Pulse-chase experiments suggested that the two thionucleosides were structurally related . 5-Methyl-2-thiouridine was present in one of the lysine tRNAs . This is the first report of the presence of this nucleoside in a yeast tRNA.

Medicine (Baltimore), 1985 Mar, 64(2), 115 - 33
Dermatologic manifestations of infections in immunocompromised patients; Wolfson JS et al.; Thirty-one immunocompromised patients (22 renal allograft recipients, 5 patients receiving chronic corticosteroid therapy, and 4 patients undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia) with significant dermatologic infection, excluding typical cellulitis and herpesvirus infections, were retrospectively identified over a 12-year period . Of these 31 patients, 15 (48%) had infection restricted to their skin, 6 (19%) appeared to have primary cutaneous infection that spread hematogenously to other parts of the body, 2 (6%) had infections of adjoining nasal tissue that spread to contiguous skin, and 8 (26%) appeared to have disseminated systemic infection that spread to the skin . In six of the eight patients with apparent secondary skin involvement, the development of the cutaneous lesion was the first clinical indication of disseminated infection . Eleven immunocompromised patients (35%) with bacterial infection of the skin or subcutaneous tissue were identified . These patients could be divided into three categories: leukemic patients with bacteremic gram-negative infection metastasizing to the skin (3 cases), renal transplant recipients with recurrent staphylococcal infection on and around the elbow ("transplant elbow") or streptococcal sepsis from a site of cellulitis (5 cases), and immunocompromised patients with opportunistic bacterial infection due to Nocardia asteroides or atypical mycobacteria (3 cases) . Seventeen immunocompromised patients (55%) with fungal infection of the skin or subcutaneous tissue were identified . These included 12 patients with opportunistic fungal infection (Cryptococcus neoformans, 4 cases; Aspergillus species, 3 cases; Paecilomyces, 2 cases; Rhizopus species, 2 cases; and Candida tropicalis, 1 case) and 5 patients with extensive, confluent cutaneous dermatophyte infections . One patient with protothecosis and two patients with extensive papillomavirus infection were identified . Of these latter two cases, one had his immunosuppression discontinued, with clearing of his extensive warts; the other had confluent warts of the face and neck that subsequently underwent malignant degeneration to squamous cell carcinoma while chronic immunosuppressive therapy was continued.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Arch Microbiol, 1985 Feb, 141(1), 29 - 31
Enhancement of carnitine acetyltransferase synthesis in alkane-grown cells and propionate-grown cells of Candida tropicalis; Ueda M et al.; The level of carnitine acetyltransferase was markedly increased in harmony with appearance of peroxisomes in alkane-grown cells and propionate-grown cells of Candida tropicalis . From immunochemical studies with antibodies against peroxisomal and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferases, it was confirmed that no other type of the enzyme than the peroxisomal and mitochondrial ones was present in alkane-, propionate- and glucose-grown cells of the yeast . The increase in the enzyme level in alkane- and propionate-grown cells was immunochemically proved to result from the increase in the amount of the enzyme protein.

Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1985 Feb, 4(1), 10 - 3
Evaluation of the new Mycotube test-kit for yeast identification; Guinet RM; The performance of a modified Mycotube test for the identification of yeasts was evaluated using standard biochemical tests as reference . One hundred and eighty strains belonging to 12 medically important species (15 strains each) were tested . The overall rate of identification was 72%, and rose to 87.8% when macroscopic and microscopic morphologic features were also considered; a 100% rate was obtained with Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Candida parapsilosis, Candida pseudotropicalis, Candida tropicalis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torulopsis glabrata . For the species Candida guilliermondii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula and Trichosporon cutaneum we propose a new evaluation chart and additional code numbers . Mycotube facilitates the routine identification of yeasts but recourse to macroscopic and microscopic examination may also be necessary.

J Basic Microbiol, 1985, 25(2), 103 - 10
Degradation of phenolic compounds by the yeast Candida tropicalis HP 15 . I . Physiology of growth and substrate utilization; Krug M et al.; The yeast Candida tropicalis HP 15 was able to utilize phenol up to concentrations of 2.5 g/l as a sole carbon and energy source . Phenol was metabolized via the beta-ketoadipate pathway by an inducible enzyme system . Besides phenol, resorcinol, quinol, hydroxyquinol, catechol, and to a lesser extend 4-chlorocatechol, protocatechuate, p-cresol, m-chlorophenol, and p-chlorophenol were metabolized by the yeast . A total of 30 aromatic compounds were tested as substrates.

Curr Top Med Mycol, 1985, 1, 172 - 207
Characterization of protein and mannan polysaccharide antigens of yeasts, moulds, and actinomycetes; Reiss E et al.; Antigens in coccidioidin were compared with purified subfractions via tandem immunoelectrophoresis (IEP) and by a combination of advancing line and crossed IEP . Rocket IEP was suitable for titrating the reactions and showing the relationship between column fractions . These techniques required multicomponent antisera produced by hyperimmunization over many months and by the use of known standard migration pairs . The IEP variations were used to chart the development of antisera against coccidioidin factors, to monitor antigen purifications, and to test the immunochemical homogeneity of an isolated antigen . Mannose-based heteroglycans of Cryptococcus neoformans were recovered from the culture filtrate . After precipitation of the major viscous glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) with ethanol or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, the supernate is reserved because it contains a galactoxylomannan (GalXM) . After removal of glucuronic acid from the GXM, the resulting xylomannan of serotype A was amenable to 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry; it revealed nonreducing xylose, alpha-1,3-mannose, and alpha-1,2/1,3 disubstituted mannose, thus confirming by an independent means what was previously known . The characterization sequence of GalXM included: (1) gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) of neutral sugars as peracetylated aldononitriles; (2) methylation-fragmentation GLC mass spectrometry to determine the glycosidic linkages; and (3) 13C-NMR showing similarities to mannan of Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Affinity chromatography of the GalXM on concanavalin A separated the galactoxylo component from an adsorbed mannoprotein . Selection of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) relies on presumptive enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) or radioimmunoassays for rapid screening of clones and for determination of isotypes; however, higher resolution confirmatory tests are needed to obtain MAbs of desired specificity . MAbs against Candida tropicalis mannan were labeled with horseradish peroxidase to use for detecting mannan in serum . MAbs against the partially purified "m" factor of histoplasmin were characterized by the enzyme-linked immunoelectro-transfer blot technique (EITB), revealing unsuspected complexity in the antigen . Secreted proteins of Nocardia asteroides were isoelectrically focused; three proteins, identified by EITB as promising to be specific for that actinomycete, were cut out of gels and used to immunize mice for production of MAbs . The fimbriae of Actinomyces viscosus and A . naeslundii that mediate lactose-reversible coagglutination with Streptococcus sanguis have been used to evoke MAbs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Arch Oral Biol, 1985, 30(3), 249 - 55
Experimental candidiasis in the hamster cheek pouch; McMillan MD et al.; Sixty-four adult male BIO 87.20 hamsters were divided into four equal groups . Animals in three groups had 1 ml of a thick aqueous suspension of either Candida albicans (ATCC 10261), Candida albicans (UO1) or Candida tropicalis (3100, Puna Culture Collection) placed in each of their cheek pouches . The fourth group were controls . Four animals from each group were killed 1, 2, 4 and 6 weeks following treatment . Specimens were removed from all left-cheek pouches and processed routinely for light microscopy . All animals treated with strain UO1 and 35 per cent of animals treated with either 10261 or 3100 strains exhibited changes . At 1 week, the epithelium had localized areas of neutrophilic leukocyte infiltration and some small discrete micro-abscesses . At 2 weeks, most micro-abscesses were larger . At 4 weeks, most micro-abscesses involved the more superficial epithelial layers . At 6 weeks, there were only a few superficial micro-abscesses . At 4 and 6 weeks, there were areas of thickened, often parakeratinized, stratum corneum . The connective tissue adjacent to the inflamed epithelium was infiltrated by varying numbers and types of chronic inflammatory cell . Hyphal invasion of the epithelium was not found . Thus the hamster cheek pouch is a suitable site for the study of experimental candidiasis . The occurrence of both an acute and chronic inflammatory response does not support the suggestion that the pouch is an immunologically-privileged site.

Infect Immun, 1985 Jan, 47(1), 11 - 4
Hydrophobic interaction in Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis adherence to various denture base resin materials; Minagi S et al.; The effects of hydrophobicities of substrate surfaces on microbial adherence were examined by using Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis and 21 denture base resin materials . With increasing surface free energy of resin plates, increasing adherence of C . albicans and decreasing adherence of C . tropicalis were observed . The surface free energy of C . albicans is higher than that of all resin material surfaces, and C . tropicalis has surface free energy lower than that of all materials used . In calculation of the changes of free energy accompanying the adherence, the higher adherence tendency was accompanied by a lower value for the free energy change in both species . From a different standpoint, the closer the surface free energy of the substrate surface and the microorganism, the higher was the probability of adherence.

Biol Cell, 1985, 53(1), 67 - 74
Relationship between growth inhibition and mitochondrial function in petite-negative yeasts . I . Effects of antibiotics and dyes upon pathogenic and non-pathogenic Candida species; Marmiroli N et al.; Antibiotics and dyes which preclude growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in media containing oxidizable carbon sources arrested the growth of Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida utilis even in glucose medium . The growth in the presence of sub-inhibitory concentrations of the various antibiotics and dyes determined a reduction in the cell survival but with no accumulation of respiratory deficient mutants . Under these culture conditions, the total respiration declined leaving a residual antimycin A-resistant--hydroxamate-sensitive O2 uptake, and the amount of the respiratory cytochromes aa3 and b synthesized was reduced . SDS gel electrophoresis of soluble proteins prepared from the antibiotic-treated cells showed some bands in the MW range 92-100 K, which became faint after the cells were grown in the presence of some mitochondrial inhibitors . The ultrastructural analysis of these cells evidenced disappearance of the mitochondrial cristae and their replacement by unfolded membranes . The data obtained suggest that the petite negative trait of Candida could depend on the non-viability or on the very low viability of those cells which have lost their mitochondrial function.

J Pharm Sci, 1984 Dec, 73(12), 1840 - 2
Antifungal properties of 2-n-alkyn-1-ols; Gershon H et al.; Fourteen 2-n-alkynols (C3-C14, C16, and C18) were tested against Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma viride, and Myrothecium verrucaria in Sabouraud dextrose agar at pH 5.6 and 7.0 . Toxicity to Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Mucor mucedo was determined in the same medium at pH 5.6 and 7.0 in the absence and presence of 10% beef serum . Fungitoxicity was strongly influenced by chain length, slightly by the pH of the medium, and significantly by the presence of beef serum . 2-n-Undecyn-1-ol was the most active member of the series, and there was marked synergism between it and ketoconazole.

Can J Microbiol, 1984 Oct, 30(10), 1205 - 9
Mycoflora of the human dermal surfaces; Mok WY et al.; The mycotic flora of the scalp and interdigital areas of the hand and foot of 1296 apparently healthy human inhabitants of three Amazonian communities were surveyed by means of microscopic examination of epidermal scrapings and cultural isolation on Mycosel agar . No macroscopic or microscopic evidence of fungal infection was detected in any of our study subjects . From 133 (10%) individuals, 143 fungi representing 13 genera and 39 species were recovered . Yeasts constituted 85% of the fungi . Seventy-five percent of the isolates were fungi with pathogenic potential: Aureobasidium pullulans, Candida albicans, Candida guilliermondii, Candida parapsilosis, Candida stellatoidea, Candida tropicalis, Exophiala werneckii, Geotrichum candidum, Rhodotorula rubra, Torulopsis glabrata, Trichophyton tonsurans, Trichosporon cutaneum, and Wangiella dermatitidis . The low frequency with which each species was represented resulted in a mosaic distribution of the fungi with respect to human anatomical sites and study areas . The lack of similarity in species composition between the human dermal mycoflora and soil mycoflora in the same study areas supports the conclusion that distinct yeast species occupy different environmental niches.

Mol Cell Biol, 1984 Oct, 4(10), 2136 - 41
High-level expression and molecular cloning of genes encoding Candida tropicalis peroxisomal proteins; Kamiryo T et al.; The development of peroxisomes in the cells of Candida tropicalis grown on oleic acid was accompanied by a markedly high expression of peroxisomal proteins . On the basis of this finding, the nuclear DNA library of this yeast was screened by differential hybridization, and 102 clones of oleic acid-inducible sequences were isolated . Seven coding regions were found to form clusters in three stretches of the genomic DNA . Five of the regions were identified as genes for peroxisomal polypeptides (PXPs) . The coding sequence for PXP-2 hybrid selected an additional mRNA for PXP-4, the subunit of long-chain acyl coenzyme A oxidase, which was the most abundant PXP . PXP-2 and PXP-4 were close in apparent molecular weight and generated similar peptides when digested with a protease . The gene for PXP-4 was adjacent to that for PXP-2 on the genome and also hybridized to the mRNA coding for PXP-5 . These and other similar results suggest that the genes for the peroxisomal proteins of this organism arose by duplication of a few ancestral genes.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1984 Sep, 39(9), 781 - 7
Antimycotic action of some amino-N-(5-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamides; Pecorari P et al.; 2-, 3- and 4-amino-N-(6-amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-2-mercapto (or alkylthio)-5-pyrimidinyl)benzenesulfonamides were synthesized and biologically tested on different strains of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis . Some of the 4-aminoderivatives were also tested for antibacterial properties on numerous bacterial strains . Antimycotic activity of 4-amino compounds, expressed as MIC, is around 50 micrograms/ml and higher than that of both 2-amino- and 3-aminoderivatives . In all these compounds alkyl chain length does not seem to have any notable effects on biological activity, an exception being made for some aralkyl compounds . Antibacterial activity of 4-aminoderivatives is very low for all strains tested.

J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Aug, 20(2), 187 - 90
Disseminated candidiasis caused by a sucrose-negative variant of Candida tropicalis; Ahearn DG et al.; A patient suffering from leukemic transformation of a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma developed fatal disseminated candidiasis caused by a sucrose-negative variant of Candida tropicalis . The results of histopathological tests showed massive tissue invasion in many organs . The course of infection and the tissue morphology of the etiological agent were indistinguishable from those of C . albicans and typical C . tropicalis strains.

Arch Microbiol, 1984 Aug, 138(4), 279 - 82
Structure of the cell surface of the yeast Candida tropicalis and its relation to hydrocarbon transport; Kappeli O et al.; The surface structure of the hydrocarbon-utilizing yeast Candida tropicalis was investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM respectively) . The sample preparation technique was based on a rapid cryofixation without any addition of cryoprotectants . In subsequently freeze-dried samples the surface structure was analysed by scanning electron microscopy . Thin sections were prepared from freeze substituted samples . Both techniques revealed hair-like structures at the surface of hydrocarbon-grown cells . The hairy surface structure of the cells was less expressed in glucose-grown cells and it was absent completely after proteolytic digestion of the cells . When cells were incubated with hexadecane prior to cryofixation a contrast-rich region occurred in the hair fringe of thin sections as revealed by TEM . Since these structures were characteristic for hexadecane-grown cells and could not be detected in glucose-grown or protease-treated cells it was concluded that they originate from hexadecane adhering to the cell surface and are functionally related to hexadecane transport . The structure of the surface and its relation to hydrocarbon transport are discussed in view of earlier results on the chemical composition of the surface layer of the cell wall.

Am J Med Sci, 1984 Jul-Aug, 288(1), 25 - 7
Two unusual strains of Candida arthritis; Mandel DR et al.; Candida arthritis is an uncommon cause of infectious arthritis that may occur in seriously ill or immunosuppressed patients . This report describes two patients, one who developed Candida tropicalis arthritis and another patient who developed C . parapsilosis arthritis . One patient developed nephrogenic diabetes insipidus secondary to amphotericin B therapy and was successfully treated with intravenous miconazole . The other was unsuccessfully treated with both intraarticular and intravenous amphotericin B.

Antibiotiki, 1984 Jul, 29(7), 483 - 7
{Action of the products of the vital activity of yeastlike fungi on the biosynthesis of levorin, levoristatin and fatty acids by a Streptomyces levoris culture}; Kuznetsova OS et al.; The data on the effect of the products of vital activity of Candida tropicalis, a yeast-like fungus, on the biosynthesis of levorin, levoristatin and fatty acids by Streptomyces levoris are presented . It was shown that the effect of the biostimulators was not specific with respect to production of levorin, since in the presence of the products of vital activity of C . tropicalis an increase in the synthesis of levoristatin and fatty acids was also observed . The qualitative and quantitative composition of the fatty acids of the mycelium of S . levoris was studied . Interrelation between the biosynthesis of levorin and synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and branched chain fatty acids was noted.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1984 Mar, 47(3), 537 - 9
Microbial transformation of primaquine by Candida tropicalis; Clark AM et al.; The microbial metabolism of primaquine, a 6-methoxy-8-aminoquinoline antimalarial agent, was investigated . The yeast Candida tropicalis was found to convert primaquine to the previously reported N-acetylated derivative . On continued incubation of C . tropicalis in the presence of the N-acetylated derivative, a minor dimeric metabolite was formed . The proposed structure of the metabolite was based primarily on the analysis of its spectroscopic properties (1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and field-desorption mass spectrum) . The structure of the metabolite was proven by direct comparison with an authentic sample of the minor dimeric metabolite prepared by treatment of the N-acetylated derivative with formaldehyde in the presence of formic acid in methanol.

Arch Microbiol, 1984 Mar, 137(3), 215 - 9
Phosphate uptake in the yeast Candida tropicalis: purification of phosphate-binding protein and investigations about its role in phosphate uptake; Jeanjean R et al.; The purification of a phosphate-binding protein (PiBP2) by immunoadsorption is described . The entire anti phosphate-binding protein 2 antibodies as well as the Fab fragments obtained from these antibodies inhibit Pi uptake by whole cells . The inhibition is a mixed type of inhibition (Vm and Km are affected) . These results should be regarded as a possible involvement of phosphate-binding protein 2 in Pi uptake . The binding of 125I-labelled fragments prepared from anti phosphate-binding protein 2 antibodies to whole cells, to shocked cells and to protoplasts has been investigated . The results confirm the release of phosphate-binding protein by osmotic shock and during protoplast formation . From these findings, a cell-wall localisation, near the cell surface of the phosphate-binding protein should be proposed.

J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Mar, 19(3), 412 - 6
In vitro susceptibilities of sucrose-negative Candida tropicalis, Candida lusitaniae, and Candida norvegensis to amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, miconazole, and ketoconazole; Ahearn DG et al.; The MICs and minimal lethal concentrations of four antimycotics, amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine, miconazole nitrate, and ketoconazole, were determined for 25 yeast isolates representing species uncommonly implicated in candidiasis . A microdilution procedure was employed with complex and synthetic media . The isolates, in general, were susceptible to the same antimicrobial agents shown to be effective against Candida albicans, but differences between some of the species in relative susceptibilities to the antifungal agents were noted . Isolates of atypical sucrose-negative Candida tropicalis were similar in their susceptibility patterns to typical isolates of the species . Relative resistance to amphotericin B, miconazole nitrate, and ketoconazole was noted for two Candida lusitaniae isolates, but all strains were susceptible to 5-fluorocytosine . Candida norvegensis isolates were more resistant to miconazole and ketoconazole than C . albicans clinical isolates . The microtiter system was satisfactory for determining minimal inhibitory concentrations, but the system is not recommended for detecting finite differences in drug susceptibilities or for detecting drug synergism.

Infect Immun, 1984 Mar, 43(3), 966 - 72
Variability in expression of a cell surface determinant on Candida albicans as evidenced by an agglutinating monoclonal antibody; Brawner DL et al.; The expression of a surface immunodeterminant of Candida albicans was investigated with an agglutinating immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibody . The 96 strains of C . albicans tested, of which 76% were recent clinical isolates, were capable of expressing the antigen . The antigen was also produced by strains of Candida tropicalis and Torulopsis glabrata, but not by other yeast species . Expression of the surface immunodeterminant in C . albicans varied as a function of growth as indicated by agglutinin reactions and indirect immunofluorescence tests . When yeast cells were tested with the agglutinin, three patterns of reactivity were observed . In general, cells in the early logarithmic phase were less reactive than cells in the mid-logarithmic phase . Antigen expression, as determined by agglutinin reactivity, was also influenced by the nutritional composition of the growth medium, and in general, cells from broth cultures were usually more reactive than cells grown on solid media . The antigen was solubilized from the cell surface of C . albicans by hot 1 M NaCl . These water-soluble extracts were capable of binding antibody, and a single precipitin band formed when soluble antigen was reacted with the monoclonal antibody in an Ouchterlony double-diffusion test . Whole cell preparations and hot NaCl extracts from yeast strains which did not agglutinate when mixed with the antibody also did not absorb the agglutinin from solution . These data indicate that the expression of surface antigens on C . albicans is a dynamic process which may be influenced by a number of environmental factors . The use of monoclonal antibodies may allow characterization of surface antigens presented to the host during candidiasis.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1984 Feb 29, 770(1), 40 - 6
Derepression of the high-affinity phosphate uptake in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Nieuwenhuis BJ et al.; Phosphate starvation derepresses a high-affinity phosphate uptake system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain A294, while in the same time the low-affinity phosphate uptake system disappears . The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide prevents the derepression, but has no effect as soon as the high-affinity system is fully derepressed . Two other protein synthesis inhibitors, lomofungin and 8-hydroxyquinoline, were found to interfere also with the low-affinity system and with Rb+ uptake . After incubation of the yeast cells in the presence of phosphate the high-affinity system is not derepressed, but the Vmax of the low-affinity system has decreased from about 35% . Phosphate supplement after derepression causes the high-affinity system to disappear to a certain extent while in the meantime the low-affinity system reappears . The results are compared with those found in the yeast Candida tropicalis for phosphate uptake.

Eur J Biochem, 1984 Feb 1, 138(3), 451 - 7
Synthesis in vitro of precursor-type carnitine acetyltransferase with messenger RNA from Candida tropicalis; Ueda M et al.; Carnitine acetyltransferase was synthesized in vitro in the mRNA-dependent reticulocyte system with mRNA from alkane-grown or propionate-grown cells of Candida tropicalis . The protein synthesized in vitro was isolated by immunoprecipitation with antibody against peroxisomal or mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferase and was compared with peroxisomal carnitine acetyltransferase (Mr of subunits, 64 000 and 57 000) and the mitochondrial enzyme (Mr of subunits, 64 000 and 52 000) of C . tropicalis by electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate . Nascent carnitine acetyltransferase prepared in vitro showed a hetero-oligomeric property, like the peroxisomal and mitochondrial enzymes isolated from C . tropicalis . The molecular weights of the subunits of nascent carnitine acetyltransferase were estimated to be 71 000 and 57 000, indicating the existence of the precursor form of the enzyme . By sucrose density gradient centrifugation of total mRNA, these two subunit proteins were shown to be synthesized with respective mRNAs of different sizes . The same precursor-type of carnitine acetyltransferase was obtained with the mRNAs from the alkane-grown cells and the propionate-grown cells . The results obtained suggest that a common precursor will be post-translationally modified to form the peroxisomal and mitochondrial enzymes.

Eur J Biochem, 1984 Feb 1, 138(3), 445 - 9
Characterization of peroxisomal and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferases purified from alkane-grown Candida tropicalis; Ueda M et al.; Properties of peroxisomal and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferases purified from an alkane-grown yeast, Candida tropicalis, were compared each other . The molecular weight of both enzymes was estimated to be about 420 000 by analytical ultracentrifugation and gel filtration chromatography with Sepharose 6B . However, each enzyme gave two subunits on the polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate: the peroxisomal enzyme (64 000 and 57 000) and the mitochondrial enzyme (64 000 and 52 000) . The subcellularly distinct enzymes gave a similar amino acid composition except for the contents of some amino acids: glycine, valine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid . Their isoelectric point was somewhat different: 5.11 for the peroxisomal enzyme and 5.22 for the mitochondrial enzyme . Both enzymes had the same amino-terminal residue (glutamic acid or glutamine) and the heat stability, and was indistinguishable immunochemically . These results suggest that peroxisomal and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferases of C . tropicalis cells may be products of the same nuclear gene . Differences in the molecular weight of the subunits of the enzymes would result from modification or processing of the common protein in the step of distribution to the respective organelles, that is, so-called post-translational modification.

Biokhimiia, 1984 Feb, 49(2), 310 - 5
{Nuclear DNAase of the yeast Candida tropicalis}; Davydova MN et al.; Using stepwise extraction of chromatin from Candida tropicalis by NaCl (0.1-1.0 M) the protein dissociated by 0.3 and 0.6 M NaCl (fractions 0.3 and 0.6) possessing the DNAase activity were obtained . These DNAases are activated by Mg2+ and cause preferential hydrolysis of heat-denaturated DNA . Fraction 0.3 DNAase has a maximum at neutral values of pH (around 7.0) and causes endonucleolytic hydrolysis of DNA . Fraction 0.6 DNAase causes exonucleolytic hydrolysis of DNA but a maximum at alkaline pH (8.0) . The properties of isolated chromatin DNAases of Candida tropicalis differ from those of the known DNAases of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

J Clin Microbiol, 1984 Feb, 19(2), 126 - 8
Clinical evaluation of the lysis-centrifugation blood culture system for the detection of fungemia and comparison with a conventional biphasic broth blood culture system; Bille J et al.; In a comparative fungal blood culture study, a lysis-centrifugation system (Isolator; Du Pont Co., Wilmington, Del.) detected 89% of all episodes of fungemia; the lysis-centrifugation system detected fungemia exclusively or significantly earlier than did a biphasic brain heart infusion bottle system 83% of the time . The lysis-centrifugation system was particularly useful in the early detection of fungemia caused by Candida tropicalis and Candida glabrata . In 53% of the clinically significant episodes, the earlier detection was directly helpful in the management of patients with fungemia . High-magnitude candidemia (greater than 5 CFU/ml of blood) was significantly associated with the presence of an infected intravascular catheter and with Candida species other than Candida albicans . The lysis-centrifugation system was sensitive in the detection of fungemia during the monitoring of patients receiving antifungal agents or after removal of an infected intravascular catheter.

FEBS Lett, 1984 Jan 2, 165(1), 83 - 7
Identification of a plasma membrane protein involved in Pi transport in the yeast Candida tropicalis; Jeanjean R et al.; A plasma membrane protein was found to contain antigenic determinants in common with a Pi-binding protein released by osmotic shock from Candida tropicalis . This plasma membrane protein (M.P . 30) has a molecular mass of 30 kDa as measured by SDS-PAGE and anti-M.P . 30 antibodies inhibit Pi uptake in protoplasts while only the corresponding Fab fragments inhibit Pi transport in whole cells . This plasma membrane protein may be the Pi plasma membrane carrier.

J Bacteriol, 1984 Jan, 157(1), 297 - 302
Metabolic conditions determining the composition and catalytic activity of cytochrome P-450 monooxygenases in Candida tropicalis; Sanglard D et al.; In the microsomal fraction of Candida tropicalis cells, two distinct monooxygenases were detected, depending on the growth conditions . The distinction of the two monooxygenases was evident from: (i) the absorption maxima in the reduced CO difference spectra of the terminal oxidases (cytochromes P-450 and P-448); (ii) the contents of the monooxygenase components (cytochromes P-450/P-448, NADPH-cytochrome c (P-450) reductase, and cytochrome b5) and (iii) the catalytic activity of the complete system (aliphatic hydroxylation and N-demethylation activity) . The occurrence of the respective monooxygenases could be related to the carbon source (n-alkanes or glucose) . Oxygen limitation led to a significant increase of cytochrome P-450/P-448 content, independent of the carbon source utilized by the cells . An improved method for the isolation of microsomes enabled us to demonstrate the presence of cytochrome P-448 in glucose-grown cells.

Mikrobiologiia, 1983 Nov-Dec, 52(6), 956 - 61
{Monochlorophenols as enzyme substrates for the preparatory metabolism of phenol in Candida tropicalis yeasts}; Ivoilov VS et al.; The object of this work was to find out whether Candida tropicalis can be used for monochlorophenol degradation . Phenol monooxygenase and pyrocatechase, enzymes involved in preparatory phenol metabolism were shown to catalyse transformation of 3- and 4-chlorophenols . Phenol monooxygenase catalyses hydroxylation of 3- and 4-chlorophenols to 4-chloropyrocatechol which yields beta-chloromuconic acid under the action of pyrocatechase . Synthesis of phenol monooxygenase is induced by 3- and 4-chlorophenols . beta-Chloromuconic acid is a terminal product of 3- and 4-chlorophenol transformation under neutral conditions . In a weakly acid medium (the Rieder medium, phosphate buffer, pH 5.5), transformation of these chlorophenols terminates with spontaneous lactonization of beta-chloromuconic acid and its dehalogenation . C . tropicalis hardly transforms 2-chlorophenol although certain oxygen uptake occurs in its presence . 3- and 4-chlorophenols are not nutrient sources for C . tropicalis . The yeast has not been adapted to 3- and 4-chlorophenols as sole nutrient sources.

Arch Microbiol, 1983 Nov, 136(3), 169 - 76
Induction and subcellular localization of enzymes participating in propionate metabolism in Candida tropicalis; Ueda M et al.; Candida tropicalis, a representative alkane- and higher fatty acid-utilizing yeast, can grow on propionate used as sole carbon and energy source . Initial pH of the medium markedly affected the growth of the yeast on propionate . In propionate-grown cells, several enzymes associated with peroxisomes and/or participating in propionate metabolism were induced in connection with the appearance of the characteristic peroxisomes . Acetate-grown cells of this yeast had only few peroxisomes, while alkane-grown cells contained conspicuous numbers of the organelles . As compared with alkane-grown cells, some specific features were observed in peroxisomes and enzymes associated with the organelles of propionate-grown cells: The shape of peroxisomes was large but the number was small; unlike localization of catalase in peroxisomes of alkane-grown cells, the enzyme of propionate-grown cells was mainly localized in cytoplasm; as for carnitine acetyltransferase localized almost equally in peroxisomes and mitochondria in alkane-grown cells, propionate-grown cells contained mainly the mitochondrial type enzyme . A propionate-activating enzyme, which was different from acetyl-CoA synthetase, was also induced in cytoplasm of propionate-grown cells . The role of carnitine acetyltransferase and the propionate-activating enzyme in propionate metabolism is discussed in comparison with the role of carnitine acetyltransferase and acetyl-CoA synthetase in acetate metabolism.

Arch Biochem Biophys, 1983 Oct 1, 226(1), 324 - 36
Chemical and catalytic properties of the peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase from Candida tropicalis; Coudron PE et al.; The peroxisomal acyl-CoA oxidase has been purified from extracts of the yeast Candida tropicalis grown with alkanes as the principal energy source . The enzyme has a molecular weight of 552,000 and a subunit molecular weight of 72,100 . Using an experimentally determined molar extinction coefficient for the enzyme-bound flavin, a minimum molecular weight of 146,700 was determined . Based on these data, the oxidase contains eight perhaps identical subunits and four equivalents of FAD . No other beta-oxidation enzyme activities are detected in purified preparations of the oxidase . The oxidase flavin does not react with sulfite to form an N(5) flavin-sulfite complex . Photochemical reduction of the oxidase flavin yields a red semiquinone; however, the yield of semiquinone is strongly pH dependent . The yield of semiquinone is significantly reduced below pH 7.5 . The flavin semiquinone can be further reduced to the hydroquinone . The behavior of the oxidase flavin during photoreduction and its reactivity toward sulfite are interpreted to reflect the interaction in the N(1)-C(2)O region of the flavin with a group on the protein which acts as a hydrogen-bond acceptor . Like the acyl-CoA dehydrogenases which catalyze the same transformation of acyl-CoA substrates, the oxidase is inactivated by the acetylenic substrate analog, 3-octynoyl-CoA, which acts as an active site-directed inhibitor.

Infect Immun, 1983 Oct, 42(1), 374 - 84
Adherence and penetration of vascular endothelium by Candida yeasts; Klotz SA et al.; Metastatic infection after hematogenous dissemination of Candida species is presumably dependent on the fungus traversing the vascular endothelium . An in vitro model of the earliest events of metastatic Candida infection was developed with whole vascular strips . Freshly obtained porcine blood vessels were secured in a perforated Lucite template that allowed the application of yeasts directly to the endothelial surface . Multiple wells allowed experimental and control observations on the same vascular segments . Adherence to endothelium was greatest with Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis, less with Candida Krusei, and least with Candida parapsilosis, Candida pseudotropicalis, and Torulopsis glabrata . This hierarchy of adherence parallels that in other in vitro systems employing mucosal epithelial cells or fibrin-platelet matrixes and reflects the known virulence of the respective species and their potential for hematogenous dissemination . C . albicans and C . tropicalis yeasts that adhered were capable of directly traversing the endothelial surface before the production of germ tubes . Heat or Formalin-killed yeasts and viridans group streptococci, although adherent, were incapable of vascular penetration, a process presumably attributable to enzymatic digestion of host tissue . Loss of integrity of penetrated endothelial tissue was verified by loss of dye exclusion, lactic dehydrogenase release, and ultramicroscopic changes . These two steps, adherence and penetration, provide direct insight into the earliest events in hematogenous Candida species dissemination and suggest that C . albicans and C . tropicalis yeasts are capable of initiating tissue invasion before germ tubes have had the opportunity to form and participate in the invasive process.

Hinyokika Kiyo, 1983 Oct, 29(10), 1273 - 7
{A study on urinary fungal infection}; Takeuchi H et al.; We analyzed 20 cases of urinary fungal infection experienced at our Department, during the last 2 years . Candida albicans was the most prevalent of the fungi affecting the urinary tract . Torulopsis glabrata and Candida tropicalis were also prevalent . Antibiotics, indwelling catheter and obstructive uropathy were the most prevalent predisposing factors of the fungal infection . Of 20 cases of fungal infection, 5 cases were cured only by elimination of the predisposing factors, and 15 cases were treated and resolved by administration of sodium bicarbonate, 5-fluorocytosine and or irrigation with amphotericin B . But one case of bilateral renal torulopsiosis developed into renal failure, and 4 cases died of the primary disease.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1983 Sep 30, 115(3), 1114 - 9
Antigenic relationships between plasma membrane ATPases of two different yeasts, Candida tropicalis and Schizosaccharomyces pombe; Blasco F et al.; Antibodies raised against purified plasma membrane ATPase from the yeast S . pombe inhibit the plasma membrane-bound ATPase of another yeast, C . tropicalis . The kinetic constants, Vm and Km, of the ATPases are both modified by the antibodies . These results show antigenic relationships between the plasma membrane ATPases belonging to the two yeast genera.

J Biol Chem, 1983 Sep 25, 258(18), 10846 - 52
beta-Oxidation in Candida tropicalis . Partial purification and biological function of an inducible 2,4-dienoyl coenzyme A reductase; Dommes P et al.; Evidence is presented that Candida tropicalis grown on oleic acid as sole carbon and energy source possesses the ability to degrade saturated as well as unsaturated fatty acids . Inducible activities of the four enzymes required for beta-oxidation of saturated fatty acids are demonstrated in this organism . Furthermore, it is shown that 2,3-enoyl-CoA isomerase and 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase are induced simultaneously with the other beta-oxidation enzymes . A partial purification of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase is described . This reductase has a specific requirement for NADPH, is unable to utilize NADH, and catalyzes the conversion of 2-trans, 4-cis-decadienoyl-CoA to 3-trans-decenoyl-CoA . It also reduces 2-trans, 4-trans-dienoyl-CoA esters . In vitro studies with extracts from oleate-grown cells of C . tropicalis containing the beta-oxidation enzymes showed that 4-cis-decenoyl-CoA, a metabolite of linoleic acid, was only degraded when the 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase step was not blocked by lack of NADPH . Based on the properties of the partially purified 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase and the results of the in vitro degradation studies, we conclude that in C . tropicalis the reductase together with the 2,3-dienoyl-CoA isomerase is necessary to link the degradation of unsaturated fatty acids to the beta-oxidation cycle . The implication of this conclusion for degradation of unsaturated fatty acids in general is discussed.

Biochemistry, 1983 Aug 2, 22(16), 3752 - 8
Acyl-CoA oxidase from Candida tropicalis; Jiang Z et al.; Acyl coenzyme A oxidase (acyl-CoA oxidase) has been isolated in good yield from Candida tropicalis pK 233 grown on n-alkanes . Gel filtration, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and measurement of flavin content suggest that the oxidase is an octamer of Mr 75 000 subunits each containing one flavin . The oxidase yields the red semiquinone form on dithionite or photochemical reduction, slowly forms an N-5 adduct with 0.16 M sulfite at pH 7.4, and is rapidly reduced by borohydride, forming the 3,4-dihydroflavin isomer . The red flavosemiquinone is only kinetically stabilized with respect to disproportionation in the free enzyme but is thermodynamically stabilized on binding enoyl-CoA derivatives . The enzyme is reduced by butyryl-, octanoyl-, and palmitoyl-CoA without formation of prominent long-wavelength bands . Acyl-CoA oxidase and the acyl-CoA dehydrogenases share many similarities in their interaction with CoA derivatives . For example, both enzymes stabilize the anionic radical on binding enoyl-CoA derivatives, both dehydrogenate 2-oxoheptadecyldethio-CoA but cannot utilize S-heptadecyl-CoA, both form long-wavelength bands with CoA persulfide species, and both enzymes are attacked by the suicide substrates 3,4-pentadienoyl-CoA and (methylene-cyclopropyl)acetyl-CoA at the flavin prosthetic group.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1983 Jul, 24(1), 132 - 3
Minimal inhibitory concentrations of lucknomycin, a new polyenic derivative, for Candida and Aspergillus spp; Martinez-Quesada J et al.; The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of lucknomycin, a new polyenic derivative, were determined for 101 clinical isolates of Candida, 38 clinical or environmental strains of Aspergillus fumigatus, and 30 isolates of A . niger . The most susceptible species were Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis (mean MIC, 0.4 micrograms/ml) . Aspergillus spp . were less susceptible, with mean MICs of 0.60 micrograms/ml for Aspergillus niger and 9.2 micrograms/ml for Aspergillus fumigatus.

Sabouraudia, 1983 Jun, 21(2), 129 - 35
The oral yeast flora of 10-year-old schoolchildren; Martin MV et al.; The yeast flora of the hard palate mucosa and pooled saliva of 122 schoolchildren (average age 9 years 10 months, 63 males, 59 females) has been studied in detail . Of the population sampled, 71.3% carried oral yeasts . The carriage was approximately 3 times greater in females than in males . The yeast isolates were Candida albicans 71% Saccharomyces spp . 19.7% and Candida tropicalis 8.6% . No isolates of Torulopsis spp . or Rhodotorula spp . were recovered . 71.5% of the Candida albicans isolates were serotype A and 26.3% were serotype B.

Biochem J, 1983 May 1, 211(2), 481 - 93
Serological differences between the multiple amine oxidases of yeasts and comparison of the specificities of the purified enzymes from Candida utilis and Pichia pastoris; Green J et al.; 1 . Antiserum to purified methylamine oxidase of Candida boidinii formed precipitin lines (with spurs) in double-diffusion tests with crude extracts of methylamine-grown cells of the following yeast species: Candida nagoyaensis, Candida nemodendra, Hansenula minuta, Hansenula polymorpha and Pichia pinus . No cross-reaction was observed with extracts of Candida lipolytica, Candida steatolytica, Candida tropicalis, Candida utilis, Pichia pastoris, Sporobolomyces albo-rubescens, Sporopachydermia cereana or Trigonopsis variabilis . Quantitative enzyme assays enabled the relative titre of antiserum against the various methylamine oxidases to be determined . 2 . The amine oxidases from two non-cross-reacting species, C . utilis and P . pastoris, were purified to near homogeneity . 3 . The methylamine oxidases, despite their serological non-similarity, showed very similar catalytic properties to methylamine oxidase from C . boidinii . Their heat-stability, pH optima, molecular weights, substrate specificities and sensitivity to inhibitors are reported . 4 . The benzylamine oxidases of C . utilis and P . pastoris both oxidized putrescine, and the latter enzyme failed to show any cross-reaction with antibody to C . boidinii methylamine oxidase . Benzylamine oxidase from C . boidinii itself also did not cross-react with antibody to methylamine oxidase . The heat-stability, molecular weights, substrate specificities and sensitivity to inhibitors of the benzylamine/putrescine oxidases are reported . 5 . The benzylamine/putrescine oxidase of C . utilis differed only slightly from that of C . boidinii . 6 . Benzylamine/putrescine oxidase from P . pastoris differed from the Candida enzymes in heat-stability, subunit molecular weight and substrate specificity . In particular it catalysed the oxidation of the primary amino groups of spermine, spermidine, lysine, ornithine and 1,2-diaminoethane, which are not substrates for either of the Candida benzylamine oxidases that have been purified . 7 . Spermine and spermidine were oxidized at both primary amino groups; in the case of spermidine this is a different specificity from that of plasma amine oxidase . 8 . Under appropriate conditions, P . pastoris benzylamine/putrescine oxidase (which is very easy to purify) can be a useful analytical tool in measuring polyamines.

J Infect Dis, 1983 May, 147(5), 946 - 50
Control of systemic spread of Candida albicans with ketoconazole in the stomachs of mice treated with cytarabine; Hector RF et al.; Attempts were made to colonize the gastrointestinal tract of outbred CD-1 mice with Candida albicans or Candida tropicalis before assessing the effects of cytarabine and ketoconazole on colonization . Stable populations of C . albicans but not C . tropicalis could be maintained in the stomachs of mice infected as adults if they were maintained on penicillin and tetracycline, or in untreated mice if the fungus was administered while they were infants . Treatment with cytarabine of mice colonized with C . albicans resulted in increased levels of yeast in the stomach, and small numbers of yeasts were recovered from the livers, kidneys, and spleens . Ketoconazole limited the multiplication of the yeast in the stomachs of colonized mice, although the effect was somewhat variable . Systemic spread of the fungus was essentially eliminated in animals receiving both ketoconazole and cytarabine, suggesting that ketoconazole may be an appropriate prophylactic agent for individuals undergoing therapy with cytarabine.

Eur J Clin Microbiol, 1983 Apr, 2(2), 122 - 8
Latex agglutination test for detection of Candida antigen in patients with disseminated disease; Gentry LO et al.; A latex agglutination test has been devised which allows detection of a circulating antigen in patients with systemic infection due to Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Candida parapsilosis . Latex is sensitized with serum from rabbits immunized with whole heat killed Candida albicans blastoconidia . The active component of this serum is IgG . Control latex, used to differentiate non-specific agglutination, is sensitized with the same dilution of serum from a rabbit without antibody to Candida species . Sera from a number of patient groups were tested . While none of the hundred normal controls had an antigen titer of greater than or equal to 1:4, 30 of 33 patients with documented disseminated candida infection had antigen titers of 1:4 to 1:32 . Two of the 33 gave false negative results, and one caused nonspecific agglutination . In all patients who recovered after antifungal therapy antigen levels returned to within the range found in normal controls.

Am J Gastroenterol, 1983 Apr, 78(4), 245 - 7
Sporadic acute non-A non-B hepatitis complicated by aplastic anemia; Cargnel A et al.; A 19-year-old woman developed acute jaundice and abnormal liver tests showing acute viral hepatitis, presumably non-A non-B . The viral hepatitis, on the 4th day after admission, was complicated by aplastic anemia . Therapy with hydrocortisone promptly instituted was ineffective and a bone marrow transplantation was not possible because we could not find a compatible donor . Sixty-five days after admission the patient died of infection by Candida tropicalis . Postmortem examination showed total medullary aplasia with massive impoverishment of all the lymphatic structures and multiple fungal infarctions in the myocardium, lungs, spleen, kidneys, and liver.

Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1983, 28(3), 157 - 62
Interaction of nystatin with nystatin-resistant Candida tropicalis; Alonso A et al.; Nystatin-resistant yeast Candida tropicalis was obtained after UV illumination and plating on nystatin-containing media . The mutant contained no ergosterol in the plasma membrane but bound nystatin to a degree similar to that of the wild strain (1.2 vs . 1.5 nmol per mg dry solid) . Respiration of the mutant on glucose was reduced by 36% in the presence of 25 microM nystatin . This corresponded to a 25-43% decrease of the uptake of monosaccharides . Transport of amino acids was reduced by nystatin in the mutant by 44-86%, as compared with a 84-95% reduction in the wild strain . The intracellular ATP content was reduced by nystatin equally in the wild strain and in the mutant (by 43 and 47%) . Nystatin appears to affect specifically membrane transport processes of nonelectrolytes while both the H+-extruding ATPase and the membrane potential are unaffected.

Mikrobiologiia, 1983 Jan-Feb, 52(1), 54 - 7
{Synthesis of total lipids and waxes by Candida tropicalis with various concentrations of the carbon source}; Zalashko MV et al.; The object of this work was to study the ability of Candida yeasts to accumulate biomass, lipids and wax in the course of their cultivation in a medium containing different concentrations of n-hexadecane . Its optimal concentration for the above processes was 1 to 2% . At a higher concentration (4 and 8%), the yield of wax and fat decreased, mainly due to inhibition of the culture growth.

J Infect Dis, 1983 Jan, 147(1), 116 - 9
Amphotericin B tolerance: a characteristic of Candida parapsilosis not shared by other Candida species; Seidenfeld SM et al.; Thirty yeast isolates from clinical specimens were tested for their susceptibility to amphotericin B at 30 C, 37 C, and 39 C . Of the six Candida albicans, five Candida tropicalis, one Candida guilliermondii, one Candida krusei, one Candida pseudotropicalis, two Torulopsis glabrata, and four Cryptococcus neoformans isolates tested, all were inhibited at amphotericin B concentrations of less than or equal to 0.4 micrograms/ml and killed by concentrations of amphotericin B that were less than or equal to 16-fold higher than the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) . Although growth of Candida parapsilosis was also inhibited by concentrations of amphotericin B of less than or equal to 0.4 micrograms/ml, minimal fungicidal concentrations of amphotericin B were greater than or equal to 32-fold higher than MICs for each of the 10 isolates examined . This unique susceptibility pattern of C . parapsilosis resembles the antibiotic tolerance observed with Staphylococcus aureus . Variations in temperature within the experimental range did not affect the amphotericin B susceptibility for any of the yeasts examined.

Biol Cell, 1983, 49(3), 283 - 5
Lipid studies on Candida tropicalis grown on alkane; Gilewicz M et al.; The lipid composition of whole cells and microsomal fraction of Candida tropicalis grown on alkane, glucose and glycerol have been examined . Small quantitative variations in the total lipid content are detected; the differences observed in both triacylglycerols and phospholipids are related to the substrates used to the growth.

Arch Oral Biol, 1983, 28(11), 1069 - 71
Relative effectiveness of various yeasts, Candida spp . and Torulopsis glabrata, for inducing palatal infection in the Wistar rat; Shakir BS et al.; Candida albicans serotypes A and B, Candida tropicalis and Torulopsis glabrata were tested for their ability to produce palatal candidosis in the rat . C . albicans serotype A consistently produced palatal candidosis whereas serotype B did so in only two of five animals tested, indicating a difference in pathogenicity of the two serotypes . C . tropicalis and T . glabrata did not induce changes under the conditions tested and their colonization of palatal mucosa in commensal form was dependent on the presence of an acrylic plate.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1983 Jan, 177(1-2), 57 - 74
{Effects of cadmium, zinc, lead and mercury on the growth and accumulating ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis lipolytica, Candida tropicalis, and Candida utilis}; Grafl HJ et al.; The effects of cadmium, zinc, lead, and mercury on the growth and the accumulating ability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycopsis lipolytica, Candida tropicalis, and Candida utilis had been studied . Generally the experiments resulted in the following findings: Very small concentrations of cadmium and mercury already decrease the growth intensity of the yeasts by lengthening the lag period and the doubling time . The cell yield is not reduced . Zinc increases the productivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomycopsis lipolytica by shortening the lag period . The lead concentrations investigated show no significant influence on the growth . Low pH values intensify the effectiveness of the four heavy metals . The yeasts tested accumulate heavy metals, especially cadmium, to high concentrations and therefore substrates containing heavy metals are only limited suitable for the scp-production with yeasts.

J Urol, 1983 Jan, 129(1), 68 - 70
Ketoconazole therapy for fungal urinary tract infections; Graybill JR et al.; Ketoconazole was used in 11 patients to treat 12 episodes of fungal urinary infections: 6 in the upper urinary tract and 6 presumed to be in the lower urinary tract . Five patients had catheters in place . Of the 12 infections 8 were caused by Candida species, 1 by mixed Candida tropicalis and Torulopsis glabrata, and 3 by Torulopsis glabrata . Ketoconazole was administered orally at doses of 200 to 800 mg . per day for courses ranging from 5 days to more than 2 years . Five episodes of Candida urinary tract infection resolved in association with ketoconazole therapy, while only 1 of the Torulopsis glabrata infections improved . Our findings suggest that ketoconazole may be of some benefit in yeast urinary tract infections . However, the role of ketoconazole in relation to other antifungal drugs is not yet clear.

Eur J Biochem, 1982 Dec 15, 129(2), 251 - 5
Cell-free translation and regulation of Candida tropicalis catalase messenger RNA; Yamada T et al.; To gain information on metabolic control and peroxisome biogenesis in Candida tropicalis growing on n-alkanes, cell-free translation of catalase (H2O2:H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.6), a general marker enzyme of peroxisomes, was performed . The level of catalase activity in alkane-grown cells was approximately 9-fold and 27-fold higher than that in ethanol-grown and glucose-grown cells, respectively . Immunochemical titration experiments with rabbit antiserum against the purified peroxisomal catalase from alkane-grown C . tropicalis indicated that the remarkable variation in the enzyme activity level on different carbon sources was ascribable to a corresponding change in the amount of the enzyme protein . When cell-free translation was carried out with the mRNA-dependent reticulocyte lysate system, total RNA prepared from alkane-grown cells was shown to direct the synthesis of catalase subunit in vitro . The identity of the cell-free translation product was ascertained by the following evidence: (a) the translation product was immuno-reactive with specific antibody to catalase and competed effectively with the authentic enzyme for immunoprecipitation; (b) it possessed a molecular weight indistinguishable from that of authentic catalase subunit (Mr 54000); (c) its peptide fragments formed by partial digestion with Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease were identical with those from the authentic enzyme . With the use of the cell-free translation system, it was indicated that the significant change in the amount of catalase protein on different carbon sources nearly paralleled that in the activity of the mRNA encoding the enzyme.

Biochemistry, 1982 Dec 7, 21(25), 6606 - 14
Factors determining steric course of enzymic glycosylation reactions: glycosyl transfer products formed from 2,6-anhydro-1-deoxy-D-gluco-hept-1-enitol by alpha-glucosidases and an inverting exo-alpha-glucanase; Schlesselmann P et al.; Glycosyl transfer products were formed from 2,6-anhydro-1-deoxy-D-gluco-hept-1-enitol (heptenitol) by purified alpha-glucosidases from Candida tropicalis and rice and by an inverting exo-alpha-glucanase (glucodextranase) from Arthrobacter globiformis . The products were structurally defined through 1H and 13C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra of their crystalline per-O-acetates in comparison with those of authentic methyl 1-deoxy-alpha- and methyl 1-deoxy-beta-D-gluco-heptuloside . 1-Deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptulosyl-(2 leads to 7)-heptenitol and 1-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptulosyl-(2 leads to 7)-D-gluco-heptulose were produced by both the Candida alpha-glucosidase and the glucodextranase; 1-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptulosyl-(2 leads to 5)- and 1-deoxy-alpha-D-gluco-heptulosyl-(2 leads to 7)-D-gluco-heptuloses by the rice alpha-glucosidase . These results, together with our earlier findings of sterospecific hydration of heptenitol catalyzed by the same enzymes {Hehre, E . J., Brewer, C . F., Uchiyama, T., Schlesselmann, P., & Lehmann, J . (1980) Biochemistry 19, 3557-3564}, show the inadequacy of the long-accepted notion that carbohydrase-catalyzed reactions always lead to retention (or always lead to inversion) of substrate configuration . In particular, the finding that glucodextranase forms transfer products of alpha configuration and a hydration product of beta configuration from the same substrate provides a clear example of the functioning of acceptors rather than donor substrates in selecting the steric course of reactions catalyzed by a glycosylase . The circumstances under which acceptor cosubstrates might be expected to show this significant effect are discussed . The opportunity presumably would exist whenever carbonium ion mediated reactions are catalyzed by glycosylases that provide oppositely oriented approaches of different acceptors to the catalytic center.

Biochimie, 1982 Nov-Dec, 64(11-12), 1041 - 8
Isolation and characterization of cytochrome b5 from Candida tropicalis grown on alkane; Bertrand JC et al.; Cytochrome b5 from Candida tropicalis grown on alkane has been solubulized in three different ways (sodium cholate, trypsin, osmotic wash) . After solubilization of the microsomal membrane with sodium cholate, the purification of cytochrome b5 was achieved by DEAE-cellulose chromatography, hydroxylapatite chromatography, a second DEAE-cellulose chromatography and a Sephadex G-75 gel filtration . The purified protein had an apparent molecular weight of 16 000 +/- 1 000 . After solubilization by trypsin treatment or osmotic wash, the purification procedure yielded a protein with an apparent molecular weight of 12 000 +/- 1 000 . Though the purified proteins presented molecular weights depending on the technique of solubilization, they exhibited identical optical properties, a great stability with respect to temperature and pH, and were all autooxidable . Redox titrations revealed differences in their midpoint potential values, which were 35 +/- 5 mV for the b5 purified after cholate solubilization, -59 +/- 5 mV for the b5 purified after trypsin treatment and -65 +/- 5 mV for the b5 purified after osmotic wash.

Am J Med, 1982 Nov, 73(5), 695 - 9
Total parenteral nutrition-related infections . Prospective epidemiologic study using semiquantitative methods; Snydman DR et al.; Studies of total parenteral nutrition-related infection have incorrectly relied on positive results on culture of the cannula tip to confirm the source . We undertook a prospective study of total parenteral nutrition-related infections in adult patients by obtaining blood from all total parenteral nutrition lines for pour-plate culture twice weekly and culturing intravascular line segments by the technique of Maki . Twelve of 100 courses of total parenteral nutrition (12 percent) in 69 patients resulted in infections--five (5.0 percent) had sepsis, and seven (7.0 percent) had local infection . In five of these 12, pour-plate culture gave positive results (five of 38 pour plates) with counts of 8 colony-forming units per ml (cfu/ml) for Candida tropicalis, and 25 to more than 1,000 for bacterial isolates . In nine of 12, culture of the intravascular line segment gave positive results with more than 50 cfu/ml . Pathogens isolated from intravascular line segments included Staphylococcus epidermidis (three cases), Candida species (three cases), Staphylococcus aureus (two cases), Serratia marcescens (one case) and mixed bacterial pathogens (one case) . In contrast, pour-plate culture gave positive results in only seven of 88 uninfected (control) courses (318 pour plates), and culture of intravascular line segments gave positive results in two of 65 uninfected courses (p less than 0.001) . No differences existed among patients with and without infection with regard to age, underlying disease, surgery, systemic antibiotic usage, or the presence of other infections . The duration of total parenteral nutrition was longer in courses without infection than in courses with infection (14.7 +/- 9.4 days versus 11.0 +/- 4.0 days; p less than 0.02) . In six of 12 courses with infection, the line had been violated compared with 22 of 88 courses without infection (p less than 0.001) . T-connectors for the centra administration of intralipid were associatd with infection (p less than 0.02) . The value of routine pour-plate culture was illustrated in three courses in which the positive pour-plate culture results antedated positive blood culture results or line removal.

Am Surg, 1982 Oct, 48(10), 520 - 4
Sepsis-induced depression of phagocytosis in experimental canine peritonitis; Palmer MA et al.; Experimental canine peritonitis was produced in 14 dogs by appendiceal ligation . Phagocytic activity in blood and peritoneal fluid was examined during the peritonitis and following surgical intervention . In nine dogs, the gangrenous appendix was resected after 43 hours, the peritoneal cavity was irrigated, and fibrinous exudate debrided . The remaining five dogs were not tested . Leukocytes in blood and peritoneal fluid were counted preligation and at 24, 43, 46, and 55 hours postligation . Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) predominated . Phagocytosis and killing of Candida tropicalis by blood and peritoneal PMNs were assayed by a coverslip method . As sepsis progressed, phagocytosis by blood PMNs declined and at 43 hours was 60 per cent of the preoperative level . After resection of the gangrenous appendix, phagocytic activity returned to 90 per cent of preoperative levels at 12 hours postresection . Peritoneal PMNs exhibited a similar, but more depressed pattern of phagocytic activity . Phagocytosis in five sham-operated dogs was unchanged . Thus, phagocytosis by blood and peritoneal PMNs was depressed in peritonitis and was restored following surgical treatment.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1982 Oct, 78(4 Suppl), 664 - 7
Performance of yeast identification systems . An analysis of the College of American Pathologists Special Mycology Survey data; Fuchs PC et al.; The performance of approximately 400 participants in the CAP Special Mycology Survey in identifying 15 medically important yeasts was analyzed . With nine strains, users of the API 20C system and Uni-Yeast-Tek (UYT) systems performed comparably . With two strains (Trichosporon cutaneum and Candida guilliermondii) the UYT users performed significantly better than API users; with four strains (Cryptococcus albidus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and two strains of Candida tropicalis), API users significantly outperformed UYT users . Analysis of biochemical reaction patterns demonstrated, with a few exceptions, good reproducibility among laboratories with both kits . With one exception (melezitose-variable Candida albicans), the few discrepancies in biochemical reactions had little or no influence on the final identification . From this analysis, we conclude that both API and UYT perform acceptably well in routine clinical laboratories when used in conjunction with morphologic observations and, when indicated, supplemented biochemical test.

J Bacteriol, 1982 Oct, 152(1), 269 - 74
Absence of DNA in peroxisomes of Candida tropicalis; Kamiryo T et al.; Yeast peroxisomes were purified to near homogeneity from cells of Candida tropicalis grown on oleic acid for the purpose of examining the possible presence of DNA in this organelle . The purification procedure includes the effective conversion of cells to spheroplasts with Zymolyase and sodium sulfite and the separation of the organelles at extremely low ionic strength . The mitochondrial contamination was less than 1%, based on several criteria, and the yield of peroxisomes was about 40% . The purified peroxisomal fraction contained a very small amount of DNA, which yielded restriction fragments indistinguishable from those of mitochondrial DNA . The absence of DNA in peroxisomes was also supported by cesium chloride density gradient centrifugation of the organelles lysed with a detergent, staining of the organelles with a fluorescent dye specific to DNA, and labeling of the DNA with {3H}adenine.

J Infect Dis, 1982 Oct, 146(4), 498 - 505
Effect of fetal protein malnutrition on the postnatal structure and function of alveolar macrophages; Schuit KE et al.; To test the hypothesis that intrauterine malnutrition may alter ontogeny of the host defense system, an animal model of fetal protein deprivation was developed . Young adult female rats were fed either a deficient (8% protein) diet or a normal (25% protein) diet for 10 days before insemination and throughout gestation . Offspring of the malnourished animals showed significant growth retardation and were hypoproteinemic . Lavageable pulmonary cells from both groups of neonates were similar with respect to number (2.05 x 10(5) cells per animal), type (95% macrophages), size (approximately 10-micrometer diameter), ultrastructure, and presence of surface receptors for IgG . Despite these similarities, alveolar macrophages from malnourished neonates were significantly impaired in their ability both to ingest and to kill Candida tropicalis . Nutritional supplementation of nursing females reversed these functional macrophage defects in their offspring by the time that weaning occurred . These data indicate that fetal protein malnutrition affects macrophage function but that with postnatal nutritional supplementation these defects are rapidly reversed.

Arch Microbiol, 1982 Oct, 132(4), 317 - 21
An investigation into the feasibility of using azide-insensitive ATPase and ConA as yeast plasma membrane markers; Blasco F et al.; Cytochemical localization of Concanavalin A binding sites in protoplasts of Candida tropicalis, investigated with glycosylated-ferritin and electron microscopy, showed that the lectin was specifically bound to the external protoplast surface . Thus, the plasma membranes have been labelled with 125I-Concanavalin A and followed through the isolation procedure . Relative distribution of 125I-radioactivity and azide-insensitive ATPase activity in the obtained fractions, suggested that this enzyme was an equivocal plasma membrane marker . Despite the presence of internal Concanavalin A binding sites, Concanavalin A could be used unambiguously as an exogenous plasma membrane marker of intact protoplasts.

Am J Dis Child, 1982 Aug, 136(8), 679 - 81
Broviac catheter-related bacteremia in oncology patients; Shapiro ED et al.; In 27 pediatric oncology patients (median age, 2 years) undergoing chemotherapy for malignant tumours, Silastic Broviac catheters were placed to provide vascular access . The catheters were in place for a total of 174 patient-months . There were 14 episodes of Broviac catheter-related bacteremia or fungemia that occurred in six patients: one patient had six bacteremic episodes, one patient had four episodes, and four patients each had one bacteremic episode . Cultures of blood drawn from Broviac catheter were positive in all instances, and in 12 of 14 samples drawn from the peripheral vein . The most common initial symptoms were fever and chills . The species causing the infections were Enterobacter cloacae (three cases), Staphylococcus epidermidis (three cases), Staphylococcus aureus (three cases), Klebsiella pneumoniae (two cases), Escherichia coli (two cases), Pseudomonas dentrificans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida tropicalis . Antimicrobials administered through the catheter cured the infection in ten of the 11 cases in which they were used.

Infect Immun, 1982 Aug, 37(2), 833 - 6
Differences in virulence of clinical isolates of Candida tropicalis and Candida albicans in mice; Wingard JR et al.; Prior reports from this institution indicated that Candida tropicalis was more pathogenic than C . albicans in oncology patients . Pairs of clinical isolates of C . tropicalis and C . albicans recovered from similar patients at other institutions were examined to determine their relative virulence . After intravenous inoculation in normal mice, three pairs of isolates had no significant differences in the 50% lethal dose, and one C . tropicalis isolate was less virulent than its companion C . albicans isolate . In contrast, in mice treated with antibiotics and cytarabine, an antineoplastic drug which damages the gastrointestinal mucosa and produces granulocytopenia, oral inoculation of yeast cells produced striking differences in the 50% infective dose: each C . tropicalis isolate was more virulent than the companion C . albicans isolate from the same institution . The increased virulence of the C . tropicalis isolates compared with the C . albicans isolates when given orally to compromised mice parallels clinical observations in compromised patients.

Eur J Biochem, 1982 Jul, 125(3), 517 - 21
Properties of catalase purified from whole cells and peroxisomes of n-alkane-grown Candida tropicalis; Yamada T et al.; Peroxisomes appear profusely, in harmony with a marked enhancement of catalase activity level, in yeast cells growing on n-alkanes or higher fatty acids as the sole carbon source . Catalase (H2O2:H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.6) was purified to homogeneity from the crude extract and from the peroxisome-containing particulate fraction of alkane-grown Candida tropicalis cells . The purified enzyme from each source was a similar protein of molecular weight 210000 composed of four identical subunits of molecular weight 54000, namely a kind of homotetramer . The enzyme contained one molecule of heme per subunit, giving the absorption spectrum characteristic of hemoprotein . Beta-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-L-alanine served as a substrate for the peroxidatic reaction by the enzyme . Ouchterlony double-diffusion analysis and immunochemical titration with rabbit antiserum against peroxisomal catalase of n-alkane-grown C . tropicalis have indicated that cytoplasmic catalase of the yeast is immunologically indistinguishable with peroxisomal catalase.

Biochimie, 1982 Jul, 64(7), 531 - 6
The proton-translocating ATPase of Candida tropicalis plasma membrane; Blasco F et al.; Proton translocation activity of Candida tropicalis plasma membrane ATPase has been demonstrated using a fluorescent delta pH probe (ACMA) and by direct pH measurements . Modifications in fluorescence intensity and H+ transport are highly specific for Mg2+ and ATP, and are sensitive to the well-known inhibitors of the plasma membrane ATPase, vanadate and DCCD . A H+/ATP ratio of 0.54 is found.

Biochemistry, 1982 Jun 22, 21(13), 3090 - 7
Trehalase: stereocomplementary hydrolytic and glucosyl transfer reactions with alpha- and beta-D-glucosyl fluoride; Hehre EJ et al.; A new understanding has been obtained of the catalytic capabilities of trehalase, an enzyme heretofore held to be strictly specific for hydrolyzing alpha, alpha-trehalose and devoid of transglycosylative ability . Highly purified rabbit renal cortical trehalase and a partly purified Candida tropicalis yeast trehalase were found to utilize both alpha- and beta-D-glucosyl fluoride as substrates . In each case, the reactions were competitively inhibited by alpha, alpha-trehalose . Both enzymes catalyzed rapid hydrolysis of alpha-D-glucosyl fluoride to form beta-D-glucose (also, of alpha, alpha-trehalose to form equimolar alpha- and beta-D-glucose) . In addition, digests of beta-D-glucosyl fluoride plus alpha-D-{14C}-glucopyranose with either trehalase (but not controls of enzyme with alpha-D-{14C}glucopyranose alone) yielded small amounts of radioactive trehalose (alpha-D-glucopyranosyl alpha-D-{14C}glucopyranoside) which does not accumulate since it is rapidly hydrolyzed . Trehalase thus catalyzes two stereocomplementary types of glycosylation reactions: (I) alpha-D-glucosyl fluoride (or alpha, alpha-trehalose) + H2O leads to beta-D-glucose + HF (or alpha-D-glucose); (II) beta-D-glucosyl fluoride + alpha-D-glucopyranose leads to alpha, alpha-trehalose + HF . Such behavior shows that the catalytic groups of trehalase, as recently found for other glycosylases, are functionally flexible . The results illustrate the inadequacy of conventional views of carbohydrase specificity and the rigor, as a basic guiding principle, of the concept that glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases form a class of glycosylases effecting glycosyl/proton interchange.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1982 Jun, 37(6), 426 - 30
{Benzenedithiol esters with antimycotic activity}; Pavanetto F et al.; Some diesters of benzen-1,2-dithiol wit aliphatic and aromatic carboxylic acids were prepared and tested for in vitro antifungal activity . The diacetate and dipropionate of benzen-1,3- and 1,4-dithiol were used as comparison compounds . The substances (Table I; substances I leads to X) were obtained by condensation of benzenedithiols with suitable acylating agents . The fungistatic activity of the products was tested in vitro against the following fungal strains: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Trichophyton mentagrophytes . The results show that the diester of benzen-1,2-dithiols with alkanoic acids (Table I) have marked antimycotic activity, much greater than that of clotrimazol . The diaroyl esters of benzen-1,2-dithiol and the diesters of benzen-1,3- and 1,4-dithiols are inactive or only slightly active.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1982 May, 37(5), 298 - 303
{Antimycotic effect of diaryl sulfides with open chains and ring systems containing pyridine and thiadiazole units}; Bottino F et al.; A series of diaryl sulfides containing pyridine or 1,3,4-thiadiazole units was prepared . All the products were tested in vitro against the following strains: Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformas and Trichophyton rubrum . Some of the compounds synthesized showed marked antifungal activity.

Eur J Biochem, 1982 May, 124(1), 205 - 10
Peroxisomal and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferases in alkane-grown yeast Candida tropicalis; Ueda M et al.; Two types of carnitine acetyltransferases (EC 2.3.1.7) were first isolated from a microorganism, alkane-grown yeast Candida tropicalis . Carnitine acetyltransferase activity was induced in the alkane-grown cells, reaching about twenty times higher than that in the glucose-grown cells . Localization of the enzyme activity was demonstrated, at least, in peroxisomes (microbodies), profusely occurred in the alkane-grown cells, and in mitochondria . Peroxisomal and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferases could be separated using the method of DEAE-Sephacel column chromatography and both types were found to exist in the alkane-grown cells of C . tropicalis . Each carnitine acetyltransferase was purified using Sephadex G-200, Sepharose 6B, DEAE-Sephacel and Blue-Sepharose CL-6B . In DEAE-Sephacel chromatography, peroxisomal carnitine acetyltransferase was eluted below 0.15 M KCl concentration and mitochondrial carnitine acetyltransferase above 0.15 M KCl concentration . Except for the localization, little difference was observed in their kinetic properties, substrate specificity and so on . These two carnitine acetyltransferase preparations were only specific to acetyl and propionyl groups, the substrate specificity not being so broad as that of carnitine acetyltransferase obtained from mammalian tissues . Roles of these carnitine acetyltransferases in alkane metabolism in yeast are also discussed.

J Biol Chem, 1982 Apr 25, 257(8), 4570 - 7
Natural variation in yeast RNA polymerase A . Formation of a mosaic RNA polymerase A in a meiotic segregant from an interspecific hybrid; Riva M et al.; There is a natural variation in the molecular structure of RNA polymerase A isolated from several genetically distant yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces douglasii, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Candida tropicalis . Several biochemical criteria were used to identify their homologous polypeptide components . Based on these correlations, the minimal subunit composition of S . cerevisiae (and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) RNA polymerase A was tentatively defined as A190, A135, A40, A27, A23, A19, and A14.5 . Without the two Saccharomyces species, S . cerevisiae and S . douglasii, 7 of 13 polypeptides of enzyme A(A49, A43, A40, A34.5, A19, A14.5, and A14) differ slightly in molecular weight and can be resolved by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel . The RNA polymerase A isolated from the diploid interspecific hybrid contains all the polypeptides characteristic of the two parents . One meiotic segregant had a hybrid RNA polymerase A with five of the polymorphic polypeptides (A49, A43, A19, A14.5, and A14) coming from S . douglasii and two (A40 and A34.5) from S . cerevisiae . In three successive backcrosses with S . cerevisiae, all the genes for S . douglasii polypeptides were shown to recombine although parental ditype tetrads predominated in the four four-spored asci examined . Thus, the genes for the seven polymorphic polypeptides are not clustered: they lie on at least three different chromosomes.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1982 Apr, 77(4), 471 - 5
Purulent pericarditis complicating systemic infection with Candida tropicalis; Gronemeyer PS et al.; A patient with a purulent pericarditis due to Candida tropicalis is described . A 77-year-old woman undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease was admitted to the hospital with a history of several febrile episodes . She was thought to be septic and was begun on broad-spectrum antibiotics, despite treatment, however, the patient expired . Among the multiple premortem blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid cultures, one blood culture yielded C . tropicalis 2 days postmortem . Autopsy revealed purulent pericarditis accompanied by endocarditis and myocarditis due to culture-proven C . tropicalis . This is the first reported case of purulent pericarditis complicating systemic infection with this organism and is indicative of the fulminant course of fungal pericarditis.

J Clin Microbiol, 1982 Mar, 15(3), 511 - 6
Characterization of atypical Candida tropicalis and other uncommon clinical yeast isolates; Schlitzer RL et al.; Clinical yeast isolates representing alpha-glucoside-deficient variants of Candida tropicalis, C . lusitaniae, atypical C . albicans, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were characterized . Additional physiological tests, including cellobiose fermentation, rhamnose assimilation, and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride reduction, are recommended for the detection and presumptive identification of uncommon Candida spp . in the clinical laboratory.

Digestion, 1982, 25(4), 230 - 5
A prospective study on Candida as a gastric opportunistic germ; Minoli G et al.; Report of results from a study on the presence of Candida as a stomach opportunistic germ in 149 patients consecutively undergoing gastroscopy . Candida was isolated in 23 patients (15.4%) . None of the following factors influenced the appearance of the fungus as an opportunist in the stomach: age, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, associated systemic diseases, concomitant gastroduodenal diseases or gastric histological findings . The only favoring factor revealed was that of cardiotonic treatment in 43.5% of the patients with a positive outcome, and in 15.1% of those with a negative outcome (p less than 0.01) . Species isolated were Candida albicans in 15 patients (65.2%), Candida tropicalis, Candida pseudo-tropicalis and Candida glabrata in 2 patients each (8.7%), Candida krusei and Candida guillermondi in 1 patient each.

Biochimie, 1982 Jan, 64(1), 75 - 8
Inorganic phosphate uptake by protoplasts and whole cells of yeast Candida tropicalis: absence of high affinity transport system in protoplasts; Jeanjean R et al.; Pi-uptake by protoplasts obtained from the yeast Candida tropicalis as well as in whole cells is an energy dependent process . However, the apparent affinity constant of Pi transport by protoplasts about 0.4-0.5 mM whereas Km of 5-6 microM, occurs in whole cells as previously shown . Therefore it can be concluded that protoplasts take up actively Pi but the high affinity capacities are lost . In addition, the Pi-binding proteins are released during protoplasts formation . The presence of Pi-binding proteins in the "cellulase fluid" is demonstrated by immunological tests and by their binding activities after partial purification . These results are in good agreement with the involvement of Pi-binding proteins in Pi uptake in the yeast Candida tropicalis.

Rev Infect Dis, 1982 Jan-Feb, 4(1), 78 - 85
Septic arthritis due to Candida species on patients with cancer: report of five cases and review of the literature; Fainstein V et al.; In disseminated candidiasis, various organs frequently become involved, usually as a consequence of hematogenous spread of the organism . However, involvement of the joints is rare even with dissemination . Nineteen cases of joint involvement have previously been reported in adults and 21 cases in children . The most commonly involved joint has been the knee; in such cases, amphotericin B has been effective in controlling the infection . Five patients with cancer developed septic arthritis due to Candida species at the M . C . Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute in the past five years . Four of these patients were seen in 1980 . Candida albicans was isolated from three patients and Candida tropicalis from two . All five patients had predisposing conditions - e.g., intravenous and/or urinary catheterization, neutropenia, and previous treatment with steroids and antibiotics . The knee was the affected joint in all five . Different modalities of treatment were used, including intravenous miconazole, oral ketoconazole, and systemic and local amphotericin B; adequate levels of these drugs were found in the joint fluid when measured . Infection was cured in two patients . The condition of the third patient improved . The fourth patient died of disseminated disease despite therapy, and the fifth died of malignancy without the benefit of antifungal therapy . For treatment of such infections, the use of an antifungal agent is recommended in addition to frequent evacuation of the joint fluid . Some new compounds may prove useful alternatives to amphotericin B . Arthritis can be resolved even in the presence of unresolved disseminated disease.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1981 Dec, 36(12), 983 - 93
{Synthesis and antimycotic activity of derivatives of 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole (3,2a) pyrimidone}; Russo F et al.; As a continuation of previous research designed to obtain derivatives of 1,3,4-thiadiazole of pharmacological interest, some derivatives of 1,3,4-thiadiazole{3,2-alpha}pyrimidin-5-one and isomeric 7-one were prepared . The fungistatic activity of the products was tested in vitro against the following: Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Cryptococcus neoformans e Trichophyton rubrum . No relevant antifungal activity was observed for any of the compounds examined.

J Laryngol Otol, 1981 Nov, 95(11), 1149 - 51
Candida tropicalis meningitis: a case report; Chattopadhyay B; A 54-year-old man presented with candida tropicalis meningitis after exploration of the mastoid . He responded well to the combined intravenous administration of amphotericin B and 5 fluorocytosine . But 5 fluorocytosine had to be withdrawn when the candida proved to be resistant to this antifungal agent . However, the patient made an uneventful recovery . This seems to be the first report of a candida tropicalis meningitis in an otherwise healthy adult patient in this country.

Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1981 Sep 12, 111(37), 1367 - 72
{Sensitivity of Candida spp . to 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericin B and imidazoles . Antifongiogram of 120 strains isolated at the Vaudois University Hospital Center during the autumn-winter seasons of 1978 and 1980}; Sakellarides E; 120 strains of Candida spp were tested against the antifungal agents 5-fluorocytosine, amphotericine B and the imidazoles econazole, miconazole and clotrimazole . The proportion of resistance varied with the species and substances: Candida albicans (100 strains): 4% resistance against 5-fluorocytosine, 1% against amphotericine B, no resistance to imidazoles; Candida tropicalis and C . pseudotropicalis (15 strains): 26.7% resistance to 5-fluorocytosine, 7.1% against amphotericine B, no resistance to imidazoles; Candida krusei (5 strains): no resistance to the antifungal agents . The correlation between the diameter measurements carried out at 2 dose levels of 5-fluorocytosine (1 and 100 micrograms) and of econazole (20 and 30 micrograms) was studied statistically and the validity of the experimental data established.

Arch Latinoam Nutr, 1981 Sep, 31(3), 463 - 70
{Thermal resistance of Candida tropicalis and Rhodotorula rubra in orange juice}; Barreiro JA et al.; The thermal resistance of two yeasts (Candida tropicalis and Rhodotorula rubra) was studied . The yeasts were isolated from Venezuelan pasteurized orange juice obtained at retail level . The flask method was utilized, applying temperatures which ranged from 49.5 to 53.5 degrees C to initial populations of 1x10(5) cells/ml of orange juice . Values of D50C=3.4 min and z=4.1 degrees C were found for C . tropicalis, and D50C=2.6 min and z=9.8 degrees C for R . rubra . Linear correlation coefficients of r=0.99 and r=0.98 wee obtained, respectively, for the experimental data.

J Gen Microbiol, 1981 Sep, 126(Pt 1), 97 - 101
Immunocytochemical demonstration of catechol methyltransferase in Candida tropicalis; Veser J et al.; Catechol methyltransferase (S-adenosyl-L-methionine : catechol O-methyltransferase; EC 2.1.1.6) was localized immunocytochemically in the yeast Candida tropicalis by the unlabelled antibody enzyme method, involving soluble peroxidase-antiperoxidase complex . Immunoreactivity was detected by light and electron microscopy in the outer layer of the cell wall and at the plasma membrane . The possible function of the methyltransferase in C . tropicalis id discussed.

Am J Med, 1981 Sep, 71(3), 363 - 70
Fungemia in the immunocompromised host . Changing patterns, antigenemia, high mortality; Meunier-Carpentier F et al.; Fungemias were reviewed in 110 immunocompromised patients hospitalized between November 1, 1974, and December 31, 1977, a Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) . The incidence of Candida tropicalis fungemia increased each year . Seventy-six percent of the patients with C . tropicalis fungemia and 32.5 percent of those with C . albicans fungemia had either leukemia or lymphoma . Seventy-seven percent of the C . parapsilosis fungemias were related to total parenteral nutrition . Thirty-seven percent of the patients with C . albicans fungemia were receiving oral prophylactic nystatin therapy . The source of fungemia was often difficult to determine: in 60 percent of the patients, only blood cultures were positive for C . tropicalis or Torulopsis glabrata; no cultures were positive for the fungus from any other site before the episode occurred . Serologic tests, including a highly sensitive passive hemagglutination test, showed fourfold increases in titer only inconsistently . A passive hemagglutination-inhibition test for circulating antigen was positive in 50.9 percent of 57 patients with fungemia who were tested and may be a valid indication for treatment . Fungemia usually represented a severe and often fatal disease . The over-all mortality of the 110 patients with fungemia was 79 percent whereas only 23 percent of the patients with C . parapsilosis fungemia died . Among the patients who received more than 200 mg of amphotericin B, 71 percent died despite treatment.

Biokhimiia, 1981 Aug, 46(8), 1364 - 8
{Dynamics of metabolism of different compartments of amino acid pools in yeast cells}; Davidova EG et al.; The incorporation of {14C} into the amino acid pools located in different cell compartments of the yeast Candida tropicalis was studied . The rate of {14C}-labelled amino acids incorporation into the cytoplasm is 2 times higher than that in the vacuoles and 10 times higher than that in mitochondria . The amino acid pools under study are heterogenous in terms of generation rate: each of them contain at least two minor carbon pools, i.e . rapidly regenerating and relatively stable ones, whose ration is different . While the rapidly regenerating part of the amino acid pools of the protoplasts makes up to about 8.8% of total carbon pool, that of the mitochondrial pool makes up to 17% and the vacuolar one is only 2% of total carbon of the amino acid pools in these organelles.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Aug, 14(2), 189 - 94
Rate of arabinitol production by pathogenic yeast species; Bernard EM et al.; D-Arabinitol is a five-carbon polyol that is produced by many fungi . Detection of the metabolite has been reported in serum from patients with invasive candidiasis . We studied the production and assimilation of arabinitol by 46 clinical isolates of yeast species . Cultures of isolates of Candida albicans (9 strains), Candida tropicalis (12 strains), Candida parapsilosis (13 strains), Candida krusei (4 strains), Candida pseudotropicalis (3 strains), Torulopsis glabrata (3 strains), and Cryptococcus neoformans (2 strains) were assayed by gas-liquid chromatography . Yeast cells were cultured at 34 degrees C in yeast nitrogen base with 3.0 g of glucose per liter . At 1.5- to 3-h intervals, cells were counted and glucose and arabinitol were measured in media filtrates . The levels of arabinitol in cultures with 7.5 X 10(6) yeast cells per ml were compared . The mean concentrations of the metabolite in C . albicans, C . tropicalis, C . parapsilosis, and C . pseudotropicalis cultures wee 14.1, 1.6, 8.4, and 5.5 micrograms/ml, respectively . No arabinitol was detected in cultures of C . krusei, T . glabrata, or C . neoformans.

Mikrobiologiia, 1981 Jul-Aug, 50(4), 655 - 8
{Lag phage in Candida tropicalis growth on phenol}; Funtikova NS et al.; When Candida tropicalis CD5 was grown on phenol, substances eliminating the inhibiting action of phenol accumulated in the cultural broth during the lag phase of growth . C . tropicalis CD5 was cultivated on the filtrate of the cultural broth obtained after the lag phase and containing 0.18% of phenol as a carbon source; in that case, the culture grew by 24 h earlier since the lag phase was reduced . C . tropicalis CD5 was capable of growing on a filtrate containing 0.21% of phenol though the culture could not grow at this phenol concentration on the original medium . The filtrate preserved its properties after dialysis through a half-permeable membrane.

Biochimie, 1981 Jun, 63(6), 507 - 14
Characterization of the plasma membrane ATPase of Candida tropicalis; Blasco F et al.; 1) Plasma membrane vesicles from Candida tropicalis were isolated from protoplasts by differential centrifugation and purified in a continuous sucrose gradient . 2) The plasma membrane bound ATPase was characterized . It is highly specific for ATP and requires Mg2+ . It is stimulated by K+, Na+ and NH4+ . Lineweaver-Burk plots for ATPase activity are linear with a Vmax of 4.2 mumoles of ATP hydrolyzed min-1.mg-1 protein and a Km for ATP of 0.76 mM . The ATPase activity is inhibited competitively by ADP with a Ki of 1.7 mM and non competitively by vanadate with a Ki of 3 microM . The activity is unaffected by oligomycin or azide but is sensitive to DCCD.

Nouv Presse Med, 1981 May 16, 10(22), 1813 - 5
{Skin lesions in systemic candidiasis (author's transl)}; de Prost Y et al.; Skin lesions in systemic candidiasis are erythematous maculopapules and maculonodules which appear at the onset of the septicaemic phase . Their presence, especially when associated with diffuse myalgia, suggest the diagnosis which must be confirmed by haemocultures, histological examination of the skin with PAS stain and culture of skin fragments in Sabouraud's medium . Systemic candidiasis with skin lesions seems to be mainly due to Candida tropicalis and to occur with great frequency in patients with underlying blood disease . Of the three cases reported here, one concerned a 24-year-old man with premyelocytic acute leukaemia, the second a 45-year-old woman with drug-induced agranulocytosis and the third one a man aged 25 admitted to hospital for peritonitis secondary to Crohn's disease.

Pharmazie, 1981 May, 36(5), 368 - 70
{Antimicrobial activity of selected quinoxalines (author's transl)}; Metzner J et al.; After a survey of the literature on biological effects of quinoxalines experimental results of 2,3- and 2,3,6-substituted quinoxalines against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporon gypseum were demonstrated . The most active compound was 2-chlor-3-methyl-6-nitroquinoxaline . Its MIC values against Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Candida albicans were determined with 54 and 223 micromol/l.

Am J Clin Pathol, 1981 May, 75(5), 671 - 6
A microbiologic and ultrastructural investigation of germ-tube formation by oral strains of Candida tropicalis; Martin MV et al.; Presumptive germ tube-positive and -negative Candida tropicalis strains have been obtained from both normal children and patients who have candidiasis . Examination of these strains by conventional microbiologic tests confirmed them to be C . tropicalis . Ultrastructural examination of the filaments produced by the positive strains revealed two types: true germ tubes and those with basally constricted cytoplasm . A fluctuation analysis of the positive strains showed two subgroups: germ tube-positive and -negative . It is suggested that C . tropicalis strains may be divided into germ tube-positive and -negative strains, and that germ-tube formation must therefore not be used as a sole criterion for identification of C . albicans.

Am J Med, 1981 Apr, 70(4), 867 - 9
Candida pericarditis; Eng RH et al.; Purulent pericarditis due to species of Candida is rare . Only seven cases were found in the literature . Described here is a man with Candida tropicalis colonization of the urinary bladder in whom C . tropicalis pericarditis later developed . Amphotericin B was given intravenously . The amphotericin B level in pericardial fluid was approximately 50 percent of the concentration in serum . Although microbiologic cure was achieved with amphotericin B, the patient died of other causes . Autopsy showed sterile constrictive pericarditis.

Mikrobiologiia, 1981 Mar-Apr, 50(2), 242 - 8
{Increase in yeast and bacterial sensitivity to inhibitors and riboflavin as affected by high sulfate and phosphate concentrations}; Sibirnyi AA et al.; Cultivation of the yeast Pichia guilliermondii in a medium with a high content of sulfate or phosphate ions (0.6 M and higher) increased its susceptibility to actinomycin D and 7-methyl-8-trifluoromethyl 10-(1'-D-ribityl)isoalloxazin, and analog of riboflavin, and decreased the requirement of the riboflavin-dependent mutant P7 in exogenous vitamin B2 . The protoplasts of the yeast were also very susceptible to actinomycin D when they were incubated in a medium with a high sulfate concentration . Sulfate and phosphate ions elevated the susceptibility to actinomycin D in the following yeasts, apart from P . guilliermondii: Pichia pinus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Torulopsis candida, hansenula polymorpha, Schwanniomyces occidentalis, Candida utilis and Candida tropicalis . The growth of Escherichia coli was also very susceptible to actinomycin D when the bacterium was cultivated in medium with an elevated phosphate concentration (0.2 M) . High phosphate or sulfate concentrations can be used in experiments aimed at studying the effect of transcription inhibitors (actinomycin D, 8-hydroxyquinoline) on the induction of alpha-glucosidase in P . guilliermondii.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Mar, 13(3), 513 - 8
Comparative evaluation of the Iatron serological Candida check kit and the API 20C kit for identification of medically important Candida species; Shinoda T et al.; A newly developed commercial serological test (Iatron Laboratories, Inc., Tokyo, Japan) for the rapid identification of medically important species of Candida was evaluated against the API 20C (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) and the standard Wickerham assimilation and fermentation procedures . Our results indicated that the Iatron and the API 20C methods are 95% accurate since both permitted identification of 78 of 82 Candida isolates, representing eight medically important species . None of the tests on nine Cryptococcus, six Trichosporon, three Geotrichum, three Saccharomyces, and one Rhodotorula species yielded false-positive reactions . False-positive serological tests occurred with a species of Pichia and Candida rugosa . The API 20C procedure correctly identified C . rugosa but not the Pichia sp . The Iatron method permitted reliable identification of the Candida species in 10 min to 5 h, whereas the API 20C procedure required 48 to 72 h . Neither method could properly identify sucrose-negative Candida tropicalis or Candida lusitaniae isolates . In addition, Candida albicans isolates could be serotyped by the Iatron method.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Feb, 13(2), 383 - 7
New, special stain for histopathological diagnosis of cryptococcosis; Kwon-Chung KJ et al.; The Masson-Fontana silver stain for melanin was employed for the differentiation of pathogenic fungal species in human or mouse tissues . The fungi studied were Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata (Torulopsis glabrata), Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcus bacillisporus, Coccidioides immitis, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Sporothrix schenckii, Rhizopus rhizopodiformis, and Aspergillus fumigatus . The tissue sections stained with Masson-Fontana silver stain showed a dark brown to black color in the wall of cryptococci, whereas the walls of remaining fungal species were hyaline, except for those of S . schenckii . The yeastlike cells of S . schenckii showed faint brown pigment on the wall . Cultures of these fungi showed staining characteristics identical to those of the in vivo results . Cultures of four nonpathogenic Cryptococcus species, Cryptococcus uniguttulatus, Cryptococcus laurentii, Cryptococcus terreus, and Cryptococcus luteolus, were also tested for staining by the Masson-Fontana procedure . Of these, only C . laurentii stained positively, and the pigment on the cell wall was as intense as that of the cells of C . neoformans . These results indicate that the Masson-Fontana silver stain can be used as a specific stain in the histological diagnosis of cryptococcosis.

Mycopathologia, 1981 Jan 30, 73(1), 39 - 41
In vitro susceptibility to 5-fluorocytosine and nystatin of common clinical yeast isolates; Nobre G et al.; The sensitivity to nystatin, 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) or both was studied for 131 clinical isolates of Candida albicans, 47 of Candida parapsilosis, 34 of Candida tropicalis, 7 of Candida guilliermondii, 28 of Torulopsis glabrata and 1 of Torulopsis candida . All strains were inhibited by concentrations of nystatin within the usual range of sensitivity except one strain of T . glabrata and another of T . candida whose minima inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were respectively 250 U/ml and greater than 20000 U/ml . In respect to 5-FC it was found, after 7 days of incubation at 37 degrees C, the following frequencies of resistance: C . albicans 28/106 (26%), C . parapsilosis 11/47 (23%), C . tropicalis 24/34 (71%), C . guilliermondii 1/7, T . glabrata 1/28 (4%) and T . candida 0/1 . It was particularly striking the activity of 5-FC against T . glabrata.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Jan, 13(1), 199 - 203
Diagnostic characters of an atypical Candida; Baker JG et al.; The morphological and physiological characters of an atypical Candida isolated from diverse clinical specimens are described . The colony and microscopic morphologies of the atypical Candida most closely resemble those of Candida tropicalis or of reported sucrose-negative variants of C . tropicalis . However, the atypical isolates differ from C . tropicalis by their inability to ferment sucrose or melezitose and from the sucrose-negative variants by their inability to assimilate inulin and their varied utilization of other carbon substrates.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1981, 47(2), 159 - 64
An actidione resistant Candida tropicalis from custard apple juice; Onkarayya H et al.; An actidione resistant yeast, Candida tropicalis, was isolated from fermenting custard apple juice . Though a slight inhibition of growth was observed on the first day with 5000 ppm of actidione, growth was equal to control after one week . Sorbic acid at 500 ppm and above inhibited the growth of this yeast while sodium benzoate and potassium metabisulphite were unable to suppress the growth even at 1000 ppm . Fermentation and assimilation of different carbon sources were delayed in the presence of 1000 ppm of actidione suggesting the disruption of protein synthesis by actidione.

Pharmazie, 1981, 36(2), 133 - 4
{On the inhibitory activity of Polemonium saponin against fungi (author's transl)}; Hiller K et al.; A saponin complex, isolated from the roots of Polemonium caeruleum L., the aglycones of which are triterpene esters, has been tested for antifungal properties . The blastomycetes Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans and Torulopsis glabrata proved to be very sensitive.

C R Seances Soc Biol Fil, 1981, 175(4), 525 - 8
{Incorporation of odd-numbered fatty acids into the hepatic lipids of Wistar rats}; Ulmer M et al.; Isolated Wistar rat livers are perfused with a recirculating medium which contain even- and odd- numbered fatty acids provided by yeast Candida tropicalis grown on n-paraffins . After perfusions odd- numbered fatty acids (OFA) (15:0, 17:0, 17:1) are mainly present in hepatic triacylglycerols, the latter are secreted in the circulating medium . Then OFA can participate in lipidic metabolism as even- numbered fatty acids.

Kosm Biol Aviakosm Med, 1981, 15(3), 60 - 2
{Isolation of synthetic organic acids from the waste products of human vital activities in closed life-support systems}; Siniak IuE et al.; Organic acids have been obtained in an alkaline medium from a mixture of monosaccharides-carbohydrates to be used in a closed life support system . Methods of analysis of mixtures of synthetic acids have been developed . The composition of mixtures of organic acids has been identified by paper chromatography . During electrodialysis the mixtures release calcium ions . The use of mixtures of synthetic organic acids as carbon source gives rise to an intensive growth of the yeast Candida tropicalis SK-4.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1980 Dec, 35(12), 1015 - 20
{Preparation and study of the antimycotic activity of 2-substituted 1,3-benzodithiols}; Mazza M et al.; A series of 1,3-benzodithiols substituted at position 2, obtained by condensation of benzene 1,2-dithiols with aldehydes and ketones, was studied for antifungal activity . The fungistatic activity of the compounds {Table I, II; (I leads to XXV)} was tested in vitro against the four strains: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Trichophyton mentagrophytes . The results indicate at the 2-monosubstituted 1,3-benzodithiols are an interesting class of antifungal substances, the 2-phenyl substituted derivative (1) being of particular interest.

Arch Microbiol, 1980 Dec, 128(2), 145 - 51
Subcellular localization of long-chain alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in n-alkane-grown Candida tropicalis; Yamada T et al.; Long-chain alcohol dehydrogenase and long-chain aldehyde dehydrogenase were induced in the cells of Candida tropicalis grown on n-alkanes . Subcellular localization of these dehydrogenases, together with that of acyl-CoA synthetase and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, was studied in terms of the metabolism of fatty acids derived from n-alkane substrates . Both long-chain alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases distributed in the fractions of microsomes, mitochondria and peroxisomes obtained from the alkane-grown cells of C . tropicalis . Acyl-CoA synthetase was also located in these three fractions . Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase was found in microsomes and mitochondria, in contrast to fatty acid beta-oxidation system localized exclusively in peroxisomes . Similar results of the enzyme localization were also obtained with C . lipolytica grown on n-alkanes . These results suggest strongly that microsomal and mitochondrial dehydrogenases provide long-chain fatty acids to be utilized for lipid synthesis, whereas those in peroxisomes supply fatty acids to be degraded via beta-oxidation to yield energy and cell constituents.

Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Nov-Dec, 49(6), 1007 - 9
{Correlation of the basic growth parameters of microorganisms in the presence of surface-active substances}; Khmel'nitskaia DL et al.; The object of this work was to study the effect of the nature of surfactants on the solubility of oxygen in the cultural broth . A correlation was established between the concentration of a surfactant and the concentration of dissolved oxygen, the specific rate of growth and the activity of dehydrogenases . Apparently, the biological action of surfactants on the parameters of growth of the yeast Candida tropicalis K-14 in the process of fermentation should be attributed to the formation of micelles.

J Infect Dis, 1980 Oct, 142(4), 503 - 9
The value of fungal surveillance cultures as predictors of systemic fungal infections; Sandford GR et al.; Fungal surveillance cultures consisting of urine, stool, and respiratory specimens were analyzed from 37 recipients of bone-marrow transplants and 52 patients undergoing chemotherapy for acute leukemia and other hematologic malignancies . All patients had prolonged aplasia . Sixty-seven percent of the patients were colonized by Candida albicans, and 28% were colonized by Candida tropicalis . No patient was colonized with any species of Aspergillus . There were 21 proven systemic fungal infections: three due to C . albicans, 16 due to C . tropicalis, and two due to Aspergillus . Positive surveillance data for C . tropicalis correlate with disease . Multiple positive-culture data yielded high predictive values (67%-83%), and single positive-culture data yielded slightly lower values as a function of body site . Positive surveillance data for C . albicans did not correlate with disease; negative culture data correlate with the absence of systemic disease due to C . tropicalis and C . albicans . Thus, surveillance data for specific fungal species can aid in diagnosis and appropriate therapy.

Anaesthesist, 1980 Oct, 29(10), 559 - 66
{Bacterial contamination as a complication of intravenous therapy in intensive care (author's transl)}; Kilian J et al.; Intravenous infusion therapy has become an indispensible part of intensive care . Problems of bacterial contamination during this therapy are well known . To check on the possible routes of contamination we examined the infusion system in its several parts (infusion solution, infusion system, connection between infusion system and catheter and content of syringes) . The highest rate of contamination was found at the connection between the infusion system and the catheter after use for 24 h (26.7%, 39 out of 146 probes); just at the beginning of the infusion we found bacterial growth in 7.1% (10 out of 141 probes) . After injection of drugs into the system the infusion solution was contaminated in 1.9% (6 of 320 probes) . The system for measuring the central venous pressure was contaminated in 2.7% (4 of 148 probes) . At the end of infusion the infusion solutions were contaminated in 3.1% (9 of 287 probes) . Different drugs in syringes in no case were contaminated . In most cases (59 probes) we found gram-positive bacteria (87.3%), in only seven cases (9.7%) gram-negative bacterias and in two cases Candida tropicalis . Our results show that the extrinsic or in use contamination plays the most important part in bacterial contamination of the infusion system . Infection control of intravenous therapy necessitates care in the hygienic standard adopted during the infusion and injection procedures.

J Clin Microbiol, 1980 Oct, 12(4), 594 - 601
Quantification of arabinitol in serum by selected ion monitoring as a diagnostic technique in invasive candidiasis; Roboz J et al.; D-Arabinitol was identified by mass spectrometry as a metabolite of Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis . For quantification, serum was deproteinized with acetone, the supernatant was evaporated to dryness, the silyl derivative was formed, and a portion was injected into a combined gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer system . Erythritol or 2-deoxy-galactitol was the internal standard . The protonated molecular ions, obtained in chemical ionization with isobutane, were monitored . For 39 normal subjects the mean endogenous arabinitol concentration was 0.52 microgram/ml (standard deviation, +/- 0.34) . An increment of 0.2 microgram of arabinitol per ml could be quantified . Of 11 cases with diagnosed invasive candidiasis, 9 had arabinitol levels > 1.2 microgram/ml (8 microM) in the range of 1.2 to 25.0 micrograms/ml; the remaining 2 cases had levels in the normal range . Six cases of diagnosed colonized candidiasis showed normal arabinitol levels.

Farmaco {Sci}, 1980 Sep, 35(9), 791 - 5
{The antimycotic activity of acyl derivaties of 2-oximino-1,3-benzodithiol}; Pavanetto F et al.; A series of esters of 2-oximino-1,3-benzodithiol {substances (II leads to XV)} was prepared and tested for antifungal activity in vitro . The substances were obtained by condensation of 2-oximino-1,3-benzodithiol with suitable acylation agents . The fungistatic activity of the products was tested in vitro against the four strains: Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Trichophyton mentagrophytes . The results reported in the Table I show the interesting antimycotic activity observed for 2-oximino-1,3-benzodithiol, which is apparently connected with the presence of a free oximino group.

J Clin Microbiol, 1980 Sep, 12(3), 329 - 31
Radiometric detection of yeasts in blood cultures of cancer patients; Hopfer RL et al.; During a 12-month period, 19,457 blood cultures were collected . Yeasts were isolated from 193 cultures derived from 76 cancer patients . Candida albicans or Candida tropicalis accounted for 79% of isolates . Of the three methods compared, the radiometric method required 2.9 days to become positive, "blind" subculture required 2.6 days, and Gram stains required 1 day . However, the radiometric method was clearly superior in detecting positive cultures, since 73% of all cultures were first detected radiometrically, 22% were detected by subculture, and only 5% were detected by Gram stain . Although 93% of the isolates were detected by aerobic culture, five (7%) isolates were obtained only from anaerobic cultures . Seven days of incubation appear to be sufficient for the radiometric detection of yeasts.

Z Naturforsch {C}, 1980 Sep-Oct, 35(9-10), 712 - 6
Immunological studies of catechol methyltransferase from the yeast Candida tropicalis; Veser J et al.; Immunization of rabbits with purified catechol methyltransferase from Candida tropicalis yielded a potent antiserum . Ouchterlony double diffusion analysis showed a single precipitin line . There was no cross reactivity with the catechol methyltransferase from rat and bovine liver . Specific antigen-antibody interaction was demonstrated by a potent inhibitory effect of the antibody on the yeast enzyme . Immunological titration and quantitative precipitin reaction of the enzyme showed that the maximum amount of precipitable complex occurred at the equivalence point where enzyme activity was completely inhibited.

Can J Microbiol, 1980 Aug, 26(8), 893 - 8
Relationship of primer specificity of fatty acid de novo synthetase to fatty acid composition in 10 species of bacteria and yeasts; Kaneda T et al.; Fatty acid compositions of lipids from six bacteria and four yeasts were determined . Fatty acid de novo synthetases were investigated with respect to chain length specificity towards acyl-CoA primers of various chain lengths . Four species of bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Corynebacterium cyclohexanicum, Micrococcus luteus, and Pseudomonas maltophilia) possess branched-chain fatty acids of the iso and anteiso series as the major acids . De novo synthetases from these organisms exhibited specificity towards the chain length of the primer in the order butyl-CoA > priopionyl-CoA > acetyl-CoA . The remainder, two bacteria and all four yeasts, have the straight-chain type of fatty acids only and fall into two groups: (1) Eschericia coli B, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which utilize the primers in the order acetyl-CoA > priopionyl-CoA > butyryl-CoA; and (2) Candida sake, Candida tropicalis, and Rhodotorula glutinis, which show the order propionyl-CoA > acetyl-CoA > butyryl-CoA . L-alpha-Keto-beta-methylvalerate, a precursor of the branched-chain primers, can be used as a source of primer for fatty acid synthesis by the organisms with branched-chain acids but not by those with the straight-chain type . The results indicate that organisms having straight-chain fatty acids lack the branched-chain equivalents for two reasons: first, their enzymes are not active toward primers with more than three carbons, and second, they lack a system of supply suitable branched-chain primers . It appears that activities of de novo synthetases from the organisms having straight-chain fatty acids generally have much higher activities than those from the organisms possessing branched-chain fatty acids

Eur J Biochem, 1980 Aug, 109(1), 103 - 8
Spectral characterization of cytochrome P-450 of a strain of Candida tropicalis grown on tetradecane; Mansuy D et al.; Several properties of the cytochrome P-450 induced in the yeast Candida tropicalis by growth on tetradecane have been studied by differential visible spectroscopy on microsomes . The spectral changes typical of this cytochrome have been obtained by subtraction of an unspecific spectral change, possibly due to the presence of other hemoproteins in microsomes, from the experimental difference spectra . Like the previously described cytochromes P-450 from yeast and mammalian liver, C . tropicalis cytochrome P-450 is in spin-state equilibrium at ambient temperature: about 30% of the originally low-spin cytochrome is converted to the high-spin state upon increasing the ionic strength of the medium, whereas 30% of the originally high-spin cytochrome is converted to the low-spin state upon addition of hydrophobic alcohols . C . tropicalis cytochrome P-450 readily binds nitrogenous ligands, isocyanides and phosphines in the ferric and ferrous state with spectral characteristics similar to those reported for other yeast or mammalian cytochromes P-450 . It also reacts sucessively with cumylhydroperoxide and 1,3-benzodioxole to form a high-valent iron-oxo species and an iron-carbene metabolite complex . However it fails to produce any spectral or spin-state change upon addition of hydrophobic non-coordinating compounds such as n-tetradecane, its substrate in vivo.

Chest, 1980 Aug, 78(2), 340 - 3
Atrial myxoma infected with Candida: first survival; Joseph P et al.; We report the first case of an atrial myxoma infected with the fungus, Candida tropicalis . We believe that this is the only patient with an atrial myxoma, infected with any species of Candida, who has demonstrated long-term survival . A review of the world's literature of infected myxomas is presented.

Infect Immun, 1980 Aug, 29(2), 808 - 13
Pathogenicity of Candida tropicalis and Candida albicans after gastrointestinal inoculation in mice; Wingard JR et al.; The ability of clinical isolates of Candida albicans and candida tropicalis to invade through normal and damaged gastrointestinal mucosa was determined . Adult mice were treated with either gentamicin or gentamicin and cytarabine . Suspensions of yeast cells (10(7)) were administered through a catheter intraesophageally . Invasion was determined by culturing liver, kidney, and lung tissue from mice sacrificed after 48 h . C . albicans and C . tropicalis were incapable of invading through normal gastrointestinal mucosa in mice treated only with gentamicin . Two isolates of C . tropicalis penetrated the damaged gastrointestinal mucosa in 69% (49 of 71) of mice treated with gentamicin and cytarabine . In contrast, three isolates of C . albicans penetrated he damaged gastrointestinal mucosa in only 23% (14 of 62) of mice . These results suggest that C . tropicalis is more capable of invading through damaged gastrointestinal mucosa than C . albicans . The observations in this mouse model parallel those seen in patients on cytotoxic drugs . Therefore, this model offers a tool for investigation of the pathogenicity of these organisms in a model analogous to the compromised host.

Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1980 Jul, 18(1), 158 - 63
Incidence of polyene-resistant yeasts recovered from clinical specimens; Dick JD et al.; The development of resistance to amphotericin B and nystatin in yeast isolates was determined . Organisms recovered from patients on the oncology service, undergoing extensive chemotherapy for acute leukemia and bone marrow transplantation, were compared with yeasts recovered from patients on other services in the same hospital over a 7-month period . An agar dilution method was used to assay the susceptibility for each antibiotic; resistance was defined as a minimal inhibitory concentration of greater than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml for amphotericin B and greater than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml for nystatin . None of 625 isolates from 238 patients on non-oncology services demonstrated polyene resistance . Resistance only occurred in a subpopulation of oncology patients, in which 55 isolates (7.4%) from six patients (8.6%) exhibited polyene resistance . Resistance yeasts included Candida albicans (three strains), Candida tropicalis (one strain), and Torulopsis glabrata (two strains) . All of the patients from whom resistant yeasts were recovered had experienced extensive chemotherapy with cytotoxic agents, granulocytopenia, and long-term treatment with both antibacterial and polyene antibiotics . Resistance to 2 micrograms of amphotericin B per ml and to 16 micrograms of nystatin per ml was associated with loss or marked depression of ergosterol in the cell membrane as measured by ultraviolet spectra . A significant incidence of polyene resistance in an oncology subpopulation was documented, suggesting a need for susceptibility testing in patients who are at high risk for development of drug-resistant fungal pathogens.

What Is Growth Medium?, What Is Bioremediation?, What Is Yeast?, What Is Botulism?, What Is Molecular Microbiology?, c, Bacterium, o, Microbe, a, Microbes, a, Microorganism, c, Bacteria, c, Escherichia coli, n, Escherichia coli, n, Bioremediation, e, Staphylococcus, e, Wastewater, i, Neisseria, o, Lactobacillus, s, Sepsis, c, Bacillus, i, Escherichia coli, o, Escherichia coli, r, Cryptococci, o, Neisseria, n, Microbial, a, Ps. putida, r, Candida albicans, c, S. cerevisiae, n, Escherichia coli, r, mic, s, Ps. putida, n, Escherichia coli

Scientific Publications - Work Done by Microbiology Reader Bioscreen C
Agricultural Microbiology Anaerobic Microbiology Antimicrobial Susceptibility Artificial Atmosphere Bioassay of Antibiotics Biofilm Microbiology Bioreactor Technology Biotechnology Cell Biology Clinical Microbiology Environmental Microbiology Experiments with Yeast	Fermentation Food Microbiology Functional Genomics Gene Technology Growth Media Development Growth Rate and Lag Time Industrial Microbiology Medical/Pharmaceutical Field Microbiological Assay Microbiological Research Microbiology of Cosmetics go to a specific theme...	Military Microbiology Molecular Microbiology Mutagenicity and Genotoxicity Oral Microbiology Patents Postantibiotic Studies Soil Microbiology Spore Microbiology Veterinary Microbiology Waste/Wastewater Treatment Water Microbiology Wine Microbiology

� 2005 Transgalactic Ltd (manufacturer of Bioscreen C software) | Privacy Statement | P.O. Box 1393, 00101 Helsinki, Finland, phone: +358 9 85172920, fax: +358 9 8749481, e-mail: microbiology@bionewsonline.com

Last modified: May 25, 2005