ENUMERATION OF VIABLE CANDIDA-ALBICANS BLASTOSPORES USING TETRABROMOFLUORESCEIN (EOSIN-Y) AND FLOW-CYTOMETRY

A rapid assay was developed for determination of the viability of blas tospores of Candida albicans utilizing now cytometry to detect the acc umulation of tetrabromofluorescein in non-viable yeast cells. Eosin Y was shown to stain non-viable C. albicans blastospores selectively wit hout affecting the cellular viability of competent yeast cells or resu lting in non-specific staining of viable cells. Results of these studi es show that this now cytometric method of determining cell viability of C. albicans is more accurate and more precise than the more common method of enumerating colony forming units. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.