A NOVEL METHOD TO STUDY THE HYPHAL PHASE OF CANDIDA-ALBICANS AND TO EVALUATE ITS HYDROPHOBICITY

As little is known about the surface properties of the hyphal phase of the dimorphic fungus Candida albicans due to the difficulty in examin ing the latter phase in isolation, a novel method was designed to comp artmentalize the two phases of the yeast using a commercially availabl e filter-type device - Chemotaxicell. When yeast cells in the blastosp ore phase were incubated in filter chambers of Chemotaxicell submerged in hyphal-induction media, hyphae traversed through the pores of the filter into the exterior of the chamber enmeshing the entire outer fil ter surface, after 72 h of incubation. However, the inner or the chamb er surface of the filter comprised mainly blastospores. The hydrophobi city of the two morphologic phases of the yeast was then compared usin g this method, by contact angle measurement. When the 72-h specimens w ith matted hyphal elements were evaluated, the contact angles varied d epending on the incubation medium (such as TC 199 or serum), and in ea ch case hydrophobicity of the hyphal phase was significantly higher th an the blastospore phase yeasts. This simple, reproducible method shou ld help not only in evaluating the properties of the hyphal elements o f C. albicans but also in studying parameters such as saliva and serum , which are known to affect hyphal formation in vivo.