Temperature-modulated physiological characteristics of Candida albicans.

Despite numerous investigations on candidiasis, definitive conclusions concerning virulence factors are few because of oftentimes confusing and contradictory results. By utilizing various physiologic tests, which include germ tube induction, inhibition of germination by a morphogenic autoregulatory substance, enzyme production, susceptibility to exogenous chemicals, and cell surface hydrophobicity, we demonstrated that such variability is due, in part, to the environmental conditions in which cells were grown in preparation for analysis. Room-temperature grown cells were generally less sensitive to environmental perturbation and germinated more uniformly than cells grown at 37 degrees C. The implication of these results in relation to pathogenic studies and the epidemiology of candidiasis is suggested.