The formation of germtubes by Candida albicans, when grown with Staphylococcus pyogene, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Lactobacilius acidophilus and Proteus vulgaris.

The formation of germtubes by twelve clinical isolates of C. albicans was studied in human serum containing per millilitre 10(3) to 10(9) organisms as: Staphylococcus pyegene, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Proteus vulgaris. All the five bacteria inhibited formation of germtubes by C. albicans at all concentrations and the percent germtube formed diminished with increasing concentration of the bacteria. Lactobacillus acidophilus inhibited the formation of germtubes maximally followed by Staphylococcus pyogene, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Proteus vulgaris in the concentrations of 10(3) to 10(7) bacteria per millilitre produced only insignificant inhibition of formation of germtubes by C. albicans. Since germtubes of C. albicans are invasive, it is suggested that inhibition of "blastospore-germtube transformation" may be significantly responsible for prevention of infection by C. albicans by coexisting bacterial flora.