Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Comparative observations of ultrastructure of five species of Candida

  • Published:
Mycopathologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An electron microscopic comparison was made of five species ofCandida, namely:C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. stellatoidea andC. tropicalis. The cell wall, plasma membrane and the cytoplasm with its organelles were described. The cell wall ofC. tropicalis was twice as thick as the cell wall in the other species.C. krusei appeared with distinct, rather elaborate wall sculpturing, a feature not pronounced in the other four species. A single nucleus with nucleolus appeared only in micrographs ofC. guilliermondii andC. krusei. At the same time, large central electron-luscent area (vacuole) appeared in the cells ofC. guilliermondii, C. parapsilosis andC. stellatoidea. The cytoplasm ofC. tropicalis was characterized by a granular appearance. Budding cells and pseudohyphae appeared similar to single cells in their general organelles. Such organelles in species studied were similar to these reported for other yeasts. These include: mitochondria, lipid granules, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes and vacuoles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Agar, H. D. &Douglas, H. C. (1957) Studies on the cytological structure of yeast: electron microscopy of thin sections.J. Bact. 73:365–375.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Al-Doory, Y. (1970) Observations of the ultrastructure ofCryptococcus neoformans. (in manuscript).

  3. Bakerspigel, A. (1964) Some observations on the cytology ofCandida albicans.J. Bact. 87:228–229.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Barfantani, M., Munn, R. J. &Schjeide, O. A. (1964) An ultrastructure study ofPityrosporum orbiculare.J. Invest. Dermat. 43:231–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Conant, N. F., Smith, D. T., Baker, R. D., Callaway, J. L. &Martin, D. S. (1955) Manual of clinical mycology. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Dunbar, S. F. (1965) Ultrastructure ofPityrosporum ovale andPityrosporum canis.Nature 206:1174–1175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Edwards, M. R. &Stevens, R. W. (1963) Fine structure ofListeria monocytogenes.J. Bact. 86:414–428.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Edwards, M. R., Gordon, M. A., Lapa, E. W. &Ghiorse, W. C. (1967) Micromorphology ofCryptococcus neoformans.J. Bact. 94:766–777.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Fitz-James, P. C. (1960) Participation of the cytoplasmic membrane in the growth and spore formation of bacilli.J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 8:507–528

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Gale, G. R. (1963) Cytology ofCandida albicans as influenced by drugs acting on the cytoplasmic membrane.J. Bact. 86:151–157.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Hasenclever, H. F. &Mitchell, W. O. (1961) Pathogenecity ofCandida albicans andC. tropicalis.Sabouraudia 1:16–21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hashimoto, T., Conti, S. F. &Naylor, H. B. (1959) Studies of the fine structure of microorganisms. IV. Observations on buddingSaccharomyces cerevisiae by light and electron microscopy.J. Bact. 77:344–354.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Hirata, T. (1966) Comparative studies on intracytoplasmic membrane systems ofCandida albicans andStaphylococcus aureus by menas of electron microscopy. Proc. 6th. Intern. Cong. Electron Microscopy, Kyoto. pp. 295–296.

  14. Iwata, K. &Hirata, T. (1964) Studies on intracellular membrane structure ofCandida albicans.J. Electron Microscopy 13:237–238.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Kreger-van Rij, N. J. W. &Veenhuis, M. (1970) An electron microscopic study of the yeastPityrosporum ovale. Arch. Mikrobiol. 71:123–131.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Maclean, N. (1964) Electron microscopy of a fission yeast,Schizosaccharomyces pombe.J. Bact. 88:1459–1466.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Mankowski, Z. T. (1957) The experimental pathogenecity of various species ofCandida in Swiss mice.Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 19:548–570.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Montes, L. F., Patrick, T. A., Martin, S. A. &Smith, M. (1965) Ultrastructure of blasto spores ofCandida albicans after permenganate fixation.J. Invest. Dermat. 45:227–232.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Moore, R. T. (1965) The ultrastructure of fungal cells. pp. 95–118. In “The fungi — an advanced treatise”, ed.G. C. Ainsworth &A. S. Sussman. Vol. I. Academic Press, Inc. N.Y.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Moore, R. T. &McAlear, J. H. (1961) Fine structure of mycota. 5. Lomasomes — previously uncharacterized hyphal structures.Mycologia 53:194–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Niki, T. (1967) Ultrastructure studies of pathogenic fungi,Cryptococcus neoformans andCandida tropicalis.Shikoku Acta Medica. 23:42–24.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Palade, G. E. (1952) An electron microscope study of the mitochondrial structure.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 1:188–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Robinow, C. F. (1962) On the plasma membrane of some bacteria and fungi.Circulation 26:1092–1104.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Ruinen, J. &Deinema, M. H. (1968) Cellular and extracellular structures inCryptococcus laurentii andRhodotorula species.Canad. J. Microbiol. 14:1133–1137.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Sentandreu, R. &Villaneuva, J. R. (1965) Electron microscopy of thin sec tions ofCandida utilis: the structure of the cell wall.Arch. Mikrobiol. 50:103–110.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Thyagarajan, T. R., Conti, S. F. &Naylor, H. B. (1962) Electron microscopy ofRhodotorula glutinis.J. Bact. 83:381–394.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Vitols, E., North, R. J. &Linnane, A. W. (1961) Studies on the oxidative metabolism ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae. I. Observations on the fine structure of the yeast cell.J. Biophys. Biochem. Cytol. 9:689–700.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Y. Al-Doory

    Present address: Dept. Epidemiology & Environmental Health, The George Washington Univ. Sch. Medicine, 1331 H. St., N. W., Washington, D.C.

  2. C. A. Baker

    Present address: Dept. Anatomy, Univ. of California, Davis

Authors and Affiliations

    Authors
    1. Y. Al-Doory
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    2. C. A. Baker
      View author publications

      You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

    Additional information

    Southwest Foundation for Research and Education, San Antonio, Texas.

    In partial fulfillment of the requirement of course work for Master of Science, Incarnate Word College, San Antonio.

    Rights and permissions

    Reprints and permissions

    About this article

    Cite this article

    Al-Doory, Y., Baker, C.A. Comparative observations of ultrastructure of five species of Candida. Mycopathologia et Mycologia Applicata 44, 355–367 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02052709

    Download citation

    • Accepted:

    • Published:

    • Issue Date:

    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02052709

    Keywords

    Search

    Navigation