Candida albicans germ tube formation

Fig. 2.7 Germ tube formation by Candida albicans. For simplicity the diagram merely illustrates the nuclear content of the parental yeast cell and the developing germ tube. In real life there is a complex rearrangement of cytoplasmic constituents which results in all parts except the apex becoming highly vacuolated.

Fig. 4.7 Growth morphologies of Candida albicans. (A) Budding morphology (B) hyphal formation (C) germ-tube formation leading to hyphal formation (D) pseudohyphal formation.

Chiew, Y.Y., Shepherd, M.G. Sullivan, P.A. (1980) Regulation of Chitin Synthesis During Germ-tube Formation in Candida albican. Archives of Microbiology, 125, 97-104 Cohen, R.E., Zhang, W-J. Ballou, C.E. (1982) Effects of Mannoprotein Mutations on Saccharomyces cerevisiae Core Oligosaccharide Structure , Journal of Biological Chemistry, 257, 5730-7... 

Until recently, a rapid presumptive identification of C. albicans could be made by incubation of the organism in serum formation of a germ tube (the beginning of hyphae, which arise as perpendicular extensions from the yeast cell, with no constriction at their point of origin) within 1 to 2 hours offered a positive identification of C. albicans. Unformnately, C. dubliniensis, a new species of Candida that was identified recently as an important cause of mucosal colonization and infection in HIV-infected individuals, also can produce a germ mbe. A negative germ tube test does not rule out the possibility of C. albicans, but further biochemical tests must be performed to differentiate between other non-albicans species. ... 

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