BACKGROUND Candida dubliniensis is a germ tube and chlamydoconidia producing Candida species that may be misidentified as Candida albicans. Molecular-based methods are the most reliable techniques for C. albicans and C. dubliniensis differentiation. However, accurate, quick and inexpensive phenotypic tests are needed to be used in low-complexity mycology laboratories. AIMS To evaluate colony ...

Candida albicans utilizes arachidonic acid (AA) released during the course of infection (Candidiasis) from phospholipids of infected host cell membranes and synthesizes extracellular prostaglandin(s) which play an important role in hyphae formation and host cell damage. C. albicans biofilms secrete significantly more prostaglandin(s) and evidence suggests that Candida biofilms have dramatically...

Candida albicans is a major human pathogen whose treatment is challenging due to antifungal drug toxicity, drug resistance and paucity of antifungal agents available. Myrocin (MYR) inhibits sphingosine synthesis, a precursor of sphingolipids, an important cell membrane and signaling molecule component. MYR also has dual immune suppressive and antifungal properties, potentially modulating mammal...

Indirect immunofluorescent and agglutination assay were used to study the anti-Candida albicans reactivities in the serum of 13 normal subjects and 14 patients infected with C. albicans. A significant increase in anti-C. albicans seroreactivity was observed during infection with this organism but the increase in the anti-germ tube immunofluorescence titre was the more marked. It is evident that...

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen and is recognised and phagocytosed by macrophages. Using live-cell imaging, non-lytic expulsion/exocytosis of C. albicans from macrophages is demonstrated for the first time. Following complete expulsion, both the phagocyte and pathogen remain intact and viable. Partial engulfment of hyphal C. albicans without macrophage lysis is also demonstrated. ...

Candida albicans is an opportunistic and polymorphic fungal pathogen that causes mucosal, disseminated and invasive infections in humans. Transition from the yeast form to the hyphal form is one of the key virulence factors in C. albicans contributing to macrophage evasion, tissue invasion and biofilm formation. Nontoxic small molecules that inhibit C. albicans yeast-to-hypha conversion and hyp...

The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating innate immune response to Candida albicans infection in Caenorhabditis elegans is still largely unclear. Using small RNA SOLiD deep sequencing technique, we profiled the miRNAs that were dysregulated by C. albicans infection. We identified 16 miRNAs that were up-regulated and 4 miRNAs that were down-regulated in nematodes infected with C. albicans. B...

Micafungin is an effective antifungal agent useful for the therapy of invasive candidiasis. Candida albicans is the most common cause of invasive candidiasis; however, infections due to non-C. albicans species, such as Candida parapsilosis, are rising. Killing and postantifungal effects (PAFE) are important factors in both dose interval choice and infection outcome. The aim of this study was to...

Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans are found together in the oral biofilms on dental surfaces, but little is known about the ecological interactions between these species. Here, we studied the effects of S. mutans UA159 on the growth and pathogencity of C. albicans. Initially, the effects of S. mutans on the biofilm formation and morphogenesis of C. albicans were tested in vitro. Next, w...

The innate immune system differentially recognizes Candida albicans yeast and hyphae. It is not clear how the innate immune system effectively discriminates between yeast and hyphal forms of C. albicans. Glucans are major components of the fungal cell wall and key fungal pathogen-associated molecular patterns. C. albicans yeast glucan has been characterized; however, little is known about gluca...