Open AccessCandida albicans hyphal invasion: thigmotropism or chemotropism?
Author(s) -
Davies Julia M,
Stacey Adrian J,
Gilligan Christopher A
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1999.tb13439.x
Subject(s) - candida albicans , hypha , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , fungus , corpus albicans , epithelium , botany , genetics
Hyphae of the human pathogenic fungus Candida albicans exhibit thigmotropic behaviour in vitro, in common with phytopathogenic and saprotrophic fungi. An examination of the literature on C. albicans hyphal penetration of epithelial and endothelial membranes does not support the premise that hyphal thigmotropism plays a major role in tissue invasion. Further experimentation is now required to assess thigmotropic behaviour on host membranes and vaginal epithelial cells are suggested as a test model. It is proposed that while thigmotropism may aid invasion of tissue invaginations, chemotropism can explain C. albicans hyphal invasion patterns of both endothelium and epithelium.