Bud Formation and the Inducibility of Pseudo-mycelium Outgrowth During Release from Stationary Phase in Candida albicans

Abstract

The kinetics of bud formation at 25 °C and germ tube formation at 37 °C were examined in populations of Candida albicans released from stationary phase by dilution into fresh nutrient medium. Evidence is presented for four separate isolates and three different defined media that: (i) cells do not deplete the media of growth-limiting nutrients when they enter stationary phase; (ii) cells accumulate as singlets when they enter stationary phase, presumably at a point early in the cell cycle; (iii) daughter cells do not separate from mother cells during the first three to four cell divisions following release from stationary phase at 25 °C; and (iv) released cells cannot be induced to form germ tubes by an increase in temperature once they have formed their first bud at 25 °C. The relationships between the lack of cell separation, the inducibility of tube formation and stationary phase are discussed.