High-frequency switching in Candida albicans and its relations to vaginal candidiasis

摘要: Abstract Candida albicans possesses the ability to switch reversibly and at high frequency between a number of heritable phenotypes distinguishable by colony morphology in some cases cellular phenotype. In original switching system identified C. , it was demonstrated that cells could frequencies as 10 −2 among seven distinct including smooth, star, ring, stipple, irregular wrinkle, hat, fuzzy. second first discovered systemic infection, switched white an opaque former. Recently, isolates from patients with vaginal candidiasis multiple were cloned individual vagina. Switching may contribute pathogenesis providing capacity invade diverse sites body, change resistance antifungal agents, or antigenicity. The molecular basis is probably due reversible transposition rearrangement genomic elements, although direct correlation recently rearrangements phenotypic has not been made.