DISSOCIATION OF CANDIDA ALBICANS BY LITHIUM CHLORIDE AND IMMUNE SERUM

Abstract

Serial transfer of 18 freshly isolated strains in 0.25% LiCl Sabouraud''s broth resulted in the dissociation of 14 of these strains. 5 of these strains were serially transferred in 3% immune rabbit serum, 4 of which produced R forms. Dissociants were characterized by increase in size and elongation of the cells and formation of a filamentous growth without chlamydospores in corn meal agar. The R colonies were flat and dry; the fermentation reactions were not changed. The R forms were nonpatho-genic. Agglutination reactions did not separate sharply the S and R forms. The variants have maintained constant characteristics for periods of several mos.