Respiration of medically important Candida species and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in relation to glucose effect

Abstract

Strains of medically important Candida species (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis and C. [Torulopsis] glabrata) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were examined for a glucose effect on respiratory activity. Reduced O2-consuming ability and a relative decrease in cytochrome type c, as determined by polarography and spectrophotometry, respectively, were observed in glucose-grown S. cerevisiae cells in contrast with acetate- or ethanol-grown cells. In glucose-grown cells of C. glabrata, O2 consumption was also reduced without any change in the cytochrome pattern compared to acetate-grown cells, while no such decrease was detected in any of the other strains of Candida species tested. These results suggest that the medically important Candida species, except for C. glabrata, can be categorized as members of the glucose-insensitive yeast type with respect to respiration.