Further studies on the intracellular behavior of Torulopsis glabrata

Abstract

The growth of Torulopsis glabrata was inhibited in glucose-peptone broth containing 10 to 20% normal human serum. Addition of iron to the medium diminshed the fungistatic effect. The intracellular growth of T. glabrata was remarkably restricted within mouse macrophages maintained in vitro, but this growth restriction was not caused by the limitation of iron imposed by the serum in the medium. The intracellular growth of T. glabrata within a very small percentage of the macrophages was not obviously related to the failure of lysosomal fusion to the phagosomes in those cells. The studies did not permit definite conclusions regarding the viability of the inhibited yeasts, but results suggested that a large portion of them survived. Potentially misleading artifacts of the technique for assessment of the intracellular behavior of the fungus were detected and are discussed.