Interrelationship between oral bacteria and formation of germ-tubes by albicans

ABSTRACT

Inhibition of Candida albicans germ- tube formation was observed in serum in the presence of the following bacteria Escherichia coli, Citrobacter koseri, Streptococcus salivarius, streptococcus sanguis, Corynebacterium hofmanni and Neisseria pharyngis.in the absence of bacteria 88% of the yeast cells formed germ tubes, but in their presence this value was reduced to a range of 3-46% depending on the bacterial species used. The ratio of bacteria in relation to the number of candida must be high [>102] in order to inhibit germ tubes development, and this phenomenon may be related to the size and/ or the arrangements of bacterial cells. The contact between bacteria and Candida seems to be loose and can easily be broken by washing. Inhibition of the germination may be mediated by a ligand on bacterial cell surface receptor on yeast cells interaction.