Pathogenicity of Candida albicans: quest for a molecular switch.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen of human beings and other mammals. Two other features, besides its pathogenicity, have made it a popular organism for study. It exists in different cellular forms and can change from one form to another, depending on growth conditions. Thus, it is being used as a model system to study cellular differentiation. It can also heritably and reversibly switch its cellular and colony morphologies.