Phenotype switching in Candida albicans isolates from the oral cavity, vagina of healthy individual and patients with vaginitis

Introduction: Phenotype switching in Candida albicans has correlated closely with its pathogenicity. This phenomenon spontaneously occurs at very low frequency in environment. The ability phenotype switching in C. albicans is inherit, reversible and effected by a number of environmental factors including; temperature, pH, and the composition of the supporting medium.The aim of present study was to compare the ability of phenotype switching in C. albicans isolated from patients with vaginitis, vagina of healthy individual and oral cavity. Materials and Methods: 75 isolates of C. albicans from different sources (patients with vaginitis, vagina of healthy individual and oral cavity) were recovered. The Phloxin B agar plates were prepared according to Anderson and Soll, inoculated with isolates of C. albicans and incubated at 37°C for 5 day. Results: In the present study six phenotypes including; smooth, fuzzy, irregular, star, radial or stipple were observed in strains. In addition 11 different phenotypes in the apparent color of the colonies were observed as follows; pale pink, pale pink with dark pink in center and margin, pale pink with white margin, pale pink with white in center and margin, pink, pink with dark pink in margin, dark pink, dark pink with white in center, dark pink with white in margin, dark pink with white in center and margin and red. Discussion: Our results showed that fuzzy phenotype was only detected in oral cavity strains and red colonies phenotype in stains isolated from vagina of healthy individual. More phenotypes in the oral cavity were dark pink with white in center, dark pink with white in margin, dark pink and pale pink with white margin, so in vagina of healthy individual was pink and vagina patients with vaginitis were pale pink and smooth.

Phenotype switching, Candida albicans, Phloxin B