Candida famata

Synonym: Torulopsis candida

On Sabouraud's dextrose agar colonies are white to cream colored, smooth, glabrous yeast-like in appearance. Microscopic morphology shows numerous ovoid, budding yeast-like cells or blastoconidia, 2.0-3.5 x 3.5-5.0 um in size. No pseudohyphae produced.

India Ink Preparation: Negative - no capsules present.

Dalmau Plate Culture on Cornmeal and Tween 80 Agar: Spherical to ovoid, budding yeast-like cells only. No pseudohyphae produced.

Physiological Tests:

Germ Tube test is Negative
Hydrolysis of Urea is Negative
Growth on Cycloheximide medium is Variable
Growth at 37C is Variable

Fermentation Reactions: Where fermentation means the production of gas and is independent of pH changes.

Variable: Glucose; Sucrose; Maltose; Trehalose.
Negative: Lactose; Galactose.

Assimilation Tests:

Positive: Glucose; Galactose; Maltose; Sucrose; Trehalose; D-Xylose; Melezitose; Glycerol; Raffinose; Cellobiose; L-Arabinose; D-Mannitol; D-Glucitol; Ribitol; Salicin; DL-Lactic acid; Succinic acid.
Variable: Lactose; Melibiose; Erythritol; Soluble Starch; L-Rhamnose; D-Arabinose; L-Sorbose; D-Ribose; Galactitol; Citric acid.
Negative: Potassium nitrate; Inositol.

Clinical significance:

Candida famata is a common environmental isolate, however it is only rarely recovered from clinical specimens, usually associated with skin.

Mycosis: Candidiasis

Further reading:

Kreger-Van Rij, N.J.W. (ed) 1984. The Yeasts: a taxonomic study. 3rd Edition. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Rippon, J.W. 1988. Medical Mycology. 3rd Edition. W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, USA.