Candida glabrata
Synonym: Torulopsis glabrata
On Sabouraud's dextrose agar colonies are white to cream colored, smooth and glabrous yeast-like in appearrance. Microscopic morphology shows numerous ovoid, budding yeast-like cells or blastoconidia, 2.0-4.0 x 3.0-5.5 um in size. No pse udohyphae produced.
India Ink Preparation: Negative - no capsules present.
Dalmau Plate Culture on Cornmeal and Tween 80 Agar: 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 Negative
Growth at 37C is Positive
Fermentation Reactions: Where fermentation means the production of gas and is independent of pH changes.
Positive: Glucose.
Variable: Trehalose.
Negative: Latose; Maltose; Sucrose; Galactose.
Assimilation Tests:
Positive: Glucose; Trehalose.
Variable: Glycerol; DL-Lactic acid.
Negative: Potassium nitrate; Lactose; Galactose; Maltose; D-Xylose; Soluble Starch; Melezitose; Sucrose; Raffinose; Cellobiose; Erythritol; Inositol; L-Rhamnose; D-Arabinose; L-Arabinose; Ribitol; L-Sorbose; D-Ribose; Galactitol; D-Mannitol; D-Glucitol; Salicin; Citric acid; Succinic acid.
MIC data is limited. Antifungal susceptibility testing of individual strains is recommended.
| Antifungal | MIC ug/mL | Antifungal | MIC ug/mL |
||
Range |
MIC90 |
Range |
MIC90 |
||
| Fluconazole | 0.03->128 |
128 |
Amphotericin B | 0.008-2 |
0.5 |
| Itraconazole | 0.008->16 |
16 |
Flucytosine | 0.008-16 |
0.03 |
| Posaconazole | 0.008-8 |
8 |
Caspofungin | 0.008->8 |
0.25 |
| Voriconazole | 0.008-16 |
2 |
Anidulafungin | 0.008-8 |
nd |
Clinical significance:
Candida (Torulopsis) glabrata is one of the most common yeast species to be found on the body surface and is often isolated as an incidental finding from skin and urine. It has been implicated as an "opportunistic" cause of both superficial and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised patients, and it has been isolated from patients with septicemia, pyelonephritis, pulmonary infections, endocarditis and hyperalimentation.
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.
