Association of electrophoretic karyotype of Candida stellatoidea with virulence for mice

Seven isolates of Candida stellatoidea were studied for their electrophoretic karyotype, virulence for mice, sensitivity to UV radiation, growth rate in vitro, reaction on cycloheximide-indicator medium, and proteinase activity. The isolates exhibited one of two distinct electrophoretic karyotypes as determined by orthogonal field alternating gel electrophoresis (OFAGE). Four isolates, including the type culture of C. stellatoidea, belonged to electrophoretic karyotype type I by OFAGE, showing eight to nine bands of which at least two bands were less than 1,000 kilobases in size as estimated by comparison with the DNA bands of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These isolates failed to produce fatal infection in mice within 20 days when 5 X 10(5) cells were injected intravenously. The yeasts were cleared from the kidneys of two of three mice tested by day 30. Type I showed proteinase activity on bovine serum albumin agar at pH 3.8 and produced a negative reaction on cycloheximide-bromcresol green medium within 48 h. The three grouped in type II by OFAGE showed banding patterns similar to those of a well-characterized isolate of Candida albicans. The isolates of type II had an electrophoretic karyotype of six to seven bands approximately 1,200 kilobases or greater in size. All three type II isolates were highly virulent for mice, producing fatality curves similar to those of a previously studied C. albicans isolate. From 80 to 90% of the mice injected with 5 X 10(5) cells intravenously died within 20 days. The type II isolates produced a positive reaction on cycloheximide-bromcresol green agar and showed no proteinase activity on bovine serum albumin agar at the low pH. In addition, the type II isolates grew faster and were significantly more resistant to UV irradiation than the type I isolates. These results indicated that type II, but not type I, isolates can be considered simply as sucrose-negative C. albicans.