DEVELOPMENT OF STRAINS OF CANDIDA ALBICANS RESISTANT TO CANDIDIN

Abstract
Strains of Candida albicans resistant to the anti-fungal agent candidin were developed by growing the organism in gradually increasing amounts of the antibiotic in broth on a shaker. The development of resistance was favored by transfer only after the maximal stationary phase was reached. After 25 transfers, there was a 150-fold increase in resistance. Increased resistance to candidin was accompanied by partial cross resistance to amphotericin B. Strains of C. albicans rendered resistant to candidin grew more slowly and were less virulent than the parent cells. The available data favor the hypothesis that the developed resistance is of mutational origin.