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. 1977 Feb;5(2):236–243. doi: 10.1128/jcm.5.2.236-243.1977

New culture medium for the presumptive identificaion of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans.

W H Fleming, J M Hopkins, G A Land
PMCID: PMC274567  PMID: 321472

Abstract

A new medium composed of Tween 80, oxgall, caffeic acid, and Davis agar (TOC) that provides for the rapid presumptive identification of Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans is described herein. C. albicans is differentiated from other yeasts by the sequential production of germ tubes and chlamydospores. In a comparison with cormeal agar control plates, there was an increase of chlamydospore-forming strains of C. albicans (97.1% versus 87.2%) and a decrease in the time required for chlamydospore formation (24 h versus 48 h). C. neoformans produced a brown pigment of TOC, which is specific for its identification, thus differentiating it from the other yeasts. A comparison of 24-h pigment production by C. neoformans on TOC with that of birdseed agar showed a dark, coffee brown color in the former cultures and a light brown color in the latter. The change in pigmentation of C. neoformans, as well as morphological changes in C. albicans, can be induced within 3 to 12 h and in not more than 24 h on the TOC medium.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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