A new fluorescent viability test for fungi cells

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Cell Biology
• Mycology

Background:

• The fluorescein diacetate-ethidium bromide (FDA-EB) assay is a standard method for assessing mammalian cell viability.
• Fungal viability assessment is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability of the FDA-EB fluorescence method for determining the viability of fungal species.
• To establish the correlation between the FDA-EB assay and traditional viability testing methods in fungi.

Main Methods:

• Application of the FDA-EB fluorescence staining technique to various fungal species.
• Microscopic observation of fungal cells under UV light to differentiate between live (green fluorescence) and dead (red fluorescence) cells.
• Comparison of FDA-EB assay results with the colony count technique for viability assessment.

Main Results:

• Living fungal cells exhibited intracellular fluorescein accumulation (green color), indicating metabolic activity.
• Dead fungal cells readily took up ethidium bromide, displaying bright red fluorescence.
• The FDA-EB assay demonstrated a strong correlation with the colony count technique for yeast and yeast-like cells.
• The method proved to be rapid, highly sensitive, and simple to perform.

Conclusions:

• The FDA-EB fluorescence method is a reliable and efficient tool for assessing fungal cell viability, particularly for yeast and yeast-like organisms.
• This assay offers significant advantages in terms of speed, sensitivity, and simplicity compared to conventional methods.
• The FDA-EB assay provides a valuable alternative for rapid fungal viability testing in research and diagnostics.