Factors affecting the phospholipase activity of Candida species in vitro

The phospholipase activity of 41 isolates of oral Candida species was determined by a plate assay. Seventy nine per cent of the C. albicans isolates were phospholipase producers whereas none of the C. tropicalis, C. glabrata or C. parapsilosis isolates produced the enzyme. The degree of phospholipase activity (Pz value) of individual isolates was remarkably constant despite the large variation in activity among different isolates. Experiments with 10 phospholipase positive C. albicans isolates indicate that phospholipase production in vitro is limited to a narrow pH range (c. 3.6-4.7) and is suppressed by increasing concentrations of sucrose and galactose in the media (r = 0.9). Hence, candidal phospholipases seem to play a complex role in the aetiopathology of human candidoses.