The possible role of yeast cell walls in modifying cellular response to chlorhexidine diacetate

The relative porosity (RP) and thickness of cell walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae depended upon the age of culture, the RP decreasing and the cell wall thickness increasing in older cultures. Chlorhexidine diacetate (CHA) produced cytological changes in S. cerevisiae cells, involving dense and granular cytoplasmic constituents, withdrawal of the interior from the cell wall and a general loss of the typical cellular organization. Cell wall mannan is unlikely to play a role in limiting the entry of CHA into yeast cells but changes in glucan composition, wall thickness and RP might be involved in determining the sensitivity of cells to the biguanide.