The growth characteristics of Saccharomycopsis lipolytica: morphology and induction of mycelium formation

When Saccharomycopsis lipolytica was grown on minimal medium supplemented with glucose or n-hexadecane, all the cells of the culture remained in the yeast form. In complex medium, a mixed morphology of yeast and mycelial forms appeared. If the cells were grown on minimal medium supplemented with N-acetylglucosamine as the carbon source, a reproducible system for the production of mycelium was obtained. Neither temperature, pH, nor several other carbon sources were able to induce a reproducible yeast–mycelial transition. Mycelium formation is maximal after 12–15 h of incubation (in the presence of N-acetylglucosamine) and decreases with longer incubating times when N-acetylglucosamine is exhausted. During mycelium formation a considerable increase took place in dry weight; the cell numbers, however, remained almost constant between 12–15 h. Electron microscopy shows mycelium with a smooth surface, a great amount of mitochondria and a low degree of branching.

Toxoplasma cysts in vaginal smears

Toxoplasma cysts in vaginal smears in women have been found. Exact identification of these cysts is of the greatest importance in order to avoid false positive diagnosis for cancer. From the epidemiological point of view, this finding supports the theory of transmission from cysts located in the female genital tract.