Аннотация:SUMMARY: Attempts to demonstrate the production of toxin by pathogenic strains of Candida albicans have proved negative; a variety of growth conditions and methods of organism extraction were used, several of which were previously described by other workers as yielding toxins. Toxin production appears to be a strain characteristic and not a property of all pathogenic strains. Acid phosphatases with pH optima at 3·6 and 5·6, a peptidase with optimum pH 6·6 and β-glucosidase have been isolated from both blastospore and mycelial forms of C. albicans and their properties examined. The occurrence in organism extracts of alkaline phosphatase and peptidase (optimum pH 3·6) has been confirmed; no activity of mucopolysaccharase, neuraminidase, β-glucuronidase or phospholipase A and B could be demonstrated. The possible role of hydrolytic enzymes in pathogenicity is discussed.
