A method for flow cytometric analysis of Candida albicans DNA

A method was developed by which to simply and easily study the DNA synthetic cycle of Candida albicans. This method employs a standard flow cytometer and the fluorescent DNA binding stain, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Flowcytometric analysis by this method resulted in sharp peaks of intense DNA staining. This method is a modification of a widely used protocol for cell cycle analysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that was found unsuitable for use with C. albicans. The S. cerevisiae procedure employed propidium iodide which stains C. albicans in a non-specific manner. The use of DAPI resulted in precise C. albicans nuclear staining and eliminated non-specific cellular staining. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.