Involvement of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate in the germination of blastospores of Candida albicans.

The germination of blastospores of Candida albicans is accompanied by a rise in the intracellular concentration of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP). Germination was induced either by peptides isolated from seminal plasma or by an amino acid mixture, and both germination and the rise in cyclic AMP required a temperature of 37 degrees C. The rise occurred during the first hour of incubation, but full germination required a temperature of 37 degrees C for 4 h. Germination and the rise in cyclic AMP, in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of inducers, were stimulated by theophylline. Pre-incubation of cells with dithiothreitol in the absence of inducers inhibited subsequent germination but not the rise in cyclic AMP. Germination and the rise in cyclic AMP were inhibited if dithiothreitol or N-succinimidyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate was present during the induction period.