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A futile act? Thoughts on the reproductive biology of Candida albicans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2004

JAN SCHMID
Affiliation:
Institute of Molecular BioSciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Science Tower D, Riddet Road, Palmerston North 5331, New [email protected], Phone: +64-6-350-5171, Fax: +64-6-350-5688, WWW: http://imbs.massey.ac.nz/HTML/schmid.html
RICHARD D. CANNON
Affiliation:
Department of Oral Sciences, University of Otago, PO Box 647, Dunedin, New [email protected] Phone: +64-3-479-7081, Fax:+64-3-479-7078
BARBARA HOLLAND
Affiliation:
Allan Wilson Centre, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New [email protected], Phone: +64-6-356 9099 xtn. 7939, FAX: +64-6-350 5626
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Abstract

Recent laboratory experiments challenge the long-held view that Candida albicans is asexual and suggest that sexual recombination could occur outside the laboratory and be part of the reproductive strategy of the species. Population genetics studies, however, find little evidence, among clinical isolates, of the recombinant lineages the sexual cycle should generate. A possible explanation of these results is that the progeny of sexual recombination cannot compete with asexually propagating lineages, challenging the widely-held idea that sexual recombination is superior to asexual propagation.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© 2004 The British Mycological Society

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