Comparisons of the effects of fungicidal and fungistatic antifungal agents on the morphogenetic transformation of Candida albicans

Eleven different antifungal agents were compared, and their ability to inhibit the morphogenetic transformation of Candida albicans was examined together with their ability to inhibit growth, as measured by MIC methodology. The fungicidal potential of each agent was also determined. Of the antifungal agents tested, only amphotericin B, mulundocandin and aculeacin inhibited the transformation at sub-MIG values; all three agents showed fungicidal activity at concentrations close to the MIG. All other agents were fungicidal only at concentrations much higher than the MIG and inhibited the morphogenetic transformation only at concentrations above the MIG. These data suggest that fungicidal antifungal agents are more likely to act by inhibiting the morphogenetic transformation of C. albicans while fungistatic agents are unable to do so and are more likely to block growth by budding.