Effects of caffeine, cyclic 3', 5' adenosine monophosphate and cyclic 3', 5' guanosine monophosphate in the development of the mycelial form of Sporothrix schenckii.

The kinetics of the development of the mycelial form of Sporothrix schenckii from yeast cells and conidia in a minimal basal medium with glucose at pH 4.0 and 25 degrees C were established. Germ tube formation was used as the index of germination for both yeast cells and conidia. Yeast cells were first observed to develop germ tubes after 3 h of incubation, reaching 92 +/- 5%, after 12 h of incubation. Germ tubes were first detected in conidia after 9 h of incubation, and 12 h after inoculation 92 +/- 6% of the conidia had germ tubes. After 24 h of incubation, fully developed, sporulating mycelia were observed from both yeast cells and conidia. A delay in germ tube formation from yeast cells was observed when But2cAMP (10 mM) and But2cGMP (10 mM) were added to the medium. Also the addition of caffeine, a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase inhibitor, inhibited the yeast to mycelial transition. Conidial germination into the mycelial form was also inhibited when cAMP, But2cAMP and caffeine were added to the medium. These results suggest the possible involvement of cyclic nucleotides in the control of dimorphism in S. schenckii.