How does variance in pH affect Candida Albicans?

Question

This is a topic on which I have observed similar arguments lead to precisely opposite conclusions. Some people (health professionals/enthusiasts) claim that Candida Albicans (and similar species) changes from its yeast form into its harmful fungal form as a result of its environment becoming more acidic (lower pH), while others claim that it changes from yeast form into fungal form as a result of its environment becoming more alkaline (higher pH).

I am interested in knowing how changes in pH actually affect Candida and similar fungus. What does the highest level scientific data have to say? Have there been any systemic reviews/meta-analyses outlining a high level view of what we know about this subject?

Answer 1

Candida albicans is an opportunistic, dimorphic fungal pathogen that grows both as yeast and filamentous cells(pseudohyphae, hyphae and chlamydospores). Morphogenesis is an essential trait in the pathogenic fungus C. albicans in which the transition from unicellular yeast to filamentous form takes place and vice versa,which is required for virulence. Morphological changes occur in response to alterations in the growth conditions. Different parameters directly or indirectly influence the process,of which variation in pH is one of them.(others being temperature, growth media, etc)

Microtubules and microfilaments were observed in hyphal cells.The decrease of external pH did not affect microtubules directly, but long microfilaments disappeared from hyphal cells within 30 min after changing the external pH at 37 "C particularly affects long microfilaments, which disappear from the cytoplasm, and consequently trigger the reversion from hyphal growth to yeast growth.

Source.

In the yeast state, Candida is a non-invasive, sugar-fermenting organism, while in fungal state it is invasive and can produce rhizoids, very long root-like structures. Rhizoids can penetrate mucosa or intestinal walls, leaving microscopic holes and allowing toxins, undigested food particles and bacteria and yeast to enter the bloodstream. This condition is known as Leaky Gut Syndrome

References

http://www.thecandidadiet.com/ph-levels-candida.htm

http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=37056

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_albicans