Phenotypic switching

Phenotypic switching (a.k.a. phenotypic dimorphism) is switching between two cell-types. An example is Candida albicans, which, when it infects host tissue, switches from the usual unicellular yeast-like form of into an invasive, multicellular filamentous form. This switching between two cell-types is known as dimorphism.

Phenotypic switching in C.albicans include the switch from white cells to opaque cells in need for sexual mating.

References

External links

• Endocrine Abstracts"Are Hox genes responsible for the phenotypic switching and zonation of the adult adrenal cortex?"
• American Society for Clinical Investigation "Phenotypic switching in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans"
• American Society for Microbiology "Control of White-Opaque Phenotypic Switching in Candida albicans by the Efg1p Morphogenetic Regulator"
• Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections "Repeated phenotypic switching of HIV-1 in AIDS patients sampled regularly over 2 years."