脉冲电泳用于确定念珠菌染色体数目和大小的研究

念珠菌,特别是白念球菌是临床上最常见的机会致病真菌。欲了解它们的生物学本质及致病的分子机制,首先应清楚其基因组的基本结构。用脉冲场凝胶电泳（ＰＦＧＥ）技术分离了８种念珠菌共１８７株的染色体ＤＮＡ,获得各种菌染色体数目和大小的数据。这些数据为深入研究致病酵母的分子生物学特征打下基础,同时也可作为种间基因型分类的可靠依据。     

白念珠菌氧化应激机制的研究进展

白念珠菌是人类的一种重要的致病真菌,每年导致全球约40万免疫功能低下的患者出现致命的系统性感染。天然免疫细胞通过多种途径抑制真菌,其中很重要的一种途径是通过氧化应激反应产生活性氧(ROS)从而杀伤白念珠菌。该文通过总结关于白念珠菌氧化应激机制的研究结果,来进一步认识白念珠菌的致病机制。     

主要病原念珠菌蛋白酶分泌水平的比较

目的了解不同病原念珠菌蛋白酶分泌情况,探讨蛋白酶活性与菌种致病力的关系.方法 采用牛血清白蛋白(BSA)琼脂平板检测7种(共286株)念珠菌酸性蛋白酶的分泌;将菌株分别经摇瓶液体培养测定胞外蛋白水解活力.结果7种念珠菌蛋白酶分泌水平的高低关系为白色念珠菌＞热带念珠菌＞近平滑念珠菌＞季也蒙念珠菌＞其他3种念珠菌,与菌种致病力强弱关系基本一致;白色念珠菌、热带念珠菌菌株平均产酶能力是光滑念珠菌、乳淋念珠菌的17.4～36.3倍.各种念珠菌产生的蛋白酶均属天冬氨酸蛋白酶类.结论蛋白酶与念珠菌致病性关系密切.     

外阴阴道念珠菌病的发生机制及免疫研究进展CSCD

外阴阴道念珠菌病(vulvovaginal candidiasis,VVC)是一种广泛发生的阴道感染性疾病,致病菌以白念珠菌为主。本文主要对白念珠菌的致病机制、宿主对白念珠菌的免疫应答以及VVC免疫治疗的最新进展进行综述。     

白念珠菌致病性研究进展

白念珠菌是一种重要的条件致病菌,多在体表及黏膜宿主共栖生存,可引起皮肤黏膜及内脏的广泛感染。白念珠菌是单细胞假菌丝酵母菌,形态上具有双相性,即菌丝相和孢子相。其中菌丝相更易黏附和入侵宿主组织,是该菌在体内的主要致病形式。白念珠菌的致病机制与多种因素如黏附、芽管、水解酶、生物膜、群体感应等有关。该文综述了白念珠菌致病机制的研究新进展。     

白念珠菌RIM101途径与环境pH的应答反应

白念珠菌(Candida albicans)是一种重要条件致病菌,近年来引起人们的关注,大量的研究由此展开。对环境的改变积极做出应答是白念珠菌致病的重要条件。外界环境尤其是pH的变化影响着白念珠菌的形态和毒力。RIM101途经是真菌中一种保守的信号转导途径,白念珠菌也存在RIM101途经,并且该途径至少部分地控制着细胞对pH的应答。这里主要综述了近年来有关白念珠菌RIM101途径、pH应答及两者相互关系的研究。     

营养感应与白念珠菌致病机制研究进展

营养元素是白念珠菌定植和致病的关键因素之一,作为人体真菌微生物组的一部分,白念珠菌能够特异性感应宿主微环境中营养物质的变化,及时做出适应性反应,为其生长、繁殖和侵袭宿主提供营养支持;同时白念珠菌还能反馈作用于人体,在机体免疫力低下或肠道菌群失调时由共生菌转化为致病菌引发严重的念珠菌病。目前关于营养感应与白念珠菌致病的分子机制已经有很多研究。本文概述了近年来营养感应与白念珠菌致病机制的相关研究结果,总结了碳源、氮源、磷营养以及多种金属元素在白念珠菌致病过程中发挥的作用,旨在为系统认识白念珠菌致病机制以及开发新型抗真菌药物提供新的研究思路。     

白念珠菌致病相关的水解酶

白念珠菌是一种重要的人类致病性真菌,其致病机制与多种因素有关.水解酶是白念珠菌最重要的毒力因子之一,在其入侵宿主过程中起关键作用.白念珠菌水解酶包括分泌型天冬氨酸蛋白酶、磷脂酶和脂肪酶,介导白念珠菌的表型转换、对宿主组织的黏附及对宿主免疫系统的干预,使其能够入侵宿主组织和逃避宿主的免疫防御机制.该文我们综述了白念珠菌水解酶的生物学属性和致病机制的研究进展.     

白念珠菌能量代谢与致病性

白念珠菌是人类正常菌群,也是致死性真菌感染最重要的病原体之一。目前,白念珠菌致病的决定性机制仍未明确,其对宿主的致病性主要取决于菌体的毒力因子、菌体与宿主相互作用两方面。能量代谢是白念珠菌生长繁殖的基础,也是影响其致病性的重要因素。深入研究白念珠菌能量代谢特征,探索其在致病过程中的作用,或可为发现新的药物靶点奠定基础。白念珠菌是人类正常菌群,也是致死性真菌感染最重要的病原体之一。目前,白念珠菌致病的决定性机制仍未明确,其对宿主的致病性主要取决于菌体的毒力因子、菌体与宿主相互作用两方面。能量代谢是白念珠菌生长繁殖的基础,也是影响其致病性的重要因素。深入研究白念珠菌能量代谢特征,探索其在致病过程中的作用,或可为发现新的药物靶点奠定基础。     

念珠菌应激传导通路研究进展

念珠菌的无性阶段是属于隐球菌酵母目,隐球酵母科的一种临床上重要的致病真菌,其有性阶段属于子囊菌亚门。在临床上,念珠菌致病病谱广,它可引起皮肤、黏膜及内脏系统的感染。近年来,由于肿瘤、AIDS患者的增多,念珠菌感染的发病率均呈上升趋势。在美国的一项调查中,发现念珠菌引起的院内感染居第四位,其引起的死亡率高。由于上述特点,所以念珠菌越来越引起人们的重视。     

Significance of Molecular Identification and Antifungal Susceptibility of Clinically Significant Yeasts and Moulds in a Global Antifungal Surveillance Programme

The increasing diversity of opportunistic fungi causing serious invasive fungal infections (IFI) has been documented. Accurate identification (ID) is important in guiding therapy, determining prognosis for IFIs and in epidemiological surveys. We assessed the utility of PCR-based methods for the ID of yeasts and moulds that either were uncommon, failed conventional ID, or represented unusual biochemical or phenotypic profiles of common species. Among 1,790 viable fungal clinical isolates received during the SENTRY Program in 2010, 322 strains from 40 study sites had ID confirmed by molecular methods. Isolates were previously identified in participant institutions. Yeasts that were not confirmed by morphology on CHROMagar, growth at 45?°C (Candida albicans/dubliniensis), or assimilation of trehalose (C. glabrata) as well as non-Candida yeasts and all moulds were amplified and sequenced using primers amplifying one or more of the following genes: ITS, 28S, β-tubulin (Aspergillus spp.), TEF (Fusarium spp.), IGS (Trichosporon spp.). The isolates selected for molecular ID included 149 isolates of Candida species, 77 of Aspergillus species, 73 non-Candida yeasts, and 23 other moulds (a total of 41 different species). Overall, the ID determined by the submitting site was confirmed for 189 isolates (58.7?%): Aspergillus spp. (64.1?% correct); Candida spp. (60.1?% correct); non-Candida yeasts (58.9?% correct); non-Aspergillus moulds (30.4?% correct). Species with high levels of concordance between conventional and molecular ID included A. fumigatus (95.0 %), C. lusitaniae (100?%), C. dubliniensis (92.3?%), C. kefyr (100?%), and C. neoformans (90.2?%). Only 50.0?% of isolates of C. albicans and 59.1?% of C. glabrata selected due to unusual phenotypic or biochemical features were found to be correctly identified by the submitting site. Molecular methods for the identification of fungal pathogens are an important adjunct to the conventional identification of many less common clinically relevant yeasts and moulds including species of Candida with unusual or erroneous phenotypic or biochemical profiles. Molecular confirmation of fungal identification is essential in epidemiological surveys such as SENTRY.     

Ashbya gossypii: a model for fungal developmental biology

Ashbya gossypii is a riboflavin-overproducing filamentous fungus that is closely related to unicellular yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. With its close ties to yeast and the ease of genetic manipulation in this fungal species, A. gossypii is well suited as a model to elucidate the regulatory networks that govern the functional differences between filamentous growth and yeast growth, especially now that the A. gossypii genome sequence has been completed. Understanding these networks could be relevant to related dimorphic yeasts such as the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, in which a switch in morphology from the yeast to the filamentous form in response to specific environmental stimuli is important for virulence.     

Development of an in vitro model for the multi-parametric quantification of the cellular interactions between Candida yeasts and phagocytes

We developed a new in vitro model for a multi-parameter characterization of the time course interaction of Candida fungal cells with J774 murine macrophages and human neutrophils, based on the use of combined microscopy, fluorometry, flow cytometry and viability assays. Using fluorochromes specific to phagocytes and yeasts, we could accurately quantify various parameters simultaneously in a single infection experiment: at the individual cell level, we measured the association of phagocytes to fungal cells and phagocyte survival, and monitored in parallel the overall phagocytosis process by measuring the part of ingested fungal cells among the total fungal biomass that changed over time. Candida albicans, C. glabrata, and C. lusitaniae were used as a proof of concept: they exhibited species-specific differences in their association rate with phagocytes. The fungal biomass uptaken by the phagocytes differed significantly according to the Candida species. The measure of the survival of fungal and immune cells during the interaction showed that C. albicans was the more aggressive yeast in vitro, destroying the vast majority of the phagocytes within five hours. All three species of Candida were able to survive and to escape macrophage phagocytosis either by the intraphagocytic yeast-to-hyphae transition (C. albicans) and the fungal cell multiplication until phagocytes burst (C. glabrata, C. lusitaniae), or by the avoidance of phagocytosis (C. lusitaniae). We demonstrated that our model was sensitive enough to quantify small variations of the parameters of the interaction. The method has been conceived to be amenable to the high-throughput screening of mutants in order to unravel the molecular mechanisms involved in the interaction between yeasts and host phagocytes.     

Identification of clinically relevant yeasts by PCR/RFLP

For molecular diagnosis of fungal disease using DNA amplification procedures in the routine laboratory, choice of appropriate target structures and rapid and inexpensive identification of amplification products are important prerequisites. Most diagnostic procedures described thus far are characterized by limited applicability, considerable cost for laboratory equipment or low power of discrimination between species. This study aimed at identification of a PCR target appropriate for diagnosis of clinically relevant yeasts and an affordable procedure for characterization of the PCR products to the species level. Here, we describe a PCR-based system using amplification of intergenic spacers ITS1 and ITS2 and restriction length polymorphism of PCR products after sequence-specific enzymatic cleavage. We show the evaluation of the system for clinically relevant Candida species. The simple and inexpensive procedure should be instrumental for rapid identification of medically important yeasts.     

Manganese superoxide dismutase in pathogenic fungi: an issue with pathophysiological and phylogenetic involvements

Manganese-containing superoxide dismutases (MnSODs) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes involved in cell defence against endogenous and exogenous reactive oxygen species. In fungi, using this essential enzyme for phylogenetic analysis of Pneumocystis and Ganoderma genera, and of species selected among Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota, provided interesting results in taxonomy and evolution. The role of mitochondrial and cytosolic MnSODs was explored in some pathogenic Basidiomycota yeasts (Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii, Malassezia sympodialis), Ascomycota filamentous fungi (Aspergillus fumigatus), and Ascomycota yeasts (Candida albicans). MnSOD-based phylogenetic and pathogenic data are confronted in order to evaluate the roles of fungal MnSODs in pathophysiological mechanisms.     

Evaluation of a new chromogenic medium (Candida ID) for the isolation and presumptive identification of Candida albicans and other medically important yeasts

Candidiasis is a frequent human infection caused mainly by Candida albicans. However, other species are emerging as important pathogens, as Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, Candida krusei or Candida guilliermondii. Rapid identification of clinical isolates could facilitate diagnosis and treatment. Candida ID (bioMerieux, Spain) is a new medium for the isolation and presumptive identification of yeasts: C. albicans grows as blue colonies, and C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, Candida kefyr and Candida lusitaniae as pink ones. The utility of Candida ID was evaluated with more than 700 clinical isolates and type culture collection strains from different genera including Candida, Cryptococcus, Saccharomyces, and Rhodotorula. Presumptive identification was confirmed by germ tube test, microscopic morphology and chlamydoconidia production on corn meal agar and carbohydrate assimilation on API-ATB ID 32C or Vitek (bioMerieux). Growth on Candida ID was rapid (18-24 h) for most of the yeast strains tested. Sensitivity and specificity of identification of C. albicans was significantly high (>98%), since a very low number of isolates were found to be false negative or false positive. A better result was obtained for species growing as pink colonies (>99.5%). Detection of different species of medical important yeasts was easy with Candida ID, as perfectly distinct colors and textures of colonies were observed on this medium. Candida ID allowed the discrimination between C. glabrata (creamy and smooth) and C. krusei (rough and white) colonies. Other species showed different colony textures and colours, white being the predominant colour. Candida ID was very useful for the presumptive identification C. albicans isolates.     

Enfermedades invasoras por hongos levaduriformes en pacientes neutropénicos

Invasive fungal diseases caused by yeasts still play an important role in the morbidity and mortality in neutropenic patients with haematological malignancies. Although the overall incidence of invasive candidiasis has decreased due to widespread use of antifungal prophylaxis, the incidence of non-Candida albicans Candida species is increasing compared with that of C. albicans, and mortality of invasive candidiasis continues to be high. In addition, there has been an increase in invasive infections caused by an array of uncommon yeasts, including species of the genus Malassezia, Rhodotorula, Trichosporon and Saprochaete, characterised by their resistance to echinocandins and poor prognosis.     

Interactions between killer yeasts and pathogenic fungi

Abstract A total of 17 presumptive killer yeast strains were tested in vitro for growth inhibitory and killing activity against a range of fungal pathogens of agronomic, environmental and clinical significance. Several yeasts were identified which displayed significant activity against important pathogenic fungi. For example, isolates of the opportunistic human pathogen, Candida albicans , were generally very sensitive to Williopsis mrakii killer yeast activity, whilst killer strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia anomala markedly inhibited the growth of certain wood decay basidiomycetes and plant pathogenic fungi. Results indicate that such yeasts, together with their killer toxins, may have potential as novel antimycotic biocontrol agents.