Toll样受体对临床常见侵袭性真菌识别作用的研究进展

近年来,由于免疫受损患者的增加,真菌病的发病率日益增高,一些严重的侵袭性真菌病如不及时诊治可迅速致死,如念珠菌病、烟曲霉病、马内菲青霉病、隐球菌病等。固有免疫是机体抗感染的第一道防线,机体抵抗入侵病原真菌的第一步就是通过病原识别受体（Pathogen Recognition Receptors,PRR）对其进行识别以启动固有免疫。TLRs（Toll-like receptors）是抗感染免疫中最重要的PRR之一。目前固有免疫在侵袭性真菌发病过程中的重要作用日益受到重视,TLRs作为固有免疫阶段的主要受体,了解其对侵袭性真菌的识别作用将有助于深入理解固有免疫在抗真菌感染免疫中的作用,对认识临床真菌病的发病机制具有重要意义。现将近几年研究情况综述如下。     

7例不典型肺真菌病的临床分析

目的 肺部真菌感染往往症状不典型,肺部影像学表现多样,缺乏特异性,为早期诊断和治疗带来困难。尤其足近年来无免疫缺陷人群中也出现肺部真菌感染．使临床判断更加复杂。方法 对我院于2006年上半年收治的7例无免疫缺陷的肺部真菌感染病例,从发病特点、临床表现、影像学、病原学、诊断依据以及治疗策略等方面对其进行了详细分析。结果 7例肺真菌病患者均无明显免疫缺陷,肺部影像学表现多样。通过血清学、肺活检、痰培养等方法确诊,对治疗反应均较好。结论 肺真菌病的临床表现趋向复杂多样,临床医生应予以高度重视。     

基质结合区与转基因动物的基因表达

基质结合区(MAR)在稳定转染的细胞系中的研究结果显示,能缓冲在其侧翼的染色质某些拮抗作用.这为外源基因在染色体中随机整合的转基因动物研究提供了新的方向.文章对其在转基因动物中的探索性研究及可能的机理进行综述.指出在转基因动物中,MAR的应用能导致建立独立的基因活性结构域.它对基因高效表达无疑具有重要作用.MAR可能是一种新的顺式作用元件,与增强子、启动子协同作用调节基因的表达.     

基因敲除小鼠在疾病研究中的应用

人类疾病动物模型在揭示人类疾病的发生机制或建立治疗方法中具有极重要的作用。然而,许多疾病难以用人工诱发的方法制造动物模型,还有许多疾病在实验动物身上不发生,而难以通过自发或人工定向培育的方法获得动物模型。基因敲除技术的出现,为人类精确地研究基因与疾病的直接关系提供了可能,而且可以在个体发生的每个阶段中进行遗传功能的分析。综述了基因敲除小鼠模型在几种疾病研究中的研究与应用及其发展前景。     

血单核细胞在真菌感染免疫的研究进展

单核细胞在微生物感染病灶处活化并参与炎症反应,但单核细胞具体的抗真菌作用仍然不太清楚。单核细胞具有异质性,存在多个亚群,其在感染免疫中的角色各有不同。本文旨在探讨单核细胞分类及不同表型单核细胞在念珠菌、隐球菌、烟曲霉等真菌感染中的作用,为了解抗真菌免疫机制、监控和治疗真菌病提供新的思路。     

肺微生物组在慢性阻塞性肺疾病中的研究进展CSCD

慢性阻塞性肺疾病（chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,COPD）是一种以持续的呼吸道症状和气流受限为主要特征的异质性疾病。新一代基因测序技术已经证明健康肺部存在庞大的微生物群落。越来越多的研究表明,肺微生物群失调与COPD的发生、急性加重次数及病死率有关。肺微生物可能通过调控炎症或免疫过程参与COPD的发病机制。全面了解肺微生物群在COPD不同阶段的动态变化和微生物与宿主的相互作用,有助于进一步揭示其在COPD发病机制中的作用。本文综述了肺微生物组在COPD中的研究进展,探讨其与COPD进展之间的关系及潜在的机制,以期开发有针对性的治疗方法。     

嗜角蛋白真菌耐药性研究进展

嗜角蛋白真菌感染能引起人体皮肤浅表和深部疾病,其感染发生率近年来呈逐年增加趋势。广谱抗生素是目前广泛用于治疗嗜角蛋白真菌感染的药物种类之一,但由于可选择药物种类有限,因此多数嗜角蛋白真菌感染患者存在长期、过度使用单一广谱抗生素的情形,这可能直接或间接导致嗜角蛋白真菌耐药性形成,严重制约嗜角蛋白真菌感染疾病治疗效果,从而加重嗜角蛋白真菌感染疾病的传染风险,成为影响全球公共卫生健康的重大威胁因素之一。本文就嗜角蛋白真菌致病类型、常用药物、药物作用机理、耐药性形成及影响因素方面的研究进展进行综述,并提出了嗜角蛋白真菌耐药性未来的研究内容及方向。以期为嗜角蛋白真菌感染治疗、真菌耐药性形成机理及预防真菌感染提供新的思路和参考。     

106例肺部真菌感染的临床分析

目的研究肺部真菌感染的易患因素、临床特征、治疗结果和预后。方法应用回顾性的调查方法对106例肺部真菌感染患者进行分析。结果92.5%(98/106)的病例患有慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)、系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)、白血病和慢性肾病等基础疾病,原发性肺部真菌感染少见。肺部真菌感染的临床表现无明显特异性,早期诊断仍比较困难,X线表现以支气管肺炎多见(占59.4%)。病原菌主要以酵母菌属为主(79.2%)。肺部真菌感染的预后较差,病死率较高,基础病为慢性肾病、COPD和血液系统疾病者死亡风险较大。结论肺部真菌感染是多种疾病继发感染的重要原因,其临床表现特异性少,病死率高,发病呈上升趋势,应引起临床高度重视。     

第二届全国真菌感染与宿主免疫学术研讨会征文通知

<正>由中国微生物学会真菌专业委员会与《中国真菌学杂志》共同举办的第二届全国真菌感染与宿主免疫学术研讨会将于2016年9月22~24日在浙江省宁波开元名都大酒店召开,会议将通过研讨各种致病真菌与宿主的相互作用,进一步揭示各种致病真菌感染的发病机制,促进我国在真菌病发病机制方面的研究,为提高我国真菌感染的临床诊治水平提供理论基础。会议将邀请国内外知名专家就上述内容进行演     

艾滋病合并侵袭性肺真菌病的诊治

近年来,侵袭性真菌感染的发病率不断增加,其中肺真菌感染居首位,己成为免疫功能下降或缺陷宿主常见的死亡原因。艾滋病是经典免疫功能缺陷性疾病,合并真菌感染时需及时识别、治疗,以降低其病死率。国内、外各种有关侵袭性真菌感染诊治指南的不断问世,极大地提高了临床医生对侵袭性真菌病的认识和诊治水平。该文就艾滋病常见侵袭性肺真菌病:肺念珠菌病、肺孢子菌肺炎、肺马内菲青霉病、肺隐球菌病、肺曲霉病的诊断及治疗进展进行综述。     

病原性真菌蛋白酶致病机制研究进展

蛋白酶在真菌的生存和生长过程中具有重要作用,同时也被认为是病原真菌重要的毒力因子之一。病原真菌的蛋白酶可能参与真菌在宿主的黏附、定植和播散以及逃避宿主的免疫应答过程。部分蛋白酶还被认为是变应原,可诱发哮喘和过敏性疾病。在不同的病原真菌中,蛋白酶作用也不同。研究蛋白酶的致病机制,可进一步了解真菌感染机制,为诊断及治疗真菌感染提供线索。     

Large‐scale molecular genetic analysis in plant‐pathogenic fungi: a decade of genome‐wide functional analysis

Plant‐pathogenic fungi cause diseases to all major crop plants world‐wide and threaten global food security. Underpinning fungal diseases are virulence genes facilitating plant host colonization that often marks pathogenesis and crop failures, as well as an increase in staple food prices. Fungal molecular genetics is therefore the cornerstone to the sustainable prevention of disease outbreaks. Pathogenicity studies using mutant collections provide immense function‐based information regarding virulence genes of economically relevant fungi. These collections are rich in potential targets for existing and new biological control agents. They contribute to host resistance breeding against fungal pathogens and are instrumental in searching for novel resistance genes through the identification of fungal effectors. Therefore, functional analyses of mutant collections propel gene discovery and characterization, and may be incorporated into disease management strategies. In the light of these attributes, mutant collections enhance the development of practical solutions to confront modern agricultural constraints. Here, a critical review of mutant collections constructed by various laboratories during the past decade is provided. We used Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium graminearum studies to show how mutant screens contribute to bridge existing knowledge gaps in pathogenicity and fungal–host interactions.     

An overview of antifungal peptides derived from insect

Fungi are not classified as plants or animals. They resemble plants in many ways but do not produce chlorophyll or make their own food photosynthetically like plants. Fungi are useful for the production of beer, bread, medicine, etc. More complex than viruses or bacteria; fungi can be destructive human pathogens responsible for various diseases in humans. Most people have a strong natural immunity against fungal infection. However, fungi can cause diseases when this immunity breaks down. In the last few years, fungal infection has increased strikingly and has been accompanied by a rise in the number of deaths of cancer patients, transplant recipients, and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients owing to fungal infections. The growth rate of fungi is very slow and quite difficult to identify. A series of molecules with antifungal activity against different strains of fungi have been found in insects, which can be of great importance to tackle human diseases. Insects secrete such compounds, which can be peptides, as a part of their immune defense reactions. Active antifungal peptides developed by insects to rapidly eliminate infectious pathogens are considered a component of the defense munitions. This review focuses on naturally occurring antifungal peptides from insects and their challenges to be used as armaments against human diseases.     

大蜡螟医学真菌感染模型的研究现况

在研究真菌感染中建立合适的真菌感染动物模型非常重要,大蜡螟幼虫作为昆虫动物模型之一,相比于其他的动物模型具有多种技术优势,目前已被广泛用于新型隐球菌、小孢子菌、红色毛癣菌、念珠菌属、暗色真菌、马尔尼菲青霉菌、黄曲霉和烟曲霉等多种致病菌的毒力、发病机制、免疫学改变、抗菌药物的开发以及系统性真菌感染的治疗等各个研究领域。研究表明大蜡螟感染模型研究结果与哺乳动物的结果相似,因此可以用大蜡螟来替代哺乳动物进行相关研究,从而减少了实验对哺乳动物的依赖性。     

抗真菌植物基因工程的策略和进展

所有高等植物都受多种真菌的侵害,水稻的240多种病害中真菌性痫害占90％。,可见真菌病害是世界范围内危害作物产蘑的主要因素之一,是长期以来作物育种学家一直在努力攻克的难题。目前国     

Gastrointestinal Colonization of Fungi

The human gastrointestinal tract is colonized with trillions of commensal microbes, and disturbances in the equilibrium of the gut microbiota have now been shown to be associated with a number of human diseases. Fungi, particularly Candida spp., are normal, harmless residents of the human gut, but in certain instances can cause invasive infections and inflammatory disorders. This paper will review the fungal diversity in the human gut, host and fungal factors that regulate GI colonization, and how these factors play into the pathogenesis of human disease.     

Comparative biochemical and structural characterizations of fungal polygalacturonases

Endo- and exo-polygalacturonases produced by various fungi are involved in the degradation of pectic substances. They have found a wide range of applications in the food and textile industries. Several phyto-pathogenic fungi secrete polygalacturonases and they act as virulence factors during plant pathogenesis. The comparison of biochemical properties of different fungal polygalacturonases, their mechanism of actions, structural aspects and interactions with inhibitors/proteins could be used as a possible strategy for the fungal-crop disease management. This review focuses on fungal polygalacturonases, including their regulation, comparative biochemical and structural characterizations and their interactions with inhibitors.     

Phospholipase C: Diverse functions in plant biotic stress resistance and fungal pathogenicity

Phospholipase C (PLC) generates various second messenger molecules and mediates phospholipid hydrolysis. In recent years, the important roles of plant and fungal PLC in disease resistance and pathogenicity, respectively, have been determined. However, the roles of PLC in plants and fungi are unintegrated and relevant literature is disorganized. This makes it difficult for researchers to implement PLC-based strategies to improve disease resistance in plants. In this comprehensive review, we summarize the structure, classification, and phylogeny of the PLCs involved in plant biotic stress resistance and fungal pathogenicity. PLCs can be divided into two groups, nonspecific PLC (NPC) and phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC (PI-PLC), which present marked differences in phylogenetic evolution. The products of PLC genes in fungi play significant roles in physiological activity and pathogenesis, whereas those encoded by plant PLC genes mediate the immune response to fungi. This review provides a perspective for the future control of plant fungal diseases.     

Phenotypic switching in fungi

Over the past three decades new fungal diseases have emerged that now constitute a major threat, especially for patients with chronic diseases and/or underlying immune deficiencies. Despite the epidemiologic data, the emergence of stable drug-resistant or hypervirulent fungal strains in human disease has not been demonstrated as seen in emerging viral and bacterial infections. Fungi are eukaryotic microbes that capitalize on a sophisticated built-in ability to generate phenotypic variability. This successful strategy allows them to undergo rapid adaptation in response to environmental challenges, such as individual body locations that may exhibit drastic differences in temperature and pH. Rapid microevolution can also confer drug resistance and protect them from the host’s immune response. This review explores phenotypic switching in pathogenic fungi, including Candida spp and Cryptococcus spp, and how phenotypic switching contributes to the pathogenesis of fungal diseases.     

Phage display against corneal epithelial cells produced bioactive peptides that inhibit Aspergillus adhesion to the corneas

Dissection of host-pathogen interactions is important for both understanding the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and developing therapeutics for the infectious diseases like various infectious keratitis. To enhance the knowledge about pathogenesis infectious keratitis, a random 12-mer peptide phage display library was screened against cultured human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC). Fourteen sequences were obtained and BLASTp analysis showed that most of their homologue counterparts in GenBank were for defined or putative proteins in various pathogens. Based on known or predicted functions of the homologue proteins, ten synthetic peptides (Pc-A to Pc-J) were measured for their affinity to bind cells and their potential efficacy to interfere with pathogen adhesion to the cells. Besides binding to HCEC, most of them also bound to human corneal stromal cells and umbilical endothelial cells to different extents. When added to HCEC culture, the peptides induced expression of MyD88 and IL-17 in HCEC, and the stimulated cell culture medium showed fungicidal potency to various extents. While peptides Pc-C and Pc-E inhibited Aspergillus fumigatus (A.f) adhesion to HCEC in a dose-dependent manner, the similar inhibition ability of peptides Pc-A and Pc-B required presence of their homologue ligand Alb1p on A.f. When utilized in an eyeball organ culture model and an in vivo A.f keratitis model established in mouse, Pc-C and Pc-E inhibited fungal adhesion to corneas, hence decreased corneal disruption caused by inflammatory infiltration. Affinity pull-down of HCEC membrane proteins with peptide Pc-C revealed several molecules as potential receptors for this peptide. In conclusion, besides proving that phage display-selected peptides could be utilized to interfere with adhesion of pathogens to host cells, hence could be exploited for managing infectious diseases including infectious keratitis, we also proposed that the phage display technique and the resultant peptides could be used to explore host-pathogen interactions at molecular levels.