33 – Fungal Fundamentals Flashcards
1
Q
Microbiological characteristics
A
- Eukaryotes (more similar to us than bacteria)
- Nucleated
- Fungal hyphae
- Cell membrane: ERGOSTEROL
- Very few encountered as pathogens
- *moulds and yeasts (morphological terms)
2
Q
What is fungal hyphae?
A
- Cell walls composed of chitin
- *can target with anti-fungal drugs
3
Q
How do you visualize them?
A
- KOH wet prep
- Transparency tape preparation
- India ink
- Methylene blue
4
Q
Mold vs yeast
A
- *don’t think of them as separate branches
- Mostly morphological terms
- *some are dimorphic (yeast at 35 degree C, mould at colder temperatures)
5
Q
Lifestyles
A
- Aerobic
- Most grow at low temperatures (20-30 degree C)
- Tolerant of high pressures and low pH
- Capable of growing a wide variety of environments
- Very good at degrading polymers
- Some found using radiation as energy
6
Q
Fungi makes yummy food and drinks for us: example of Roquefort cheese
A
- Produces toxin: roquefortine toxin=poisonous to dogs
7
Q
Fungi makes useful things: example
A
- Penicillin from penicillium-species of mold
8
Q
Virulence factors: ‘3 presentations you can get’
A
- Tissue invasion: mycosis
- Toxin production: mycotoxicosis
- Hypersensitivity
9
Q
Mycosis
A
- *tissue invasion
- What you might think of when you think ‘infection’
- Ex. guttural pouch mycosis
10
Q
What are some different mycotoxicosis?
A
- Aflatoxicosis
- Fusariotoxicosis
- Ergotism
11
Q
Aflatoxicosis: example
A
- Aflatoxins in feed affect poultry
12
Q
Fusariotoxicosis: example
A
- Zearalenone is NON-toxic for poultry but causes disease in PIGS
o Reproduction in pigs
13
Q
Ergotism: example
A
- Alkaloids produced by fungi growing on cereals
14
Q
Hypersensitivity (‘virulence factor’)
A
- Moulds growing in damp buildings
- Exacerbation of asthma or hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- Ex. disaster clean up
15
Q
Classification of fungi is a state of flux
A
- Classically based on morphology and sexual reproductive life cycle
- *increasingly relying on DNA sequence