Fungal Infections Flashcards
What type of cells are fungi
Eukaryotic
What is their cell wall made of
Chitin
Fungi are heterotrophic, what does this mean?
An organism that can’t manufacture its own food and instead obtains its food and energy by taking in plant and animal matter
How does fungi ‘grow’
Produce spores which move through water and air
Why is fungus so infectious
High reproductive rate
Slow death so can spread before numbers thin
Broad host range
Yeast vs Mould
- Yeast - single celled
Mould - multicellular - Yeast divide by budding whilst moulds develop from hyphae
What are dimorphic fungi
They can switch from being yeast to mould depending on the environment
What is hyphae
Branching from the cell wall
Example of a dimorphic fungus
Coccidiodes immitis
Ideal conditions for C immitis
Warm, arid conditions
When does C immitis grow as mould
ambient temperature
How is C immitis spread
Light so by wind
When do C immitis convert from mould to yeast
At body temperature after inhalation
What disease does C immitis cause
Pneumonia
Why do not many fungi cause human infection
- Denature at 37 degrees
2. Our strong immune responses
How common are life-threatening fungal infections
Very uncommon
What is Otitis Externa
Inflammation of external ear canal
What is Onychomycosis
Final nail infection
What is Tinea Pedis
Athlete’s foot
Name five fungi which can cause life-threatening disease in immunocompromised hosts
- Candida
- Invasive aspergillosis
- Pneumocystis
- Cryptococcosis
- Mucormycosis
What does candida commonly cause in the mouth
Thrush
Why does Invasive aspergillosis take place
Cause the immune system can’t stope spores from reaching the bloodstream via the lungs
What does invasive aspergillosis often cause
TB
Two life-threatening fungal diseases in healthy hosts
- Fungal asthma
2. Travel associated fungal infections
Four characteristics of selective toxicity drugs for fungal infections
- Target receptors not in humans
- Target receptors is different to any human analogues
- Drug is concentrated in organism cell
- Increased permeability to compound
How do human cells survive selective toxicity drugs
- They use alternative metabolic pathways
Why is selective toxicity more difficult for fungi than bacteria
Eukaryotic
Four components of the final cell wall
- Mannoproteins
- B1,3, gluons
- B1,6 gluons
- Chitin
What is the plasma membrane of fungus made of
Ergosterol
Difference in composition of plasma membrane in humans and fungus
1, Humans have cholesterol in wall whilst fungi have ergosterol
What is an amphoteric molecule
A molecule with both acid and alkaline properties
What do amphoteric drugs act on in fungal cells
Drugs bind to ergosterol in membrane forming pores in membrane, k+ leakage and death
Why are polyenes like amphoteric drugs selective
- 10 times lower affinity for cholesterol in mammalian membrane s
Does this mean polyenes can’t cause damage in host cells
No, they can (dose dependant)
What are side-effects of polyenes
- Anaphylactic reactions, hypotension
- Hyperkalemia
- Hypokalaemia if distal renal uses are effected
Describe the ergosterol synthetic pathway
Acetyl CoA -> Farnesyl Pyrophosphate -> Squalene -> Squalene Eposide
-> Lanosterol -> 4,4-dimethylcholesta-8,14,24-trienol -> 4,4-dimethyltrymosterol -> Fecosterol -> Episterol -> Ergosta-5,7,24(28)-trienol -> Ergosterol