Yest and mold Flashcards
Mycology
Macroscopic and microscopic organisms
Microbiology includes ONLY microscopic fungi
Chemoheterotrophs
Use organic chemical substances as sources of energy
Saprophytes
Obtaining nutrients from dead organic material
Oxygen requirements
- Most fungi are obligate aerobes need oxygen
- Some yeasts, however, are facultatively anaerobic obtain through fermentation
Chemical requirements for fungi
- Grow better in at pH 5
- Sabouraud Media is the selective media
- Acid inhibit growth
- Grow in high sugar and salt concentration; resistant to osmotic pressure
- Can grow in low moisture content
- Can metabolize complex carbohydrates
Yeasts
- Monocellular. Occasionally
organised into pseudohyphae - Asexual reproduction
- Form white, smooth, round, uniform colonies
Molds
- Pluricellular, organised into
hyphae - Asexual or sexual reproduction
- Fuzzy colonies with a variety of colours
Similarities and differences between bacteria and fungi
- Fungi is eukaryotic whereas bacteria is prokayotic
- Sterol is present in fungi but not in bacteria
- Bacteria has Peptidoglycan whereas fungi has chitin
- Bigger nucleus and organelles in fungi but not bacteria
Fungal vs mammalian cells
- Fungal has cell wall
- Plasma membrane possesses different sterols (ergosterol)
- Presence of vacuoles in fungi - Large compartments for storage of molecules, protein degradation
Chitin
- layer, a long-chain polymer of
N-acetylglucosamine
Glucans
- Polysaccharides of D-glucose monomers network
Mannoproteins
- Glycoprotiens that are on the external side
Echinocandin
- Targets the synthesis of glucans
Polyenes
- Nystatin is an example of targets ergosterol and causes pores in the cell membrane
Azoles
- Flucanzole is an example of allylamines prevent the synthesis of ergosterol
Importance of fungi
- Degrading organic materials
- Making alcoholic beverages (wine, beer)
- Food preparation (bread, some cheeses, soy sauce)
- Commercial production of some organic acids (gallic, citric)
- Manufacturing of drugs (ciclosporins) and antibiotics (penicillin)
- Commensal microbes of normal microbiota
Harmful effects of fungi
- Food spoilage
- Contamination of pharmaceutical preparations
- Causing diseases
- Example of mycoses
Spread of mycoses
- Generally from the environment to people (by spores)
- By spores (moulds) or direct contacts (yeasts)
- Limited person-to-person spread
Entry site of Mycoses
- Skin - direct contact, cuts, splinters
- Lungs - inhaling spores
Virulence factors of mycoses
- Mycotoxins
- Enzymes
Superfical fungal infection
- Outer skin layer or on hair shafts
caused mostly by yeasts example of black Piedra and dandruff
Cutaneous fungal infections
- Affects keratin-containing tissues
- Example ringworms and atheletes foot
Subcutaneous fungal infection
- Chronic infection of subdermal tissues may require surgical intervention
- Sporotrichosis is the example of infection
Systemic fungal infection
- Infection deep within body, affects many tissues and organs such as Blastomycosis
Opportunistic fungal infection
- Caused by normal microbiota or fungi that are not usually pathogenic such as Candidiasis Aspergillosis
Pateients at risk of Mycoses
- Impaired immune system
- Surgery and long-term use of
corticosteroids - Indwelling catheters
- Chemotherapy for malignant cancer, Solid organ
transplantation
Yeasts
- Unicellular and non-filamentous organisms with oval/spherical shape
Reproduction of yeast
- Asexual reproduction
- Most by budding
- New organism develops from an outgrowth (bud)
- ASYMETRICAL cell division at one particular site
- Parent remains the same
- Could be caused by binarry fission
Candida yeast
- Most clinically relevant yeast
Polymorphic yeast
- Pseudohyphae may be formed
- Budding yeast cells that remain attached to each other
Normal microbiota
- Lives in the oral cavity, GI and genital tracts
- common cause of fungal opportunistic infections
- Immunocompromised patients or when the microbiota is altered
Candidasis
- Infections caused by any species of Candida
- Oral lining of your mouth Candida
Genus Cryptococcus
- Spherical, single cell yeast
- Surrounded by a peculiar and unusual
polysaccharide capsule
Pathogen with low virulence
- Cryptococcus is NOT part of normal microbiota
- However, it causes serious infections merely in severely immune compromised
Moulds
- Multicellular organisms consisting of threadlike
tubular structures called hyphae - The hyphae form together to produce a mat-like
structure called a mycelium
Vegetative mycelium
- Elongates to obtain nutrients and anchor the mould on the Agar
Aerial mycelium
- Grow on top and have
reproduction function and produces spores
Mould reproduction
- Sexual or asexual
- Mould can reproduce asexually by fragmentation:
- Fragment into sections and grow
Asexual spore production
- Organism produced by mitosis
Sexual spore production
- Involves the fusion of haploid spores (after meiosis)
from partner of opposite mating type
Genus Aspergillus
- Ubiquitous moulds found in soil, on plants
Pulmonary aspergillosis
- Interstitial pneumonitis or localized ball-shaped infiltrates
Invasive aspergillus
- Infection can
spread from lung to heart, brain, kidneys
Selective toxicity for antifungal drugs
- Challenging than antibiotics due to similarity with human cells
- toxicity is observed, especially in chronic infection
Treatment for aspergillosis
- Voriconazole Within the class of azoles targeting synthesis of ergosterol
Invasive candidiasis treatment
- Echinocandins targeting synthesis of glucans which is a component of the cell wall