MYCOLOGY & VIROLOGY TRANS OF PATRICIA BADIANG

INTRODUCTION TO MYCOLOGY
NAME OF LECTURER: MA. ROMELLA TUMAMAO, RMT

developmental growth and the main

MYCOLOGY
- Study of fungi, including their taxonomy,
environmental impact and genetic and
biochemical properties.
- From the Greek word “mykes” =
counterpart of Latin word “fungus”.
- MYKES = MUSHROOM / FUNGUS
- the economic constraints of the current
health care environment have prevented
other laboratories from offering Mycologic
testing methods.
- diagnostic clinical mycology is performed
by reference laboratories.
- Reference laboratory in the phil: RITM.
Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-
Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila
FUNGI
• Eukaryotic cell; possess true nucleus
- Fungi are eukaryotic, containing a
nucleus bound by a membrane,
endoplasmic reticulum, and
mitochondria. (Bacteria are
prokaryotes and do not contain these
structures
- Member of the plant family; lacks stem
and roots
target of antifungals to treat fatal
fungal infections.
- Drugs: amphotericin B and azole
group
- Bacteria: CHOLESTEROL
• Reproduction by means of spores,
produced asexually or sexually
• Lacks chlorophyll – for photosynthesis =
for energy production (autotrophs)
• Most or obligate or facultative aerobes
1. OBLIGATE AEROBES – strictly require the
presence of oxygen
2. FACULTATIVE AEROBES – primarily
anaerobes which can still survive in the presence
of oxygen
• Lack of susceptibility to antibacterial
antibiotics
TYPICAL FUNGAL CELL

• Heterotrophic; require organic nutrients

as a source of energy - Fungi are
heterotrophic like animals and most
bacteria; they require organic nutrients as a
source of energy. (PLANTS are
autotrophic)

• Saprophytes - live on dead organic matter

• Chitin and glucan in the cell wall

- CHITIN: major constituent of the cell
walls; a fibrous substance consisting of
polysaccharides; FOR RIGIDITY/
SUPPORT
- Bacteria: PEPTIDOGLYCAN
- GLUCAN: polysaccharide; site of
action of some antifungal drugs

• Ergosterol in the cell membrane

- Ergosterol, the major sterol of fungal
membranes, is essential for
MYCOLOGY & VIROLOGY TRANS OF PATRICIA BADIANG

● Budding - asexual reproduction; a small

2 PHASES / FORMS OF FUNGI bud arises as an outgrowth of the parent
1. MOLD - multicellular; fluffy, cottony, woolly, body.
or powdery colonies. ● Binary fission - asexual reproduction by a
- filamentous fungi separation of the body into two new bodies
● Budding & binary fission - the result is
2. YEAST - unicellular; moist, creamy, opaque or an offspring that has the same genome as
pasty colonies the parent.
EXAMPLES
 Dimorphic fungi: show both a yeast and a 1. Yeast
mold phase - Cryptococcus neoformans,
- Mold at 25- 30º C, yeast at 35- 37º C Saccharomyces cerevisiae

2. Mold
- Dermatophytes, Aspergillus,
Penicillium, Mucor, Rhizopus

3. Dimorphic
- Histoplasma capsulatum, Blastomyces
dermatitidis, Coccidioides immitis,
Penicillium marneffei, Sporothrix
schenckii, Paracoccidoides brasiliesis

BASIC STRUCTURES

MOLD vs YEAST
MYCOLOGY & VIROLOGY TRANS OF PATRICIA BADIANG

1. HYPHAE – long, branching filaments that 2. MYCELIUM – a mass / mat of hyphae

come together to form the mycelium. forming the begative portion of the fungus
(thallus)
2 main types of HYPHAE:
a. SEPTATE HYPHAE – have cellular a. VEGETATIVE MYCELIUM – function in
separation or cross-walls. food adsorption and are the portion that extends
- range in diameter from 3-6 urn. below the agar surface or nutrient substrate
- ALL FUNGI ARE SEPTATE EXCEPT:
Zygomycetes (Rhizopus, Absidia, Mucor) b. AERIAL MYCELIUM – extend above the
agar or nutrient substrate, and their function is to
b. SPARSELY SEPTATE (formerly aseptate) support reproductive structures called conidia;
HYPHAE - contain few if any cellular growing or existing in the air
separations.
- range in diameter from 5-15 urn.
- sparsely septate / coenocytic
- COENOCYTIC – refers to hyphae lacking cross
walls

c. PSEUDOHYPHAE - are a chain of cells

formed by budding that resemble true hyphae
- differ from true hyphae in that they are
considered at the septa, form branches that begin
with septation; have terminal cells smaller than
other cells
- chain of elongated budding cells that have failed
to detached (not true hyphae) TYPES OF REPRODUCTION (Sexual &
Asexual)
 Pectinate – with comb like lateral 1. SEXUAL REPRODUCTION – requires
projections; type of hyphal shape formation of specialized fungal structures called
SPORES.
- PERFECT FUNGI
MYCOLOGY & VIROLOGY
- Sporulation & Spores - there is a
merging of nuclear material / genes
combine. Fusion of nuclear material.
- Self-fertile = homothallic.
- Mating types = heterothallic.
- Fungi that undergo sexual
reproduction are termed perfect fungi.
TYPES OF SPORES:
- 1) ASCOSPORES: Spores contained
in a saclike structure
- 2) BASIDIOSPORES: Spores
contained in a club-shaped structure
- 3) OOSPORES: Spores resulting from
the fusion of cells from two different
hyphae
4) ZYGOSPORES: Spores resulting from
the fusion of two identical hyphae
2. ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION – involves
division of the nucleus and cytoplasm.
- IMPERFECT FUNGI – are the only fungal
group to produce conidia
● Conidia - sporelike asexual reproductive
structures not produced by cleavage,
conjugation, or free-cell formation.
- are only formed by the imperfect
fungi.
a. Conidia morphology is important in
fungal identification.
b. Conidia classification is based on
conidia morphologic development.
TYPES OF CONIDIA:
1. Blastoconidia – conidia that form as the result
of budding. candida
2. Arthroconidia - are conidia resulting from the
TRANS OF PATRICIA BADIANG
fragmentation of hyphae into individual cells.
Some fungi will have arthroconidia separated by
normal (disjunctor) cells.
- Barrel shape
- Geotrichum, Coccidioides,
Trichosporon
3. Chlamydoconidia - result from terminal cells
in the hyphae that enlarge and have thick walls.
These conidia can survive adverse environmental
conditions.
- are found in moulds, whereas similar
structures (chlamydospores) are found in
hyphae produced by some yeasts.
4. Poroconidia – formed by being pushed through
a small pore in the parent cell.
5. Phialoconidia – tube-shaped conidia that can
be branched
6. Annelloconidia – are vase-shaped conidia; the
remaining parent outer cell wall take on a saw-
toothed appearance as the conidia are released.
● Microconidia are single-celled, small
conidia.
- Microsporum, Trichophyton
● Macroconidia are multicellular, large
conidia spindle shape.
- Ring worm fungi
CLASSIFICATION OF FUNGI
1. ZYGOMYCOTA - zygote fungi / lower fungi
- broad, nonseptate hyphae
- Asexual spores: present within a swollen sac-
like structure (sporangium)
- Sexual spores: zygospores
- includes organisms that produce sparsely septate
hyphae and exhibit asexual
- reproduction by sporangiospores and sexual
reproduction by the production of zygospores.
- Ex: Rhizopus, Absidia, Mucor, Rhizomucor,
Cunninghamella
MYCOLOGY & VIROLOGY TRANS OF PATRICIA BADIANG

formation of basidiospores on a
specialized structure called the basidia
- includes smuts, rusts, mushrooms, and
Cryptococcus neoformans complex
(teleomorph: Filobasidiella
neoformans)
- The basidiomycetes are generally plant
pathogens or environmental organisms
that rarely cause disease in humans.
-

2. ASCOMYCOTA – sac fungi

- Reproduce asexually by the formation of conidia
(asexual spores) sexually by the production of
ascospores (present in sac-like strucures called
ascus).
- true septate hyphae
- Teleomorph and anamorph (asexual form)
- All exhibit a sexual form
- Fungi that have different asexual forms of the
same fungus are called synanomorphs
- Numerous yeast species also belong to the
Ascomycota;
these include Saccharomyces spp. and some
species of Candida. ● 4. DEUTEROMYCOTA - Lack a sexual
- Ex: Histoplasma capsulatum (teleomorph: reproductive cycle and are characterized
Ajellomyces); Aspergillus (teleomorph: by their asexual reproductive structures
Eurotium); Saccharomyces spp.; some species (conidia)
of Candida. - Grow as molds and as yeasts
- The basidiomycetes are generally plant
pathogens or environmental organisms
that rarely cause disease in humans.
Ex: Blastomyces dermatitidis, Coccidioides
immitis, Candida albicans, Paracoccidioides
brasiliensis

3. BASIDIOMYCOTA - Club fungi

- Reproduce sexually through the
MYCOLOGY & VIROLOGY TRANS OF PATRICIA BADIANG