INTRODUCTION TO MYCOLOGY  Human pathogens

 Cause spoilage of certain foods

Case Study
 Used in the production of bread, cheese, wine and
an 18yo/male went to his doctor due to a 1-week beer.
history of pruritus on his back and occasionally on his chest.
He noted some “white” patches on his skin. This started after
getting himself to a swimming party in a public pool.
Furthermore, he admitted that he is a “sweaty’ type of person
especially during summer. And that he was “sickly” these past
few weeks. No other co-morbidities noted, rest of his medical
histories were U/R.

On PE, there were hypopigmented finely scaly

macules and patches on his back and chest. No other
significant lesions were noted in other parts of his body. Other
Organ systems were Normal.

Tinea
versicolor- Malassezia furfur

General Characteristics

 Eukaryotic cells
 Lack chlorophyll 🡪 does not photosynthesize.
 Obligate aerobes or facultative anaerobes
 Heterotrophs
 Require a preformed organic source of carbon
🡪ENERGY.
 Natural habitat: Environment
- Exception: Candida albicans (normal human
flora)
 Principal Decomposers
 Differs from other eukaryotes: CHITIN in their Cell
walls.

Fungal Morphology

 Cell wall – chitin; surrounds the cell membrane.

- carbohydrates and protein.
- potent antigens
 Cell membrane – bilayered
- contains ERGOSTEROL.
 Capsule – polysaccharide coating surrounds the cell
wall. Protection against phagocytosis
- stained with India ink stain.
 Hypha – Basic Structural unit
 Mycelium – Aggregates of Hypha
 Grow in warm, humid, damp, low saline 2 Forms of hypha
environments.
 1. Septate hypha – with crosswalks/partitions
2. Aseptate Hypha – continuous

- Ex: Zygomycetes, Rizous, Mucor

Parts of Fungi

2 phases/types

A. MOLD phase – cottony mycelial mass

- grows on Room Temperature
- occurs in filaments/ hyphae.
Reproduction of Fungi
 SEXUALLY or ASEXUALLY
- Sexual Reproduction – Fungi Imperfecti
- Asexual Reproduction – Perfect Fungi

Asexual Reproduction

 Through BUDDING/FRAGMENTATION/FISSION
B. YEAST Phase – creamy colonies resembling
 Undergoes MITOSIS
bacterial colonies
 Spores are asexually produced from mycelium.
- grows at 37C
 Asexual Spores
- consist with solitary cells produce by budding
1. Sporangiospores – enclosed in Sporangium
(Ex. Rhizopus sp., Mucor sp)
2. Conidiospores – at the end of the hyphae
(Ex. Aspergillus, Penicillum)
3. Chlamydiospore – in between hyphae (Ex.
Candida sp)
4. Arthrospores – fragmentation of hyphae (Ex.
Trichosporon)
5. Blastospores – budding (Ex. Candida
albicans)

2 forms

1. Monomorphic – Mold / yeast

2. Dimorphic – capable of 2 growths: Mold to Yeast/
Yeast to Mold

Sexual
Reproduction
  Involves mating/sexual cycle (fusion of 2 hyphae
with their nuclei)
 Undergoes MEIOSIS
 2 mating systems:
- HETEROTHALLIC – requires other
(vid)
individual thallus
- HOMOTHALLIC – have the ability to self- 3. Periodic Acid Shiff – in fungi, Magenta
fertile color
 Uses Specialized spore-forming structures for 4. Lactophenol cotton blue – blue discoloration
reproduction: of CW
1. Ascospores – they are enclosed in Ascus/asci
2. Zygospores – fusion of 2 gametes / haploid
nuclei (ex. Zygomycetes)
3. Oospore - forms when an oogonium (female
gamete) is fertilized by an antheridial (male
gamete) nucleus (ex. Oomycota)
4. Basidiospore – enclosed in a club-shaped
Basidium (ex. Basidiomycetes)
B. Culture
1. Saboraud Dextrose Agar – General isolation
2. Mycosel/Mycobiotic - SDA +
Cycloheximide and chloramphenicol
3. Cornmeal Agar -studying mycelium or
pseudomycelium formation, and for the
study of Candida species.
4. Birdseed agar - used for selective isolation
and differentiation of Cryptococcus
neoformans from other.Cryptococcus and
other yeasts
Clinical Diseases 5. Cottonseed agar – used to convert
Blastomyces mold to yeast phase.
C. Biochemical Test
1. Germ Tube test - outgrowth produced by
spores of spore- releasing fungi during
germination.
- sample is suspended in a serum then
examined under microscopy for the presence
of Germ Tube

Mode of Infection

 Inhalation of spores or inoculation by trauma into the

skin/ direct contact / too much or unnecessary taking
antibiotic. 2. Urease Test - Cryptococcus neoformans,
Coccidioides immitis, Histoplasma
Laboratory diagnosis capsulatum, Sporothrix schenckii,
A. Microscopic Trichosporon, Aspergillus.
3. Hair Perforation Test – use to differentiates
1. KOH mount (10%) – dissolves keratin Dermatophytes.
2. Staining – India Ink, methenamine silver, Urease Test
calcofluor white
Hair Baiting Test Tinea versicolor- Malassezia furfur

Antifungal Therapy

 Polyenes – binds to Ergosterol; Amphotericin B

 Azoles – inhibits conversion of lanosterol to
ergosterol; Miconazole.
 Allylamines – inhibits epoxidase; Terbinafine.
 Echinocandins – inhibits glucan formation;
Caspofungin

Classification

 Based on Route of Acquisition

 Based on Virulence
 Based on Site

BASED ON ACQUISITION

 EXOGENEOUS ROUTE- airborne, cutaneous

(trauma/direc inoculation)
 ENDOGENUS ROUTE- colonization by normal
flora

- reactivation of previous infection

BASED ON VIRULENCE

 PRIMARY INFECTION – direct

infection/establishment of pathogen
 OPPORTUNISTIC - causes diseases in
immunocompromised/ weakened immune system

BASED ON SITES

 SUPERFICIAL MYCOSES
 CUTANEOUS MYCOSES
 SUBCUTANEOUS MYCOSES
 DEEP/SYSTEMIC MYCOSES

SUPERFICIAL MYCOSES

 Affects the superficial layer of the skin

 Confined to the Striatum corneum
 Does not illicit inflammation
CUTANEOUS MYCOSES SUBCUTANEOUS MYCOSES

 involve the integument and its appendages, including  infects the subcutaneous tissues usually at the point
hair and nails (stratum corneum or deeper layers of of traumatic inoculation
the epidermis)  inflammatory response develops in the subcutaneous
 Can illicit inflammation tissue frequently with extension into the epidermis
 DERMATOPHYTOSIS
Sporotrichosis- Sporothrix
 Dermatophytes: Trichophyton, Microsporum,
Epidermophyton

Tinea corporis- Trichophyton

DEEP/SYSTEMIC MYCOSES

 Involves organ systems

 Routes: Respiratory Tract, Digestive Tract,
Circulatory system

Histoplasma capsulatum