FUNGAL PIGMENTATION AND TURGOR PRESSURE HUMAN MYCOSES

真菌色素沉着和膨压人类真菌病

• 批准号: 2005735
• 负责人: NICHOLAS P MONEY
• 金额: $ 10.27万
• 依托单位: MIAMI UNIVERSITY OXFORD
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-05-01 至 2000-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/2005735
• 关键词: Ascomycetes; cell osmotic pressure; crystallization; melanins; membrane permeability; microorganism culture; mycosis; plant diseases; virulence

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): This project is concerned with pathogenesis in the dark-pigmented fungus Wangiella dermatitidis, an opportunistic pathogen of humans that is a cause of subcutaneous and systemic infections termed phaeohyphomycoses. The primary aim is to test the hypothesis that melanin synthesis in Wangiella is linked to the generation of high intracellular (turgor) pressures that are necessary for invasive growth. This idea is founded on a well-established relationship between melanin and fungal pathogenicity, and on prior research on the plant pathogen Magnaporthe grisea, that causes rice blast disease. The turgor pressure generated by yeast cells and hyphae of wild-type and melanin-deficient strains of Wangiella will be determined from measurements of the melting point of ice crystals within individual cells. This is a new technique in which the crystallization and melting of intracellular ice are controlled with a cold stage. The effect of pigmentation on cell wall permeability will also be tested and permeability data will be correlated with the turgor measurements to study their association. Spectroscopic methods will be used to examine changes in cellular osmolyte composition related to melanization and any measured turgor buildup, and experiments on invasive growth by melanized and non-melanized strains of Wangiella will provide information of clinical significance. These experimental aims are unified by the hypothetical link between pigmentation and pressure which underpins the whole project. Because Wangiella can be cultured safely using standard laboratory facilities, it is a superb model for student research on fungal pathogenesis, and information gathered from this study may also be applicable to diseases caused by more virulent human pathogens. Therefore, the planned experiments on Wangiella may ultimately suggest new approaches for controlling diseases caused by dematiaceous fungi. This project is designed to fulfill the goals of the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) Program and will therefore enrich both mycological research and teaching at Miami University.

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：该项目涉及 在深色真菌Wangiella dermativitis中发病， 人类的机会致病菌，是皮下和 称为暗色丝孢菌病的全身性感染。 主要目的是测试 假设黑色素合成在Wangiella是链接到 产生高细胞内（膨压）压力， 侵入性生长 这个想法是建立在一个良好的关系 黑色素和真菌致病性之间的关系，以及对植物的先前研究 稻瘟病菌，导致稻瘟病。 膨压 由野生型酵母细胞和菌丝产生的压力， 将通过测量确定旺氏菌属的黑色素缺陷菌株 冰晶的熔点。 这是一个新 细胞内冰的结晶和融化的技术， 由冷台控制。 色素对细胞壁的影响 还将测试渗透率，并将渗透率数据进行关联 来研究它们之间的联系。 光谱 方法将用于检查细胞渗透液组成的变化 与黑化和任何测量的膨压积聚有关， 黑化和非黑化的Wangiella菌株的侵入性生长将 提供具有临床意义的信息。 这些实验目标是 统一于色素沉着和压力之间的假设联系， 支撑着整个项目。 由于Wangiella可以安全地培养， 标准的实验室设施，是学生研究的极好模型。 真菌的发病机制，从这项研究中收集的信息也可能是 适用于由更致命的人类病原体引起的疾病。 因此，我们认为， 计划中的对Wangiella的实验最终可能会提出新的方法， 用于防治由暗色真菌引起的病害。 这个项目是 旨在实现学术研究促进奖的目标 （地区）计划，因此将丰富真菌学研究和 在迈阿密大学教书