Publications

[peripleuritis due to paracoccidioides brasiliensis in a patient with aids].		2003	14628653
production of pro-inflammatory cytokines during the early stages of experimental paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection.	pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in both recruitment and activation of leukocytes migrating into tissues in response to invading pathogens. in this study the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, determined by elisa assays, and the recruitment of leukocytes into the lungs of balb/c mice infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia were evaluated during the early stages of infection. the results showed that infected mice had a significant increase in leukocytes in the ...	2003	14653515
immunity and hypersensitivity to gp43 antigen in susceptible and resistant mice infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	pathogenic mechanisms underlying paracoccidioidomycosis are still poorly understood. a well-established murine model of resistance (mouse lineage a/sn) and susceptibility (lineage b10.a) to p. brasiliensis pulmonary infection was here employed to compare immune response to gp43, the major antigenic component of the fungus. mice were infected and their cellular and humoral immunity to gp43 were investigated for up to 16 weeks. in both mouse strains, challenge with gp43 indistinguishably evoked a ...	2003	14653519
in vitro antifungal activities of anidulafungin and micafungin, licensed agents and the investigational triazole posaconazole as determined by nccls methods for 12,052 fungal isolates: review of the literature.	the echinocandins anidulafungin and micafungin and the triazole posaconazole are currently undergoing phase iii clinical trials. caspofungin and voriconazole have recently been licensed for the treatment of aspergillosis (both agents), other less common mould (voriconazole) and candidal (caspofungin) infections. this review summarizes the published in vitro data obtained by nccls or nccls modified methods on the in vitro fungistatic and fungicidal activities of these five agents for yeasts and m ...	2003	15456349
evaluation of bronchoalveolar cells in pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis.	to investigate the local immune response, the cellular infiltrate and cytokine levels were analysed in bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) from patients with pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis. the group consisted of 19 patients aged 34-65 yrs. the diagnosis was confirmed by demonstration of the fungus in the sputum or bal fluid and by serological tests. cytospin preparations showed an increased number of lymphocytes and neutrophils in bal. a higher number of cd8+ lymphocytes were observed in bal compare ...	2003	14680075
simplified method for producing paracoccidioides brasiliensis exoantigens for use in immunodiffusion tests.	a simplified method to produce paracoccidioides brasiliensis exoantigens for immunodiffusion testing is proposed. it uses technology accessible for small laboratories with few resources in latin america, where paracoccidioidomycosis is endemic. this procedure may replace the more complex procedure, originally proposed by camargo et al. in 1988, that is currently commonly used. it is based on the production of exoantigen by p. brasiliensis isolate b339, a good secretor of the characteristic 43000 ...	2003	14725330
molecular cloning and characterization of two hsp 70 homologous genes from the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a dimorphic fungus, is the etiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), one of the most important systemic mycosis in latin america. two genes (2.2 and 1db5) were cloned, characterized and sequenced; they showed homology with members of hsp70 gene family. by using several probe fragments derived from these genes, levels of expression for each gene were determined by northern blot during transition to the yeast phase. the highest level of hsp70 transcript occurr ...	2003	14968921
mining microorganism est databases in the quest for new proteins.	microorganisms with large genomes are commonly the subjects of single-round partial sequencing of cdna, generating expressed sequence tags (ests). usually there is a great distance between gene discovery by est projects and submission of amino acid sequences to public databases. we analyzed the relationship between available ests and protein sequences and used the sequences available in the secondary database, clusters of orthologous groups (cog), to investigate ests from eight microorganisms of ...	2003	12917813
chemokine production and leukocyte recruitment to the lungs of paracoccidioides brasiliensis-infected mice is modulated by interferon-gamma.	chemokines and chemokine receptors play a role in cell recruitment during granulomatous inflammatory reactions. here, we evaluated the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors and their regulation by ifn-gamma in the course of paracoccidioides brasiliensis (pb) infection in mice. we found an association between kc and mip-1alpha (ccl3) production and neutrophil infiltration in the lungs of pb-infected mice during the early acute phase of infection. high levels of rantes/ccl5, mcp-1/ccl2, ...	2003	12875978
s-adenosyl-l-methionine inhibitors delta(24)-sterol methyltransferase and delta(24(28))-sterol methylreductase as possible agents against paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	we studied the antiproliferative effects of three azasterol analogs [piperidyl-2-yl-5alpha-pregnan-3beta,20(r)-diol (aza-1), 22-piperidin-2-yl-pregnan-22(s),3beta-diol (aza-2), and 22-piperidin-3-yl-pregnan-22(s),3beta-diol (aza-3)] and their effects on the lipid composition of the pathogenic yeastlike phase of the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis. inhibition was 100% for aza-1 at 5 microm, 62% for aza-2 at 10 microm, and 100% for aza-3 at 0.5 microm. the analogs inhibited differen ...	2003	12937003
the role of chlamydospores of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	the role of chlamydospores in the conversion process from a mycelial-to-yeast form using the slide culture method was studied. three clinical isolates and two other isolates from armadillo, belonging to the fungal species paracoccidioides brasiliensis, were cultured on sabouraud dextrose agar (sda), potato dextrose agar (pda) and brain heart infusion dextrose agar (bhida). initially, the mycelial forms of each isolate were grown at 25 degrees c for 7, 14, 30 or 60 days on slide cultures and then ...	2003	12748596
immunohistochemical demonstration of tgf-beta and decorin in paracoccidioidal granulomas.	different patterns of granulomas have been observed in 6- to 8-week-old mice after ip inoculation with 5 x 10(6) yeast cells of paracoccidioides brasiliensis. transforming growth factor-beta (tgf-beta) is a cytokine that has been shown to participate in fibrosis and granuloma formation; its activities seem to be modulated by the small proteoglycan decorin. in the present study, tgf-beta and decorin expression in epiploon granulomas was assessed by immunohistochemistry in susceptible (b10.a) and ...	2003	12886462
functional and genetic characterization of calmodulin from the dimorphic and pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	calmodulin (cam) modulates intracellular calcium signalling and acts on several metabolic pathways and gene expression regulation in many eukaryotic organisms including human fungal pathogens, such as candida albicans and histoplasma capsulatum. the temperature-dependent dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the aetiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). the mycelium (m) to yeast (y) transition has been shown to be essential for establishment of the infection, although the p ...	2003	12892633
negative immunodiffusion test results obtained with sera of paracoccidioidomycosis patients may be related to low-avidity immunoglobulin g2 antibodies directed against carbohydrate epitopes.	immunodiffusion (id) is the serologic test most frequently used for the diagnosis and posttherapy follow-up of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). the id test is highly specific (100%), but its sensitivity is relatively low (90%), leading to false-negative results. the aim of this study was to determine the profiles of antibodies in sera from patients with proven pcm and with negative results in the id test (idneg) versus positive results in the id test (idpos). we analyzed 46 sera from ...	2003	12965908
immunocytochemical localization of cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) in oral mucosa and lymph nodes of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis.	paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm) is a deep mycosis caused by paracoccidioides brasiliensis, with high incidence in brazil. in order to examine the immune response in lesional tissue from patients with pcm, we analyzed cytokines as well as the phenotype of the cell infiltrate. paraffin-embedded tissue from the oral mucosa of eight patients with the localized adult form (af) of pcm and from the lymph nodes of 10 patients with the juvenile form (jf) of pcm was analyzed by immunohistochemistry to detect ...	2003	12824008
thymus invasion and atrophy induced by paracoccidioides brasiliensis in balb/c mice.	literature has shown that immunosuppression observed in systemic mycosis can be related to damage in primary lymphoid organs. we have studied the immunopathological alterations induced experimentally by paracoccidioides brasiliensis in these organs. in this work, thymic alterations induced in balb/c mice during acute and chronic stages of infection are described. it was observed that p. brasiliensis is able to invade the thymic microenvironment, inducing severe atrophy characterized by degenerat ...	2003	12964839
virulence profiles of ten paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates obtained from armadillos (dasypus novemcinctus).	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), the most important systemic mycosis in latin america. the armadillo, dasypus novemcinctus, has been confirmed as the primary natural reservoir of this fungus. its geographic distribution is similar to that of human pcm. in this study, virulence profiles of 10 p. brasiliensis isolates from different armadillos and of two clinical isolates were tested in an experimental hamster model. pathogenicity was evaluated ...	2003	12964840
randomly amplified polymorphic dna as a valuable tool for epidemiological studies of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	randomly amplified polymorphic dna (rapd) has been successfully used to detect genetic variations among isolates of paracoccidioides brasiliensis. however, the usefulness of this technique for assessing important parasitic properties is still unconfirmed. in the present work we further investigated the applicability of rapd in revealing important intrinsic and extrinsic features of this fungus associated with geographical origin, time of isolation, source of clinical specimen, clinical forms of ...	2003	12843011
comparison of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions and pbgp43 genes of paracoccidioides brasiliensis from patients and armadillos (dasypus novemcinctus).	paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates from 10 nine-banded armadillos (dasypus novemcinctus) were comparable with 19 clinical isolates by sequence analysis of the pbgp43 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (its1) and its2 and by random amplified polymorphic dna. in this original its study, eight isolates differed by one or three sites among five total substitution sites.	2003	14662970
the pfr1 gene from the human pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis encodes a half-abc transporter that is transcribed in response to treatment with fluconazole.	we have isolated a gene that encodes a half-abc-transporter, designated pfr1, from the dimorphic human pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which has high identity with members of the abc-superfamily involved in multidrug resistance. the pfr1 gene is predicted to encode a 827 amino acid protein that, in common with mammalian mdr1, has a tm-nbd topology. the transcription of the pfr1 gene is induced by the triazole drug fluconazole but not by amphotericin b, suggesting a role in trans ...	2003	12868056
transcriptome characterization of the dimorphic and pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis by est analysis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a pathogenic fungus that undergoes a temperature-dependent cell morphology change from mycelium (22 degrees c) to yeast (36 degrees c). it is assumed that this morphological transition correlates with the infection of the human host. our goal was to identify genes expressed in the mycelium (m) and yeast (y) forms by est sequencing in order to generate a partial map of the fungus transcriptome. individual est sequences were clustered by the cap3 program and annota ...	2003	12557278
expressed sequence tag analysis of the human pathogen paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast phase: identification of putative homologues of candida albicans virulence and pathogenicity genes.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermodimorphic fungus, is the causative agent of the prevalent systemic mycosis in latin america, paracoccidioidomycosis. we present here a survey of expressed genes in the yeast pathogenic phase of p. brasiliensis. we obtained 13,490 expressed sequence tags from both 5' and 3' ends. clustering analysis yielded the partial sequences of 4,692 expressed genes that were functionally classified by similarity to known genes. we have identified several candida albican ...	2003	12582121
dietary supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid, but not with eicosapentaenoic acid, reduces host resistance to fungal infection in mice.	the effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (dha) and eicosapentaenoic acid (epa) on host resistance to paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection was investigated. mice fed palm oil supplemented with dha showed reduced antifungal activity in the spleen and liver, as compared with mice fed palm oil or soybean oil without supplementation with dha. mice fed dha-supplemented soybean oil also showed reduced antifungal activity in the liver, but the extent of reduction was less profound. this reduction i ...	2003	12928111
case report: severe juvenile type paracoccidioidomycosis with hepatitis c.	we present the case of a 34-year-old man with previous history of hepatitis c and severe juvenile type of paracoccidioidomycosis characterized by involvement of the reticuloendothelial system, eosinophilia, lung compromise (pleural effusion), retinal hemorrhage, and blood culture positive to paracoccidioides brasiliensis. the immune evaluation showed four precipitation lines to p. brasiliensis by the double immunodiffusion test. treatment with amphotericin b and itraconazol resulted in resolutio ...	2003	12685634
programmed cell death in thymus during experimental paracoccidioidomycosis.	many works have shown that immunosuppressive effects induced by systemic mycosis can be related to primary lymphoid organ damage. previous studies in our laboratory showed that paracoccidioides brasiliensis was able to invade the thymus, inducing a severe atrophy with significant reduction of cortical area along with a loss of cortico-medullary boundary. the objective of the present study was to investigate whether thymic atrophy is caused by programmed cell death (pcd) and to examine the ultras ...	2003	12687355
fas-fas ligand (cd95-cd95l) and cytotoxic t lymphocyte antigen-4 engagement mediate t cell unresponsiveness in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis.	the mechanism that leads to the remarkable t cell unresponsiveness to antigens in paracoccidioidomycosis is unknown. we investigated the involvement of cytokines, of fas-fas ligand (fas-fasl)-induced apoptosis, and of cytotoxic t lymphocyte antigen 4 (ctla-4) engagement, in the mediation of this phenomenon. t cell unresponsiveness was not associated with imbalanced cytokine production or with absence of cd28 expression. only patient t cells expressed higher levels of ctla-4, annexin v(+), and fa ...	2003	12717632
melanin and fungi.	production of melanin has been associated with virulence in diverse microorganisms. melanization of fungi has been noted for many years in predominantly subcutaneous infections such as chromoblastomycosis and more recently most extensively studied in a yeast causing systemic infection, cryptococcus neoformans. pigmented fungi are increasingly important human pathogens and currently available antifungals are often sub-optimal for serious infections. this review focuses on recent publications on m ...	2003	12734441
pcr assay for identification of histoplasma capsulatum based on the nucleotide sequence of the m antigen.	the major diagnostic antigens of histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum are the h and m antigens, pluripotent glycoproteins that elicit both humoral and t-cell-mediated immune responses. the gene encoding the m antigen has previously been sequenced, and its sequence has significant overall homology to those of the genes for fungal catalases. regions of the m-antigen gene with little or no homology were used to design four oligonucleotide sequences for application in the pcr detection and identif ...	2003	12574242
evaluation of fungal burden in experimental paracoccidioidomycosis by using the fluorescent dye blankophor.	the fungal load in organs and blood of susceptible and resistant mice infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis was quantitated by using the optical brightener blankophor and compared with cfu counts. fluorescent staining of fungal cells proved to be a quick and easy procedure, suitable for evaluation of paracoccidioidomycotic infection.	2003	12843109
paracoccidioidomycosis and larynx carcinoma.	report of a case of paracoccidioidomycosis associated with a carcinoma: both located in the larynx in a patient whose therapeutic response to antifungal treatment produced a recovery of physical conditions. this case shows the importance of taking into account the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis in all patients with problems in the larynx, especially those who inhabit or inhabited endemic areas of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	2003	12801369
giant blastoconidia of candida albicans. a case report and review of the literature.	we describe a patient with extranodal non-hodgkin lymphoma who developed systemic candidiasis after treatment with a cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy regimen. histologically, the fungal organisms demonstrated markedly enlarged blastoconidia with a variety of morphologic forms, mimicking other mycotic organisms, such as cryptococcus neoformans, blastomyces dermatitidis, and paracoccidioides brasiliensis. the in vivo occurrence of such giant forms is rare, and when observed histologically may r ...	2003	12823045
biosynthesis of chondroitinase and hyaluronidase by different strains of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	the biosynthesis of chondroitinase and hyaluronidase by different isolates of paracoccidioides brasiliensis was investigated in 20 strains isolated from patients (17 strains), a penguin (pygocelis adeliae, one strain), an armadillo (dasypus novemcinctus, one strain) and the environment (dog food, one strain). all the p. brasiliensis isolates studied had the ability to produce chondroitinase and hyaluronidase, although differences in colony morphology and enzyme production were detected among the ...	2003	12748266
protective immunity induced in mice by f0 and fii antigens purified from paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis causes a chronic granulomatous mycosis prevalent in south america, and cell-mediated immunity represents the principal mode of protection against this fungal infection. we investigated whether immunization with p. brasiliensis antigens fractionated by anionic chromatography on fast protein liquid chromatography (fplc) could elicit protective immunity. balb/c mice were immunized by subcutaneous injection of either 10 microg fractions 0 (f0), ii (fii) or iii (fiii) in ...	2004	14670331
paracoccidioidomycosis: reduction in fungal load and abrogation of delayed-type hypersensitivity anergy in susceptible inbred mice submitted to therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.	isogenic mouse strains have previously been characterized as susceptible or resistant to paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection; the former presented anergy in delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions (dth) and progressive disease with high numbers of colony-forming units (cfu), while the later presented preserved dth responses and control of the infectious process. here, we studied whether susceptible mice infected with p. brasiliensis and treated with the antifungal drug trimethoprim-sulfameth ...	2004	12838416
absence of interleukin-4 determines less severe pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis associated with impaired th2 response.	host resistance to paracoccidiodomycosis, the main deep mycosis in latin america, is mainly due to cellular immunity and gamma interferon (ifn-gamma) production. to assess the role of interleukin-4 (il-4), a th2-inducing cytokine, pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis was studied in il-4-deficient (il-4(-/-)) and wild-type (wt) c57bl/6 mice at the innate and acquired phases of immune response. forty-eight hours after infection, equivalent numbers of viable paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells we ...	2004	15039362
identification of genes preferentially expressed in the pathogenic yeast phase of paracoccidioides brasiliensis, using suppression subtraction hybridization and differential macroarray analysis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermodimorphic fungus, is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), the most prevalent systemic mycosis in latin america. pathogenicity appears to be intimately related to the dimorphic transition from the hyphal to the yeast form, which is induced by a shift from environmental temperature to the temperature of the mammalian host. little information is available on the p. brasiliensis genes that are necessary during the pathogenic phase. we have there ...	2004	15138890
binding of laminin to paracoccidioides brasiliensis induces a less severe pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis caused by virulent and low-virulence isolates.	the pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). this pulmonary mycosis, acquired by inhalation of airborne propagules, may disseminate to several internal organs and tissues, leading to severe disease. adhesion to host cell components is the first step involved in dissemination of pathogens. previous studies showed that laminin, the most abundant glycoprotein of the basement membrane, binds to p. brasiliensis yeast cells, enhancing thei ...	2004	15158188
fatal disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis in a two-year-old child.	a two year-old female child was admitted at the pediatric intensive care unit in a septic shock associated with a lymphoproliferative syndrome, with history of fever, adynamia and weight loss during the last two months. on admission, the main clinical and laboratory manifestations were: pallor, jaundice, disseminated enlarged lymph nodes, hepatosplenomegaly, crusted warts on face, anemia, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased direct and indirect bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and gammaglut ...	2004	15057333
agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, an important mycosis endemic to latin america. as the tools to study gene function in p. brasiliensis are only in the early stage of development, there is presently no system that allows for both the delivery and integration of exogenous nucleic acids into its genome. we report in this paper the transformation of the yeast phase of p. brasiliensis (atcc-60855) with agrobacterium tumefaciens (gv3101) carrying the vect ...	2004	15473367
ptx3 function as an opsonin for the dectin-1-dependent internalization of zymosan by macrophages.	pentraxin 3 (ptx3) is a tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1beta-stimulated gene that encodes a long ptx with proinflammatory activity. here, we show that peritoneal macrophages derived from ptx3 transgenic (tg) mice express higher levels of ptx3 mrna than macrophages from wild-type (wt) mice, at basal level as well as upon stimulation with zymosan (zy). macrophages from tg mice also showed improved opsonin-independent phagocytosis of zy particles and the yeast form of the fungus paracoccidio ...	2004	14726497
monofunctional catalase p of paracoccidioides brasiliensis: identification, characterization, molecular cloning and expression analysis.	within the context of studies on genes from paracoccidioides brasiliensis (pb) potentially associated with fungus-host interaction, we isolated a 61 kda protein, pi 6.2, that was reactive with sera of patients with paracoccidioidomycosis. this protein was identified as a peroxisomal catalase. a complete cdna encoding this catalase was isolated from a pb cdna library and was designated pbcatp. the cdna contained a 1509 bp orf containing 502 amino acids, whose molecular mass was 57 kda, with a pi ...	2004	14755642
cloning and expression analysis of the ornithine decarboxylase gene (pbrodc) of the pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	we describe the isolation and sequencing of pbrodc, the gene encoding ornithine decarboxylase (odc) in paracoccidioides brasiliensis. the gene contains a single open reading frame made of 1413 bp with a single intron (72 bp), and encodes a 447 amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular weight of 50.0 kda, an isoelectric point of 4.9 and a high similarity to other fungal ornithine decarboxylases. functionality of the gene was demonstrated by transformation into a saccharomyces cerevisiae o ...	2004	14968427
detection of paracoccidioides brasiliensis gp70 circulating antigen and follow-up of patients undergoing antimycotic therapy.	paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), one of the most important systemic mycoses in central and south america, is caused by the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis and has a high prevalence in brazil. glycoproteins of 43 and 70 kda are the main antigenic compounds of p. brasiliensis and are recognized by western blotting by 100 and 96% of pcm patient sera, respectively. in the present study, an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) was used to detect gp70 in different biologica ...	2004	15472297
synthesis and immunological activity of a branched peptide carrying the t-cell epitope of gp43, the major exocellular antigen of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	the 43 kda glycoprotein (gp43) of paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the major diagnostic antigen of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), a prevalent fungal infection in south america. a 15-mer sequence from gp43, denominated p10, induced t-cd4+ t helper 1 cellular immune responses in mice of three different haplotypes and protected against intratracheal challenge by a virulent isolate of p. brasiliensis. in an attempt to improve delivery of p10, a promiscuous antigen also presented by human leucocyte an ...	2004	14723622
therapeutic activity of a killer peptide against experimental paracoccidioidomycosis.	to evaluate whether an engineered synthetic decapeptide (kp) derived from the sequence of a recombinant anti-idiotypic antibody, that represents the internal image of a pichia anomala killer toxin, could be fungicidal in vitro and therapeutic in vivo against paracoccidioides brasiliensis and paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm).	2004	15448128
dual role of interleukin-4 (il-4) in pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis: endogenous il-4 can induce protection or exacerbation of disease depending on the host genetic pattern.	resistance to paracoccidioidomycosis, the most important endemic mycosis in latin america, is thought to be primarily mediated by cellular immunity and the production of gamma interferon. to assess the role of interleukin-4 (il-4), a th2 cytokine, pulmonary paracoccidioidomycosis in il-4-depleted susceptible (b10.a) and intermediate (c57bl/6) mice was studied. two different protocols were used to neutralize endogenous il-4 in b10.a mice: 1 mg of anti-il-4 monoclonal antibody (mab)/week and 8 mg ...	2004	15213137
down-regulation of dendritic cell activation induced by paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm) endemic in latin america, is a progressive systemic mycosis caused by paracoccidioides brasiliensis (pb). the infection can evolve to different clinical forms that are associated to various degrees of suppressed cell-mediated immunity. with the recognition that dcs are able to initiate response in naïve t cells and that they also participate in th cell education, the present study was undertaken to check whether dcs interact with p. brasiliensis, as well as to elucid ...	2004	15234542
the antigenic and catalytically active formamidase of paracoccidioides brasiliensis: protein characterization, cdna and gene cloning, heterologous expression and functional analysis of the recombinant protein.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a well-characterized pathogen of humans. to identify proteins involved in the fungus-host interaction, p. brasiliensis yeast proteins were separated by liquid isoelectric focusing, and fractions were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blot analysis. immunoreactive bands were detected with pooled sera of patients with p. brasiliensis infection. a protein species with a molecular mass of 45 kda was subsequently purifi ...	2004	15716068
paracoccidioidomycosis: an epidemiologic survey in a pediatric population from the brazilian amazon using skin tests.	since paracoccidioides brasiliensis and histoplasma capsulatum are known to be present in similar environments, there have been many epidemiologic investigations regarding the prevalences of these two organisms. however, cross-reactivity can occur in paracoccidioidin and histoplasmin skin tests, and this usually results in the overestimation of the prevalence of p. brasiliensis. the prevalence of infection with p. brasiliensis was evaluated in a cross-sectional study of 298 asymptomatic school c ...	2004	15238694
differential expression of actin modulated by temperature in mycelial and yeast cells of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	we used yeast and mycelial forms of paracoccidioides brasiliensis to evaluate the effect of heat shock stress on actin expression. p. brasiliensis yeasts harvested during the exponential growth phase showed more expression of the actin mrna when incubated at 40 degrees c than when incubated at 37 degrees c, the usual temperature at which these yeasts grow. in contrast, expression of actin mrna was lower in yeasts incubated at 25 degrees c than in yeasts incubated at 37 degrees c. mycelium harves ...	2004	15124864
development of a species-specific probe for pythium insidiosum and the diagnosis of pythiosis.	pythium insidiosum, the only species in the genus that infects mammals, is the etiological agent of pythiosis, a granulomatous disease characterized by cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions and vascular diseases. accurate diagnosis of pythiosis and identification of its causal agent are often inconsistent with current immunological diagnostic methods. a species-specific dna probe was constructed by using a 530-bp hinfi fragment from the ribosomal dna intergenic spacer of p. insidiosum. when the pro ...	2004	15184412
monitoring gp43 antigenemia in paracoccidioidomycosis patients during therapy.	paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm) is a systemic fungal disease that is particularly important among individuals living and working in rural areas of endemicity in latin america. detection of anti-paracoccidioides brasiliensis antibodies is of limited value due to false-negative results. detection of p. brasiliensis-gp43 circulating antigen is a practical approach for a specific diagnosis of the disease. in a previous study we described an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay able to detect th ...	2004	15184413
evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo dimorphism of sporothrix schenckii, blastomyces dermatitidis, and paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates after preservation in mineral oil.	morphological differentiation has commanded attention for its putative impact on the pathogenesis of invasive fungal infections. we evaluated in vitro and in vivo the dimorphism from mycelial to yeast-phase of sporothrix schenckii, blastomyces dermatitidis and paracoccidioides brasiliensis isolates, two strains for each species, preserved in mineral oil. s. schenckii strains showed typical micromorphology at 25 degrees c but one strain was unable to complete the dimorphic process in vitro. after ...	2004	15284890
paracoccidioidomycosis in a woman with idiopathic hirsutism.	paracoccidioidomycosis, especially the chronic pulmonary form of the disease, is not commonly described in females. data from in vitro and vivo studies support the hypothesis that estrogens might influence the pathogenesis of paracoccidioidomycosis in humans by inhibition of transition of conidia or mycelia to yeast form of paracoccidioides brasiliensis. the authors describe a chronic progressive pulmonary form of paracoccidioidomycosis in a woman with idiopathic hirsutism. in addition to estrog ...	2004	15487322
invasion of epithelial mammalian cells by paracoccidioides brasiliensis leads to cytoskeletal rearrangement and apoptosis of the host cell.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis (pb) yeast cells can enter mammalian cells and probably manipulate the host cell environment to favor their own growth and survival. we studied the uptake of strain pb 18 into a549 lung and vero epithelial cells, with an emphasis on the repercussions in the cytoskeleton and the apoptosis of host cells. cytoskeleton components of the host cells, such as actin and tubulin, were involved in the p. brasiliensis invasion process. cytochalasin d and colchicine treatment s ...	2004	15310464
proteomic identification, nucleotide sequence, heterologous expression and immunological reactivity of the triosephosphate isomerase of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	an antigen of paracoccidioides brasiliensis (pb) was gel isolated and characterized. endoproteinase lys-c-digested peptides of the purified protein, which presented a molecular mass of 29 kda and pi of 5.8, were subjected to sequence analysis of their amino acids. searches at databases comparing the sequence of amino acids from the three peptides of the native protein revealed strong homology to triosephosphate isomerase (tpi: e.c. 5.3.1.1) from several sources. the complete cdna and gene encodi ...	2004	15310465
a morphological and cytochemical study of the interaction between paracoccidiodes brasiliensis and neutrophils.	paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic granulomatous disease caused by the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis. it is the most prevalent systemic mycosis of latin america and 80% of the reported cases are from brazil. because of the great number of neutrophils found in the p. brasiliensis granuloma, studies have been done to evaluate the role of these cells during the development of the infection. scanning and transmission electron microscopy of thin sections showed that the neutrophils ...	2004	15306047
molecular cloning and characterization of a cdna encoding the paracoccidioides brasiliensis 135 ribosomal protein.	a 630 bp cdna encoding an l35 ribosomal protein of paracoccidioides brasiliensis, designated as pbl35, was cloned from a yeast expression library. pbl35 encodes a polypeptide of 125 amino acids, with a predicted molecular mass of 14.5 kda and a pi of 11.0. the deduced pbl35 shows significant conservation in respect to other described ribosomal l35 proteins from eukaryotes and prokaryotes. motifs of ribosomal proteins are present in pbl35, including a bipartite nuclear localization signal (nls) t ...	2004	15283235
molecular cloning and characterization of a cdna encoding the n-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase homologue of paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	a cdna encoding the n-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase (nag) protein of paracoccidioides brasiliensis, pb nag1, was cloned and characterized. the 2663-nucleotide sequence of the cdna consisted of a single open reading frame encoding a protein with a predicted molecular mass of 64.73 kda and an isoeletric point of 6.35. the predicted protein includes a putative 30-amino-acid signal peptide. the protein as a whole shares considerable sequence similarity with 'classic' nag. the primary sequence of pb ...	2004	15283239
detection of gp43 of paracoccidioides brasiliensis by the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) method.	paracoccidioidomycosis is a deep mycosis caused by the thermo-dependent dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis and is prevalent in latin american countries. we detected the species specific gp43 gene of p. brasiliensis by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) in 22 clinical and seven armadillo-derived isolates. the amplified dna appeared as a ladder with a specific banding pattern. the advantage of the lamp method is speed; only 3 h were necessary for identification of the organi ...	2004	15109725
pbhyd1 and pbhyd2: two mycelium-specific hydrophobin genes from the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the etiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, is a dimorphic fungus which is found as mycelia (m) at 26 degrees c and as yeasts (y) at 37 degrees c, or after the invasion of host tissues. although the dimorphic transition in p. brasiliensis and other dimorphic fungi is an essential step in the establishment of infection, the molecular events regulating this process are yet poorly understood. since the differential gene expression is a well-known mechanism which pl ...	2004	15050540
oral paracoccidioidomycosis or squamous cell carcinoma?	paracoccidioidomycosis is a deep, systemic, and progressive mycosis caused by paracoccidioides brasiliensis. oral lesions normally are multiples with a mulberry-like appearance. this article reviews an unusual case involving a chronic, solitary, and ulcerated lesion whose clinical aspects were similar to squamous cell carcinoma. viewed microscopically, the lesion showed pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia and non-necrotizing granulomas. the patient was treated with systemic ketoconazole. over the ...	2004	15055671
chemical composition and microbicidal activity of extracts from brazilian and bulgarian propolis.	the chemical composition of ethanol extracts from a brazilian (et-bra) and a bulgarian (et-blg) propolis, and their activity against the protozoan trypanosoma cruzi, several fungi and bacteria species were determined.	2004	14746537
central nervous system paracoccidioidomycosis: clinical features and laboratorial findings.	to study prospectively the clinical features and laboratorial characteristics of 24 patients with central nervous system (cns) involvement with paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). pcm is an infectious disease caused by the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis, endemic in subtropical areas of central and south america.	2004	14720496
chronic paracoccidioidomycosis in a female patient in austria.	presented here is a case of chronic paracoccidioidomycosis that occurred in a cuban female living in austria and was first misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. the clinical picture was one of progressive pulmonary insufficiency with fever, weight loss and productive cough. since antituberculous therapy was started but did not achieve a long-term clinical response, an intensive diagnostic work-up was performed. paracoccidioides brasiliensis was then diagnosed by histopathology, serology, microbiology an ...	2004	15599655
b and t cell responses elicited by monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (ab2beta) mimicking gp43 from paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis endemic in latin america, with a high prevalence in brazil, argentina, colombia and venezuela. the aetiological agent of disease is the thermal dimorphic fungus, paracoccidioides brasiliensis. a glycoprotein of 43 kd (gp43) is the major antigen of p. brasiliensis. antibodies directed to this antigen are detected in the sera of all patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). recently, it has been shown that mice immunized with anti-gp43 monoclonal anti ...	2004	15196252
the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase homologue is differentially regulated in phases of paracoccidioides brasiliensis: molecular and phylogenetic analysis.	glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) plays important roles in various cellular processes. here we report the sequence and analysis of a novel developmentally regulated gene and cdna (pbgadph), encoding a gapdh homologue (pbgapdh), of the pathogenic dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis. we have analyzed the protein, the cdna and genomic sequences to provide insights into the structure, function, and potential regulation of pbgapdh. that pbgapdh encodes pbgapdh was demonstrat ...	2004	15275662
canine paracoccidioidomycosis.	paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm) is a severe disease caused by the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which is characterized by granulomatous pulmonary and systemic lesions, affecting mainly men between 20 and 60 years of age. reports of pcm disease in animals are rare, but the disease has been described in armadillos. on the other hand, pcm infection of domestic and wild animals detected by serological or cutaneous tests in the absence of apparent disease has been frequently reported. ...	2004	15473365
paracoccidioidomycosis in organ transplant recipient: case report.	paracoccidioidomycosis is a common disease in latin america but it is rare in organ transplant recipient patients. we report on a case of such mycosis in a renal transplant recipient. the patient presented with a large lung cavity on the left lower lobe, a rare radiological presentation of paracoccidioidomycosis. unusual clinical and radiological manifestations of paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection can occur in immunocompromised patients.	2004	15517034
igm and igg antibody response to paracoccidioides brasiliensis in naturally infected wild armadillos (dasypus novemcinctus).	we studied the extent to which wild nine-banded armadillos, dasypus novemcinctus, produce immune humoral responses specifically directed against characteristic paracoccidioides brasiliensis antigens. such antibody production might reflect direct contact with the ecological microniche of p. brasiliensis, or might merely reflect inhalation of widely distributed airborne propagules. an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) was designed containing purified glycoprotein gp43 and gp70 antigens fro ...	2004	15473362
modulation of cd28 and cd86 expression in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis in different periods of treatment.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermo-dimorphic fungus, is the ethiologic agent of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). the recidive is the greatest obstacle of this disease, because the yeast usually returns after the long treatment period. in the present work, we have investigated the cellular immune response of cells from peripheral blood drawn from patients with different duration of pcm. the classification of patients ranged from nontreated to those with long-standing disease over 5 years. unsti ...	2004	15541043
viability of yeast form cells of paracoccidioides brasiliensis after sonication.	to perform in-vitro studies with paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells it is necessary to avoid the presence of clumps of cells while maintaining their integrity. because of the multiple budding type of growth, the bud cells are always attached to the mother cell and the yeast cells keep growing, resulting in the formation of large clumps. in order to obtain free cells, the cultures are usually sonicated. the present study shows that sonication induces lesions in a significant number of cell ...	2004	14982113
isolation of the chs4 gene of paracoccidioides brasiliensis and its accommodation in a new class of chitin synthases.	the nucleotide sequence of a chitin synthase gene (pbrchs4) of the dimorphic fungal human pathogen paracoccidioides brasiliensis has been determined. a homology search with the deduced amino acid sequence of pbrchs4 (1744 aa) reveals the presence of two distinct domains, an n-terminal domain showing up to 30% homology to myosin motor-like domains and a c-terminal domain with up to 68% homology to chitin synthases, as has been reported for some class v chitin synthases. however, unlike class v ch ...	2004	14982114
central nervous system paracoccidioidomycosis: case report and review.	paracoccidioidomycosis is a systemic infection caused by a dimorphic fungus (paracoccidioides brasiliensis). the most common lesions frequently occur in the bucopharinx mucosa. other lesions occur in the adrenal glands, liver, bone, gastrointestinal tract, lungs and nervous system. we report here a case of neuroparacoccidioidomycosis. the patient was a 49 year-old male, who consulted due to neurological symptoms (cephalalgia, speech difficulty and one tonic clonic seizure with urinary incontinen ...	2004	15469072
separation of paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia through percoll gradients.	the conidia of paracoccidioides brasiliensis are the structures most likely to serve as the infectious propagules of this fungus. this study describes our attempts to purify conidia by eliminating mycelial fragments. purification was attempted using discontinuous 95% and 60% percoll gradients with densities of 1.167 and 1.107, respectively, prepared either in 0.15 mol/l pbs or 0.25 mol/l sucrose. the best results were observed with the 95% and 90% gradients in sucrose; with the former, conidial ...	2004	15473360
detection and selection of microsatellites in the genome of paracoccidioides brasiliensis as molecular markers for clinical and epidemiological studies.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a thermodimorphic fungus, is the causative agent of the prevalent systemic mycosis in latin america, paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). here, we describe the microsatellite patterns observed in a collection of p. brasiliensis random sequence tags. we identified 1,117 microsatellite patterns in about 3.8 mb of unique sequences (0.47% of the total dna used in the analysis). the majority of these microsatellites (87.5%) are found in noncoding sequences. we used two polymor ...	2004	15528688
preventative and therapeutic vaccines for fungal infections: from concept to implementation.	many challenges confront the development of fungal vaccines for humans including differences in host susceptibility, varied pathogenic mechanisms employed by the different species of fungi and mechanisms of host resistance. hence, no single antigen can be expected to serve as a pan fungal vaccine. instead, it is likely that progress for fungal vaccines will have to be made at the level of each individual organism. in recent years, tremendous strides have been made in understanding the immunopath ...	2004	15606355
short report: inhibition by tumor necrosis factor-alpha-activated macrophages of the transition of paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia to yeast cells through a mechanism independent of nitric oxide.	it is known that peritoneal murine macrophages activated with interferon-gamma exert a fungicidal effect against paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia by a nitric oxide (no)-mediated mechanism. this no-mediated effect can also be induced by other cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-alpha). the aim of this study was to determine if tnf-alpha-activated peritoneal murine macrophages infected with p. brasiliensis were able to show fungistatic/fungicidal effects mediated by no. the res ...	2004	15642978
virulence of paracoccidioides brasiliensis and gp43 expression in isolates bearing known pbgp43 genotype.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the dimorphic fungus responsible for human paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm). we previously observed that p. brasiliensis isolates bearing highly polymorphic pbgp43 of genotype a (pb2, pb3 and pb4) were phylogenetically distant from the others. the pbgp43 gene encodes an immune dominant diagnostic antigen (gp43), and its polymorphism reflects broader genetic diversity in the species. in the present study, we observed that isolates with pbgp43 of genotype a showed low ...	2004	15716071
immune response in dogs experimentally infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	the aim of the present study was to evaluate the immune response of young dogs experimentally infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis. six dogs were infected intravenously with p. brasiliensis and one control dog was inoculated with sterile saline. the infected animals were sacrificed in groups of two at 1, 6 and 12 months after infection. during the experimental period, the immune responses of the dogs to the fungus were followed by elisa (igm and igg), by the immunodiffusion test and by th ...	2004	15682644
the ajellomycetaceae, a new family of vertebrate-associated onygenales.	phylogenies inferred from the analysis of dna sequence data have shown that the onygenales contains clades that do not correspond with previously described families. one lineage identified in recent molecular phylogenetic studies includes the dimorphic pathogens belonging to the genera ajellomyces, emmonsia and paracoccidioides. to evaluate the degree of support for this lineage and determine whether it includes additional taxa, we examined relationships among the members of this clade and selec ...	2004	21148901
therapeutic targets in paracoccidioides brasiliensis: post-transcriptome perspectives.	the rise in antifungal resistance, observed as a result of the increasing numbers of immunocompromised patients, has made the discovery of new targets for drug therapy imperative. the description of the paracoccidioides brasiliensis transcriptome has allowed us to find alternatives to refine current therapy against paracoccidioidomycosis. we used comparative analysis of expressed sequence tags to find promising drug targets that have been addressed in other pathogens. we divided the analysis int ...	2005	16110455
hydrolytic enzymes in paracoccidioides brasiliensis--ecological aspects.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a thermally dimorphic fungus that causes paracoccidioidomycosis. the yeast form of this pathogen is found in the animal host whereas the mycelial form is recovered from living and non-living organic material. the sole carbon source available in these habitats is represented by polysaccharides from the plant cell wall. hydrolytic enzymes are necessary to convert these polymers into simple sugars for fungal metabolism. we report on the presence of ortholog genes of ...	2005	16110456
alpha-galf i -->6-alpha-mannopyranoside side chains in paracoccidioides brasiliensis cell wall are shared by members of the onygenales, but not by galactomannans of other fungal genera.	the water-soluble polysaccharide fraction of the cell wall alkali extract (f1ss) from the mycelial phase of the dimorphic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis is compared with f1ss polysaccharides obtained from the onygenalean mycelial fungi ascocalvatia alveolata, onygena equina and aphanoascus terreus. these polymers were exclusively composed of mannose and galactose. data from methylation and nmr analyses reveal that f1ss polysaccharides from the four fungi contain the same residues although ...	2005	15832558
kinetics of cytokines and chemokines gene expression distinguishes paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection from disease.	the human infection with paracoccidioides brasiliensis may result in three major outcomes: the paracoccidioidomycosis-infection (pi), the adult form (af) and the juvenile form (jf) of the disease. the aim of this study was to compare the immunological response among these groups. the gene expression of multiple cytokines, including il-4, il-5, il-6, il-10, ifn-gamma, tnf-alpha and tgf-beta1, and chemokines, cxcl8, cxcl9 and cxcl10 was evaluated by rt-pcr in peripheral blood mononuclear cells uns ...	2005	16174562
transcriptional profiles of the human pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis in mycelium and yeast cells.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, a disease that affects 10 million individuals in latin america. this report depicts the results of the analysis of 6,022 assembled groups from mycelium and yeast phase expressed sequence tags, covering about 80% of the estimated genome of this dimorphic, thermo-regulated fungus. the data provide a comprehensive view of the fungal metabolism, including overexpressed transcripts, stage-specific genes, and also those th ...	2005	15849188
molecular model for studying the uncultivated fungal pathogen lacazia loboi.	lacazia loboi is an uncultivated fungal pathogen of humans and dolphins that causes cutaneous and subcutaneous infections only in the tropical areas of the americas. it was recently found by phylogenetic analysis that this unusual pathogen is closely related to paracoccidioides brasiliensis and to the other fungal dimorphic members of the order onygenales. that original phylogenetic study used universal primers to amplify well-known genes. however, this approach cannot be applied to the study of ...	2005	16081893
diagnosis of neuroparacoccidioidomycosis by detection of circulating antigen and antibody in cerebrospinal fluid.	neuroparacoccidioidomycosis (neuropcm) is the central nervous system infection by the fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis. its diagnosis is a difficult task that depends on neuroimaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. however, the detection of circulating p. brasiliensis antigens in body fluids by inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (inh-elisa) has provided encouraging results. in this study, 14 cerebrospinal fluid (csf) and 11 serum samples of pa ...	2005	16145126
hygromycin b-resistance phenotype acquired in paracoccidioides brasiliensis via plasmid dna integration.	yeast cells of the human pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis strain pb01 were transformed to hygromycin b resistance using the plasmid pan7.1. transformation was achieved by electroporation, with intact or linearized plasmid dna. the fungus was transformed using 200 mm manitol, 5 or 7 kv/cm field strength, 25 microf capacitance, 400 omega resistance, 5 microg plasmid dna and 10(7) yeast cells in 400 microl, and selected in bhi medium overlaid with 30 microg/ml hygromycin b (hygb). mi ...	2005	16422302
molecular detection of paracoccidioides brasiliensis in soil.	the objective of the present study was to evaluate different techniques for the detection of paracoccidioides brasiliensis in soil, e.g., culture, animal inoculation and specific dna amplification by nested pcr. we designed species-specific inner primers derived from rdna regions (its, 5.8s gene) and found their sensitivity to be higher than culture and animal inoculation. in addition, the sensitivity of these primers was higher than p27-gene primers developed for detection of p. brasiliensis in ...	2005	16422303
bioinformatics of the paracoccidioides brasiliensis est project.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, an endemic mycosis of latin america. this fungus presents a dimorphic character; it grows as a mycelium at room temperature, but it is isolated as yeast from infected individuals. it is believed that the transition from mycelium to yeast is important for the infective process. the functional and differential genome of paracoccidioides brasiliensis project--pbgenome project was developed to study the infection proce ...	2005	16110442
expression of adhesion molecules in lungs of mice infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia.	in infected tissues, leukocyte recruitment is mediated by interactions between adhesion molecules, expressed on activated vascular endothelial cells, and ligands present on circulating cells. we evaluated the inflammatory response and the expression of cellular adhesion molecules (icam-1, vcam-1, cd18, lfa-1 and mac-1) in lungs of balb/c mice infected with paracoccidioides brasiliensis conidia. when compared with uninfected animals, infected mice had a significant increase in the inflammatory re ...	2005	15857804
glutathione-dependent extracellular ferric reductase activities in dimorphic zoopathogenic fungi.	in this study, extracellular glutathione-dependent ferric reductase (gsh-fer) activities in different dimorphic zoopathogenic fungal species were characterized. supernatants from blastomyces dermatitidis, histoplasma capsulatum, paracoccidioides brasiliensis and sporothrix schenckii strains grown in their yeast form were able to reduce iron enzymically with glutathione as a cofactor. some variations in the level of reduction were noted amongst the strains. this activity was stable in acidic, neu ...	2005	16000713
functional genome of the human pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a dimorphic and thermo-regulated fungus which is the causative agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, an endemic disease widespread in latin america. pathogenicity is assumed to be a consequence of the cellular differentiation process that this fungus undergoes from mycelium to yeast cells during human infection. in an effort to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in this process a network of brazilian laboratories carried out a transcriptome project for both c ...	2005	16061364
cell signaling pathways in paracoccidioides brasiliensis--inferred from comparisons with other fungi.	the human fungal pathogen paracoccidioides brasiliensis is an ascomycete that displays a temperature-dependent dimorphic transition, appearing as a mycelium at 22 degrees c and as a yeast at 37 degrees c, this latter being the virulent form. we report on the in silico search made of the p. brasiliensis transcriptome-expressed sequence tag database for components of signaling pathways previously known to be involved in morphogenesis and virulence in other species of fungi, including saccharomyces ...	2005	16110443
isolation and partial characterization of a 30 kda adhesin from paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	the virulence of paracoccidioides brasiliensis can be attenuated or lost after long periods of repeated subculturing and reestablished after animal inoculation. only one adhesin (gp43) has been described until now, among the various identified components of p. brasiliensis, and gp43 shows adhesion to laminin. thus, the present study was designed to isolate and characterize factors putatively related to the capacity of this fungus to adhere to the host by comparing p. brasiliensis samples, taken ...	2005	15862780
the highly expressed yeast gene pby20 from paracoccidioides brasiliensis encodes a flavodoxin-like protein.	a gene encoding the entire highly expressed protein previously identified in the proteome of paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells as pby20 has been isolated. the pby20 sequence reveals an open reading frame of 1364bp and a deduced amino acid sequence of 203 residues, which shows high identity to benzoquinone reductase from phanerochaete chrysosporium (72.0%), saccharomyces cerevisiae ycp4 (65%), and schizosaccharomyces pombe p25 (59%), and to allergens from alternaria alternata alt a7 (70%) ...	2005	15809007
failure of nitric oxide production by macrophages and decrease in cd4+ t cells in oral paracoccidioidomycosis: possible mechanisms that permit local fungal multiplication.	paracoccidioidomycosis is a chronic granulomatous disease that induces a specific inflammatory and immune response. the participation of nitric oxide (no), a product of the inducible nitric oxide synthase enzyme (inos), as an important fungicidal molecule against paracoccidioides brasiliensis has been demonstrated. in order to further characterize the oral paracoccidioidomycosis (op), we undertook an immunohistochemical study of inos+, cd45ro+, cd3+, cd8+, cd20+, cd68+ cells and mast cells. the ...	2005	16302110
cell cycle, dna replication, repair, and recombination in the dimorphic human pathogenic fungus paracoccidioides brasiliensis.	dna replication, together with repair mechanisms and cell cycle control, are the most important cellular processes necessary to maintain correct transfer of genetic information to the progeny. these processes are well conserved throughout the eukarya, and the genes that are involved provide essential information for understanding the life cycle of an organism. we used computational tools for data mining of genes involved in these processes in the pathogenic fungus paracoccidiodes brasiliensis. d ...	2005	16110444
transcriptome analysis of paracoccidioides brasiliensis cells undergoing mycelium-to-yeast transition.	paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a thermodimorphic fungus associated with paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), a systemic mycosis prevalent in south america. in humans, infection starts by inhalation of fungal propagules, which reach the pulmonary epithelium and transform into the yeast parasitic form. thus, the mycelium-to-yeast transition is of particular interest because conversion to yeast is essential for infection. we have used a p. brasiliensis biochip carrying sequences of 4,692 genes from this ...	2005	16339729