| a recombinant beta-1,3-glucanosyltransferase homolog of coccidioides posadasii protects mice against coccidioidomycosis. | coccidioides posadasii is a fungal respiratory pathogen which is responsible for recurrent epidemics of san joaquin valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) in desert regions of the southwestern united states. numerous studies have revealed that the cell wall of the parasitic phase of the fungus is a reservoir of immunoreactive macromolecules and a potential source of a vaccine against this mycosis. a 495-bp fragment of a c. posadasii gene which encodes a putative wall-associated, glycosylphosphatidyli ... | 2003 | 12761077 |
| cryptons: a group of tyrosine-recombinase-encoding dna transposons from pathogenic fungi. | a new group of transposable elements, which the authors have named cryptons, was detected in several pathogenic fungi, including the basidiomycete cryptococcus neoformans, and the ascomycetes coccidioides posadasii and histoplasma capsulatum. these elements are unlike any previously described transposons. an archetypal member of the group, crypton cn1, is 4 kb in length and is present at a low but variable copy number in a variety of c. neoformans strains. it displays interstrain variations in i ... | 2003 | 14600222 |
| pcr assays for identification of coccidioides posadasii based on the nucleotide sequence of the antigen 2/proline-rich antigen. | a conventional nested pcr and a real-time lightcycler pcr assay for detection of coccidioides posadasii dna were designed and tested in 120 clinical strains. these had been isolated from 114 patients within 10 years in monterrey, nuevo leon, mexico, known to be endemic for coccidioidomycosis. the gene encoding the specific antigen 2/proline-rich antigen (ag2/pra) was used as a target. all strains were correctly identified, whereas dna from related members of the family onygenaceae remained negat ... | 2004 | 14766853 |
| profiling gene expression in coccidioides posadasii. | coccidioides posadasii is a dimorphic fungal pathogen which grows as a filamentous saprobe in the soil and multicellular parasitic form in host lung tissue. studies of gene expression profiles during saprobic and parasitic phase development can provide clues about morphogenetic regulation and may lead to the discovery of molecular targets for novel antifungal drugs. suppression-subtractive hybridization (ssh) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qrt-pcr) were used to identify an ... | 2004 | 14982115 |
| positive directional selection in the proline-rich antigen (pra) gene among the human pathogenic fungi coccidioides immitis, c. posadasii and their closest relatives. | in this study, we investigate the possibility of selection acting on the proline-rich antigen (pra) gene in natural populations of the two human pathogens, coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii, and three of their close relatives, chrysosporium lucknowense, chrysosporium queenslandicum, and uncinocarpus reesii. we addressed the following questions: is diversifying selection acting on pra in the pathogenic species as a result of avoidance of the host's immune system, and has adaptation ... | 2004 | 15034131 |
| coccidioides posadasii infection alters the expression of pulmonary surfactant proteins (sp)-a and sp-d. | coccidioidomycosis or valley fever is caused by coccidioides in southwest us and central america. primary pulmonary infection is initiated by inhalation of air-borne arthroconidia. since, lung is the first organ that encounters arthroconidia, different components of the pulmonary innate immune system may be involved in the regulation of host defense. pulmonary surfactant proteins (sp)-a and sp-d have been recognized to play an important role in binding and phagocytosis of various microorganisms, ... | 2004 | 15588319 |
| coccidioides posadasii contains a single 1,3-beta-glucan synthase gene that appears to be essential for growth. | 1,3-beta-glucan synthase is responsible for the synthesis of beta-glucan, an essential cell wall structural component in most fungi. we sought to determine whether coccidioides posadasii possesses genes homologous to known fungal fks genes that encode the catalytic subunit of 1,3-beta-glucan synthase. a single gene, designated fks1, was identified, and examination of its predicted protein product showed a high degree of conservation with fks proteins from other filamentous fungi. fks1 is express ... | 2005 | 15643067 |
| innate immunity to the pathogenic fungus coccidioides posadasii is dependent on toll-like receptor 2 and dectin-1. | coccidioides posadasii is a pathogenic fungus that causes endemic and epidemic coccidioidomycosis in the deserts of north, central, and south america. how the innate immune system responds to the organism is not well understood. here we show that elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages respond to spherules (the tissue form of the fungus) by producing proinflammatory cytokines as measured by quantitative pcr of cellular transcripts and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa) assays for secrete ... | 2005 | 15731053 |
| immune response of vaccinated and non-vaccinated mice to coccidioides posadasii infection. | an immunogenic, recombinant protein of the fungal respiratory pathogen, coccidioides posadasii, was previously identified as a beta-1,3-glucanosyltransferase homolog (gel1) and shown to confer protection to c57bl/6 mice against coccidioidomycosis. however, little is known about the nature of the humoral and cellular immune responses of these vaccinated mice to intranasal infection with a lethal inoculum of c. posadasii spores compared to non-immune control animals. our studies showed that protec ... | 2005 | 15855012 |
| differences in expression of cell surface co-stimulatory molecules, toll-like receptor genes and secretion of il-12 by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells from susceptible and resistant mouse strains in response to coccidioides posadasii. | coccidioides posadasii is a soil fungus that causes coccidioidomycosis or valley fever in the endemic regions of the southwestern us and central america. persons with decreased t cells reactivity and immune deficiency are at increased risk of developing severe disseminated infection. among different mouse strains, dba/2 mice are relatively resistant to c. posadasii whereas balb/c mice are highly susceptible, and this discrepancy has been attributed to the difference in the development and expres ... | 2004 | 15919369 |
| dirs-1 and the other tyrosine recombinase retrotransposons. | dirs-1 is a retroelement from the slime mold dictyostelium discoideum. until recently only two related retrotransposons had been described: pat from the nematode panagrellus redivivus and prt1 from the zygomycete fungus phycomyces blakesleeanus. analyses of the reverse transcriptase sequences encoded by these three elements suggested that they were closely related to each other and more distantly related to the ty3/gypsy long terminal repeat (ltr) retroelements. they have several unusual structu ... | 2005 | 16093711 |
| efficacy of antigen 2/proline-rich antigen cdna-transfected dendritic cells in immunization of mice against coccidioides posadasii. | coccidioides posadasii causes coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever, in the endemic regions of the southwestern united states. the susceptibility to c. posadasii infection has been attributed to a decreased th1 cellular response. apcs, especially dendritic cells (dcs), play an important role in the activation of th1 response. in this study, we investigated the efficacy of a dc-based vaccine against c. posadasii in a mouse model of coccidioidomycosis. we intranasally immunized c57bl6 mice with syng ... | 2005 | 16148136 |
| a metalloproteinase of coccidioides posadasii contributes to evasion of host detection. | coccidioides posadasii is a fungal respiratory pathogen of humans that can cause disease in immunocompetent individuals. coccidioidomycosis ranges from a mild to a severe infection. it is frequently characterized either as a persistent disease that requires months to resolve or as an essentially asymptomatic infection that can reactivate several years after the original insult. in this report we describe a mechanism by which the pathogen evades host detection during the pivotal reproductive (end ... | 2005 | 16177346 |
| characterization of a serodiagnostic complement fixation antigen of coccidioides posadasii expressed in the nonpathogenic fungus uncinocarpus reesii. | coccidioides spp. (immitis and posadasii) are the causative agents of human coccidioidomycosis. in this study, we developed a novel system to overexpress coccidioidal proteins in a nonpathogenic fungus, uncinocarpus reesii, which is closely related to coccidioides. a promoter derived from the heat shock protein gene (hsp60) of coccidioides posadasii was used to control the transcription of the inserted gene in the constructed coccidioidal protein expression vector (pce). the chitinase gene (cts1 ... | 2005 | 16272471 |
| urease produced by coccidioides posadasii contributes to the virulence of this respiratory pathogen. | urease activity during in vitro growth in the saprobic and parasitic phases of coccidioides spp. is partly responsible for production of intracellular ammonia released into the culture media and contributes to alkalinity of the external microenvironment. although the amino acid sequence of the urease of coccidioides posadasii lacks a predicted signal peptide, the protein is transported from the cytosol into vesicles and the central vacuole of parasitic cells (spherules). enzymatically active ure ... | 2006 | 16369007 |
| a recombinant aspartyl protease of coccidioides posadasii induces protection against pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in mice. | coccidioidomycosis is a respiratory disease of humans caused by the desert soil-borne fungal pathogens coccidioides spp. recurrent epidemics of this mycosis in the southwestern united states have contributed significantly to escalated health care costs. clinical and experimental studies indicate that prior symptomatic coccidioidomycosis induces immunity against subsequent infection, and activation of t cells is essential for containment of the pathogen and its clearance from host tissue. develop ... | 2006 | 16369008 |
| in vitro activities of caspofungin, amphotericin b and azoles against coccidioides posadasii strains from northeast, brazil. | coccidioidomycosis is a systemic infection caused by the soil-dwelling dimorphic fungi coccidioides spp. the disease is endemic in semiarid northeast brazil, where it is caused by c. posadasii. the aim of this study was to perform antifungal susceptibility tests of clinical and environmental strains of c. posadasii from northeast brazil. the in vitro activities of caspofungin, amphotericin b and azoles against clinical and environment isolates of c. posadasii were determined in accordance with t ... | 2006 | 16389480 |
| protein expression profiling of coccidioides posadasii by two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis and evaluation of a newly recognized peroxisomal matrix protein as a recombinant vaccine candidate. | coccidioides posadasii and coccidioides immitis are dimorphic, soil-dwelling pathogenic ascomycetes endemic to the southwestern united states. infection can result from inhalation of a very few arthroconidia, but following natural infection, long-lived immunity is the norm. previous work in the field has shown that spherule-derived vaccines afford more protection than those from mycelia. we have used two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis coupled with nano-high-performance liquid ch ... | 2006 | 16495561 |
| spherules derived from coccidioides posadasii promote human dendritic cell maturation and activation. | previous studies have shown that dendritic cells (dc) pulsed with t27k, an antigenic preparation derived from spherules (of coccidioides posadasii), activate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (pbmc) from nonimmune subjects as well as from patients with disseminated coccidioidomycosis. in this study, we have assessed the interaction between human dc and c. posadasii spherules in order to better understand the initial response between coccidioides and the human host. whole autoclaved spherules in ... | 2006 | 16552071 |
| novel approach to designing primers for identification and distinction of the human pathogenic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii by pcr amplification. | we developed a pair of primers that specifically identifies coccidioides species, etiologic agents of the human fungal disease coccidioidomycosis. these primers could be used for distinguishing coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii by simply comparing the amplicon sizes on an agarose gel. | 2006 | 16672423 |
| phase-specific gene expression underlying morphological adaptations of the dimorphic human pathogenic fungus, coccidioides posadasii. | coccidioides posadasii is a dimorphic fungal pathogen that grows as a filamentous saprobe in the soil and as endosporulating spherules within the host. to identify genes specific to the pathogenic phase of co. posadasii, we carried out a large-scale study of gene expression in two isolates of the species. from the sequenced co. posadasii genome, we chose 1,000 open reading frames to construct a 70-mer microarray. rna was recovered from both isolates at three life-cycle phases: hyphae, presegment ... | 2006 | 16697669 |
| improved protection of mice against lethal respiratory infection with coccidioides posadasii using two recombinant antigens expressed as a single protein. | two recombinant antigens which individually protect mice from lethal intranasal infection were studied in combination, either as a mixture of two separately expressed proteins or as a single chimeric expression product. mice vaccinated with either combination survived longer than mice given single antigens. immunized mice also exhibited specific igg immunoglobulins and yielded splenocytes which produced interferon-gamma in response to either antigen. the chimeric antigen has the practical advant ... | 2006 | 16759762 |
| coccidioides posadasii contains single chitin synthase genes corresponding to classes i to vii. | coccidioides posadasii is a dimorphic fungal pathogen of humans and other mammals. the switch between saprobic and parasitic growth involves synthesis of new cell walls of which chitin is a significant component. to determine whether particular subsets of chitin synthases (chses) are responsible for production of chitin at different stages of differentiation, we have isolated six chs genes from this fungus. they correspond, together with another reported chs gene, to single members of the seven ... | 2006 | 16857399 |
| in vitro inhibitory effect of antituberculosis drugs on clinical and environmental strains of coccidioides posadasii. | the aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro effect of the first-line antimicrobial drugs for pulmonary tuberculosis against the fungal pathogen coccidioides posadasii. | 2006 | 16867997 |
| multivalent recombinant protein vaccine against coccidioidomycosis. | coccidioidomycosis is a human respiratory disease that is endemic to the southwestern united states and is caused by inhalation of the spores of a desert soilborne fungus. efforts to develop a vaccine against this disease have focused on identification of t-cell-reactive antigens derived from the parasitic cell wall which can stimulate protective immunity against coccidioides posadasii infection in mice. we previously described a productive immunoproteomic/bioinformatic approach to the discovery ... | 2006 | 16988258 |
| coccidioides posadasii produces melanin in vitro and during infection. | using techniques developed to study melanization in other fungi, we demonstrate that coccidioides posadasii arthroconidia, spherules, and endospores produce melanin or melanin-like compounds in vitro and tissue forms synthesize pigment in vivo. since melanin is an important virulence factor in other pathogenic fungi, it may affect the pathogenesis of coccidioidomycosis. | 2007 | 17074521 |
| use of the coccidioides posadasii deltachs5 strain for quality control in the accuprobe culture identification test for coccidioides immitis. | coccidioides posadasii deltachs5 is a strain that is excluded from the select agent list. sixteen assays using test reagents from three different accuprobe coccidioides immitis culture identification test lots had an average of 132,998 relative light units (rlu), which is well beyond the 50,000-rlu positive cutoff value for the test. coccidioides posadasii deltachs5 is a satisfactory quality control isolate in the accuprobe culture identification test for coccidioides immitis. | 2006 | 17088372 |
| rapid diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis by nested pcr assay of sputum. | coccidioidomycosis is a deep infection caused by two dimorphic fungi, coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. diagnosis of the disease requires culture of suspicious clinical samples on mycological media. however, as these species are virulent pathogens, handling of their cultures is a high-risk activity, and is limited to biosafety level 3 laboratories. this study describes the direct detection of c. posadasii dna in an inappropriate sputum sample by pcr amplification of the highly spe ... | 2007 | 17257105 |
| evolution of the mating type locus: insights gained from the dimorphic primary fungal pathogens histoplasma capsulatum, coccidioides immitis, and coccidioides posadasii. | sexual reproduction of fungi is governed by the mating type (mat) locus, a specialized region of the genome encoding key transcriptional regulators that direct regulatory networks to specify cell identity and fate. knowledge of mat locus structure and evolution has been considerably advanced in recent years as a result of genomic analyses that enable the definition of mat locus sequences in many species as well as provide an understanding of the evolutionary plasticity of this unique region of t ... | 2007 | 17337636 |
| nuclear labeling of coccidioides posadasii with green fluorescent protein. | coccidioidomycosis is a mild to life-threatening disease in otherwise healthy humans and other mammals caused by the fungus coccidioides spp. understanding the development of the unique dimorphic life cycle of coccidioides spp. and its role in pathogenesis has been an area of research focus. however, nuclear behavior during the saprobic and parasitic life cycle has not been studied intensively. in this study, green fluorescent protein (gfp) was fused to histone h1 and introduced into coccidioide ... | 2007 | 17344520 |
| molecular cloning and expression of a cdna encoding a coccidioides posadasii cu,zn superoxide dismutase identified by proteomic analysis of the coccidioidal t27k vaccine. | previous studies have demonstrated that the coccidioidal t27k vaccine preparation is protective in mice against respiratory challenge using coccidioides posadasii (c. posadasii) arthroconidia. proteomic methods have been employed to define the molecular components within the vaccine. this method has led to the identification of novel and previously uncharacterized coccidioidal proteins including a cu,zn superoxide dismutase. a two-dimensional gel of the t27k vaccine was run and spots were excise ... | 2007 | 17344523 |
| safety, antigenicity, and efficacy of a recombinant coccidioidomycosis vaccine in cynomolgus macaques (macaca fascicularis). | the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of recombinant ag2/pra106 + csa chimeric fusion protein (cfp) vaccine in iss/montanide adjuvant-administered intramuscular (im) was assessed in adult female cynomolgus macaques challenged with coccidioides posadasii. animals received three immunizations with either 5 microg cfp, 50-microg cfp, or adjuvant alone and were challenged 4 weeks following the final immunization. although significant antibody response was produced in response to vaccination, there ... | 2007 | 17347333 |
| fluctuations in climate and incidence of coccidioidomycosis in kern county, california: a review. | coccidioidomycosis (valley fever) is a fungal infection found in the southwestern united states, northern mexico, and some places in central and south america. the fungi that cause it (coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii) are normally soil dwelling, but, if disturbed, become airborne and infect the host when their spores are inhaled. it is thus natural to surmise that weather conditions, which foster the growth and dispersal of coccidioides, must have an effect on the number of cases ... | 2007 | 17347336 |
| dendritic cell-based vaccine against coccidioides infection. | coccidioides causes coccidioidomycosis in the southwestern united states. its clinical manifestations range from the primary asymptomatic to progressive pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease. because of endemicity, frequent relapse, and virulent nature of coccidioides, there is an urgent need for the development of effective therapy or vaccine. it has been recognized from studies in human patients and in murine models that the divergence in their susceptibility to coccidioides infection is relate ... | 2007 | 17363430 |
| laboratory aspects in the diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis. | coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii, the two recognized causes of coccidioidomycosis, may be detected by direct microscopy, culture, and serologic documentation. two useful stains include the grocott methenamine silver (gms) and the calcofluor white (cfw). other useful stains used in histopathologic studies include hematoxylin-eosin (h&e) and periodic acid schiff (pas). nucleic acid amplification tests (naats) have been introduced for detection of coccidioides spp. in specimens, but ... | 2007 | 17363434 |
| molecular cloning and expression of a cdna encoding a coccidioides posadasii 1,2-alpha-mannosidase identified in the coccidioidal t27k vaccine by immunoproteomic methods. | the coccidioidal t27k vaccine is protective in mice against respiratory challenge with coccidioides posadasii (c. posadasii) arthroconidia. the vaccine is a subcellular multicomponent preparation that has not been fully characterized. to identify potential protective antigens in the heterogeneous mixture, the vaccine has been separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and then analyzed for seroreactive proteins using immunoblot analysis with pooled sera from patients with coccidioidomycosi ... | 2007 | 17363438 |
| antifungal susceptibility profiles of coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii from endemic and non-endemic areas. | coccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection endemic in southwestern united states, mexico, central and south america. the causal agents are coccidioides immitis and c. posadasii. a large number of cases of coccidioidomycosis in new york state residents were identified. we compared susceptibility profiles of these isolates and of c. immitis isolates from california using mycelial phase inoculum and clsi (nccls) m38-a broth microdilution protocol. minimum fungicidal concentrations (mfc) were ... | 2007 | 17484074 |
| taxonomic and diagnostic markers for identification of coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. | the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (its) regions of the two recognized species of coccidioides were studied using a reference set of strains that had been previously identified with species defining microsatellite polymorphisms. unambiguous identification of the two species proved to be possible by amplifying and sequencing the its region. pcr-reactions are sensitive to amplification conditions requiring their careful optimization. stable amplification and sequencing was achieved with pri ... | 2007 | 17654264 |
| coccidioides species as potential agents of bioterrorism. | coccidioides species are soil fungi endemic to the southwestern usa, and parts of central and south america. natural infection occurs as a result of inhalation of airborne arthroconidia. there is a wide spectrum of clinical illness and, although most human cases are self-limiting and inconsequential, infection can result in severe effects and sometimes death. both coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii are potential bioterrorism agents. as such, in the usa and elsewhere, these organisms ... | 2007 | 17661702 |
| evaluation of two homologous proline-rich proteins of coccidioides posadasii as candidate vaccines against coccidioidomycosis. | evaluation of the protective efficacy of recombinant t-cell-reactive proteins of coccidioides posadasii in a murine model of coccidioidomycosis has led to the discovery of potential vaccines against this respiratory disease. a recombinant proline-rich antigen (rag2/pra) has been reported to be a leading vaccine candidate. however, contradictory results exist on the protection afforded by this antigen. subcutaneous vaccination of either c57bl/6 or balb/c mice with rag2/pra plus adjuvant followed ... | 2007 | 17875631 |
| starter unit specificity directs genome mining of polyketide synthase pathways in fungi. | search of the protein database with the aflatoxin pathway polyketide synthase (pks) revealed putative pkss in the pathogenic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii that could require partnerships with a pair of fatty acid synthase (fas) subunits for the biosynthesis of fatty acid-polyketide hybrid metabolites. a starter unit:acyl-carrier protein transacylase (sat) domain was discovered in the nonreducing pks. this domain is thought to accept the fatty acid product from the fas to ... | 2008 | 18215412 |
| identification and evolution of fungal mitochondrial tyrosyl-trna synthetases with group i intron splicing activity. | the bifunctional neurospora crassa mitochondrial tyrosyl-trna synthetase (cyt-18 protein) both aminoacylates mitochondrial trna(tyr) and acts as a structure-stabilizing splicing cofactor for group i introns. previous studies showed that cyt-18 has distinct trna(tyr) and group i intron-binding sites, with the latter formed by three small "insertions" in the nucleotide-binding fold and other structural adaptations compared with nonsplicing bacterial tyrosyl-trna synthetases. here, analysis of geno ... | 2008 | 18413600 |
| susceptibility to coccidioides species in c57bl/6 mice is associated with expression of a truncated splice variant of dectin-1 (clec7a). | coccidioides posadasii spherules stimulate macrophages to make cytokines via tlr-2 and dectin-1. we used formalin-killed spherules and 1,3-beta-glucan purified from spherules to stimulate elicited peritoneal macrophages and myeloid dendritic cells (mdcs) from susceptible (c57bl/6) and resistant (dba/2) mouse strains. dba/2 macrophages produced more tnf-alpha and il-6 than macrophages from c57bl/6 mice, and the amount of tnf-alpha made was dependent on both tlr2 and dectin-1. dcs from c57bl/6 mic ... | 2008 | 18418396 |
| genetic diversity among clinical coccidioides spp. isolates in arizona. | increasing coccidioidomycosis rates in arizona may indicate the development of a hypervirulent strain. one hundred and twenty-one clinical coccidioides spp. isolates were collected over 16 months from maricopa, graham, yuma, and pima counties in arizona. the patient age distribution ranged from 9 to 91 years, with a median age of 58 years; 36% were female, and 64% male. all isolates were analyzed by measuring length polymorphisms in nine distinct microsatellite regions. the three microsatellites ... | 2008 | 18608919 |
| successful treatment of relapsing disseminated coccidioidomycosis with cutaneous involvement with posaconazole. | a 52-year-old woman with pulmonary sarcoidosis on immunosuppressive therapy developed pulmonary infiltrates and cutaneous granulomatous abscesses after a trip to the usa in april 2005. a hyphomycete was identified, further characterized by a gene probe as coccidioides spp. and then definitively identified as coccidioides posadasii by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. antibodies towards coccidioides spp. were detected. the infection was successfully treated with posaconazole (noxafil), 2 ... | 2009 | 18759738 |
| coccidioidomycosis in dogs and cats: a review. | the dimorphic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii are the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis. dogs and cats residing in and visiting endemic areas are at risk of exposure to infectious arthrospores. the primary infection is pulmonary and frequently results in chronic cough. disseminated disease is common and causes cutaneous, osseous, cardiac, ocular, nervous system, or other organ disease. radiographic changes include a variable degree of interstitial pulmonary infiltratio ... | 2008 | 18762558 |
| melanin as a virulence factor of paracoccidioides brasiliensis and other dimorphic pathogenic fungi: a minireview. | melanin pigments are substances produced by a broad variety of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and helminths. microbes predominantly produce melanin pigment via tyrosinases, laccases, catecholases, and the polyketide synthase pathway. in fungi, melanin is deposited in the cell wall and cytoplasm, and melanin particles ("ghosts") can be isolated from these fungi that have the same size and shape of the original cells. melanin has been reported in several human pathogenic dim ... | 2008 | 18777637 |
| coccidioidal pericarditis: a rapid presumptive diagnosis by an in-house antigen confirmed by mycological and molecular methods. | coccidioidal pericarditis is a condition found in approximately 1-5% of patients infected by coccidioides species. it is associated with widely diverse clinical symptoms. this paper reports a case of coccidioidal pericarditis diagnosed by an in-house coccidioides posadasii antigen and confirmed with mycological and molecular methods. from february to september 2005, the patient suffered from fever, weight loss, a non-productive cough, thoracic pain and tachycardia. he received a positive diagnos ... | 2008 | 18809560 |
| vaccine-induced cellular immune responses differ from innate responses in susceptible and resistant strains of mice infected with coccidioides posadasii. | susceptibility to coccidioides spp. varies widely in humans and other mammals and also among individuals within a species. among strains of mice with various susceptibilities, immunohistopathology revealed that c57bl/6 mice were highly susceptible to the disease following intranasal infection, dba/2n mice were intermediate, and swiss-webster mice were innately resistant. resistant swiss-webster mice developed prominent perivascular/peribronchiolar lymphocytic cuffing and well-formed granulomas w ... | 2008 | 18852250 |
| in vitro activities of isavuconazole against opportunistic filamentous and dimorphic fungi. | the in vitro activity of isavuconazole was compared to those of amphotericin b, fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, and ravuconazole against 300 clinical isolates of pseudallescheria boydii, paecilomyces lilacinus, fusarium spp., bipolaris spicifera, curvularia lunata, alternaria alternata, exophiala spp., rhizopus arrhizus, mucor circillenoides, absidia corymbifera, blastomyces dermatitidis, histoplasma capsulatum and coccidioides posadasii. mics were determined by a broth ma ... | 2009 | 19101837 |
| twelve years of coccidioidomycosis in ceará state, northeast brazil: epidemiologic and diagnostic aspects. | coccidioidomycosis is an endemic infection in the americas caused by the dimorphic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. although the disease occurs in brazil in sporadic form, little information about these cases is available. in this study, we summarize the most important clinical, epidemiologic, and diagnostic features of coccidioidomycosis in ceará state (northeast brazil) during the past 12 years. in this period, 19 cases of coccidioidomycosis were diagnosed. all the patien ... | 2010 | 19117713 |
| [historical evolution of some clinical and epidemiological knowledge of coccidioidomycosis in the americas]. | coccidioidomycosis is a systemic endemic mycosis caused by two dimorphic fungi of the coccidioides genus: coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. this fungal infection is only endemic in the american continent. the majority of the epidemiological, pathogenic, clinical, mycological and therapeutical findings were obtained in the u.s.a. coccidioidomycosis was discovered in argentina, at the end of the xixth century by alejandro posadas. in the last two decades, a new endemic zone was foun ... | 2008 | 19213250 |
| increase in coccidioidomycosis - california, 2000-2007. | coccidioidomycosis is an infection resulting from inhalation of airborne spores of coccidioides immitis or coccidioides posadasii, soil-dwelling fungi endemic to california's san joaquin valley; southern regions of arizona, utah, nevada, and new mexico; western texas; and regions of mexico and central and south america. of an estimated 150,000 new infections annually in the united states, approximately 60% are asymptomatic. patients with symptoms usually experience a self-limited influenza-like ... | 2009 | 19214158 |
| vaccine progress. | despite the recent development of new anti-mould agents, there remains a significant incidence of invasive aspergillosis in the most immunocompromised hosts and the response to these agents is still dismal. there is a need for a different approach: prevention by vaccination. we have demonstrated that a hyphal sonicate of aspergillus fumigatus was capable of conferring protection against subsequent invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in corticosteroid immunosuppressed mice. subcutaneous vaccination ... | 2009 | 19247869 |
| comparative efficacies of lipid-complexed amphotericin b and liposomal amphotericin b against coccidioidal meningitis in rabbits. | in separate previous studies, we have shown that lipid-complexed amphotericin b (abelcet [ablc]) and liposomal amphotericin b (ambisome [ambi]) are efficacious against coccidioidal meningitis in rabbits. here, we compared ablc and ambi directly in a coccidioidal meningitis model. male new zealand white rabbits were infected with 5 x 10(4) coccidioides posadasii arthroconidia by direct cisternal puncture. therapy with intravenous ablc or ambi at 7.5 or 15 mg/kg of body weight or sterile 5% dextro ... | 2009 | 19273680 |
| genomic dna microarray comparison of gene expression patterns in paracoccidioides brasiliensis mycelia and yeasts in vitro. | paracoccidioides brasiliensis is a thermally dimorphic fungus, and causes the most prevalent systemic mycosis in latin america. infection is initiated by inhalation of conidia or mycelial fragments by the host, followed by further differentiation into the yeast form. information regarding gene expression by either form has rarely been addressed with respect to multiple time points of growth in culture. here, we report on the construction of a genomic dna microarray, covering approximately 25 % o ... | 2009 | 19406900 |
| a genetically engineered live attenuated vaccine of coccidioides posadasii protects balb/c mice against coccidioidomycosis. | coccidioidomycosis (also known as san joaquin valley fever) is an occupational disease. workers exposed to outdoor dust which contains spores of the soil-inhabiting fungus have a significantly increased risk of respiratory infection. in addition, people with compromised t-cell immunity, the elderly, and certain racial groups, particularly african-americans and filipinos, who live in regions of endemicity in the southwestern united states have an elevated incidence of symptomatic infection caused ... | 2009 | 19487479 |
| in vitro synergistic effects of antituberculous drugs plus antifungals against coccidioides posadasii. | the aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro interactions of antituberculous drugs (atds) with antifungals against coccidioides posadasii. eighteen drug combinations, formed by an atd (isoniazid, pyrazinamide or ethambutol) plus an antifungal (amphotericin b, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, voriconazole or caspofungin), were tested using the checkerboard method. all the antimicrobial combinations inhibited c. posadasii strains and synergistic interactions were observed for ... | 2009 | 19520551 |
| comparative genomic analyses of the human fungal pathogens coccidioides and their relatives. | while most ascomycetes tend to associate principally with plants, the dimorphic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii are primary pathogens of immunocompetent mammals, including humans. infection results from environmental exposure to coccidiodies, which is believed to grow as a soil saprophyte in arid deserts. to investigate hypotheses about the life history and evolution of coccidioides, the genomes of several onygenales, including c. immitis and c. posadasii; a close, nonpatho ... | 2009 | 19717792 |
| chapter 2: coccidioidomycosis. | coccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the dimorphic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. infection is acquired by inhalation of infective arthroconidia that live in the soil. in 60% of cases, the infection is benign and resolves spontaneously. in the northern hemisphere, coccidioidomycosis is endemic to arid and semi-arid regions at latitudes between 40 degrees n and 40 degrees s, particularly in the southwestern united states and in northern mexico. in the semi-ar ... | 2009 | 19820819 |
| organization and evolutionary trajectory of the mating type (mat) locus in dermatophyte and dimorphic fungal pathogens. | sexual reproduction in fungi is governed by a specialized genomic region, the mating type (mat) locus, whose gene identity, organization, and complexity are diverse. we identified the mat locus of five dermatophyte fungal pathogens (microsporum gypseum, microsporum canis, trichophyton equinum, trichophyton rubrum, and trichophyton tonsurans) and a dimorphic fungus, paracoccidioides brasiliensis, and performed phylogenetic analyses. the identified mat locus idiomorphs of m. gypseum control cell t ... | 2010 | 19880755 |
| molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of two beta-n-acetylhexosaminidase homologs of coccidioides posadasii. | two full-length cdnas were isolated from coccidioides posadasii that encode two deduced proteins (cphex1 and cphex2) with homology to the glycosyl hydrolase 20 family of beta-n-acetylhexosaminidases. cphex1 consists of 595 amino acids, has a predicted molecular mass of 68 kda and shares the highest identity with the n-acetylhexosaminidase (naga) of aspergillus nidulans, while cphex2 consists of 603 amino acids, has a predicted molecular mass of 68.5 kda and shares the highest identity with nag1 ... | 2010 | 20109094 |
| coccidioides posadasii keratouveitis in a llama (lama glama). | a 7-year-old male llama was examined for a 3-month history of weight loss, and unilateral keratouveitis. clinical examination revealed nonulcerative corneal stromal abscessation, corneal vascularization, corneal edema, miosis, posterior synechia, cataract, and fibrin in the anterior chamber of the right eye. the left eye was normal. histopathology of the right eye following enucleation revealed pyogranulomatous keratouveitis with intralesional fungal spherules consistent with coccidioides spp. p ... | 2010 | 20149177 |
| development of a rapid, cost-effective taqman real-time pcr assay for identification and differentiation of coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. | coccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by coccidioides immitis or c. posadasii. we developed a taqman real-time pcr assay that rapidly and accurately differentiates the species. this assay can be used as a tool to improve disease surveillance, increase understanding of the natural history of the infection, and assist in clinical differentiation studies. | 2010 | 20370360 |
| susceptibility of tlr4-defective c3h/hej mice to coccidioides posadasii infection. | coccidioides posadasii is one of the two fungal pathogens that cause coccidioidomycosis. the inhalation of air-borne arthroconidia leads to the formation of endospore-forming spherules in the lungs and pulmonary infection. in severe condition, the endospores are disseminated to other non-pulmonary organs in the body. the toll-like receptors (tlr) expressed by a number of immune and non-immune cells can significantly impact the host defense and susceptibility to c. posadasii infection. in this st ... | 2010 | 20370361 |
| in situ hybridization for coccidioides immitis 5.8s ribosomal rna sequences in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pulmonary specimens using a locked nucleic acid probe: a rapid means for identification in tissue sections. | coccidioides immitis/coccidioides posadasii are common causes of pulmonary infection in certain geographic areas, and are highly infectious when working with culture isolates in the laboratory. rapid techniques to accurately identify this pathogen in tissues may be of benefit for diagnosis and in limiting the exposure of laboratory personnel to this agent. locked nucleic acids (lna) are modified nucleotides in which a ribonucleoside is linked between the 2'-oxygen and the 4'-carbon atoms with a ... | 2010 | 20502187 |
| population genomic sequencing of coccidioides fungi reveals recent hybridization and transposon control. | we have sequenced the genomes of 18 isolates of the closely related human pathogenic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii to more clearly elucidate population genomic structure, bringing the total number of sequenced genomes for each species to 10. our data confirm earlier microsatellite-based findings that these species are genetically differentiated, but our population genomics approach reveals that hybridization and genetic introgression have recently occurred between the two ... | 2010 | 20516208 |
| in vivo trafficking and immunostimulatory potential of an intranasally-administered primary dendritic cell-based vaccine. | coccidioidomycosis or valley fever is caused by a highly virulent fungal pathogen: coccidioides posadasii or immitis. vaccine development against coccidioides is of contemporary interest because a large number of relapses and clinical failures are reported with antifungal agents. an efficient th1 response engenders protection. thus, we have focused on developing a dendritic cell (dc)-based vaccine for coccidioidomycosis. in this study, we investigated the immunostimulatory characteristics of an ... | 2010 | 21143974 |
| molecular and phenotypic description of coccidioides posadasii sp. nov., previously recognized as the non-california population of coccidioides immitis. | coccidioides posadasii sp. nov., formerly known as non-california (non-ca) coccidioides immitis, is described. phylogenetic analyses using single nucleotide polymorphisms, genes, and microsatellites show that c. posadasii represents a divergent, genetically recombining monophyletic clade. coccidioides posadasii can be distinguished from c. immitis by numerous dna polymorphisms, and we show how either of two microsatellite loci may be used as diagnostic markers for this species. growth experiment ... | 2002 | 21156479 |
| [tuberculosis and coccidiodomycosis in two patients without immune acquired deficiency]. | coccidioidomycosis results from inhaling the spores (arthroconidia) of coccidioides species (coccidioides immitis or coccidioides posadasii). tuberculosis is caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, classified as acid-fast bacilli. it is most commonly transmitted from a patient with infectious pulmonary tuberculosis to other persons by droplet nuclei, which are aerosolized by coughing, sneezing, or speaking. northern mexico is an endemic zone for coccidioidomycosis and tuberculosis, bot ... | 2010 | 21194517 |
| vaccine-induced protection against 3 systemic mycoses endemic to north america requires th17 cells in mice. | worldwide rates of systemic fungal infections, including three of the major pathogens responsible for such infections in north america (coccidioides posadasii, histoplasma capsulatum, and blastomyces dermatitidis), have soared recently, spurring interest in developing vaccines. the development of th1 cells is believed to be crucial for protective immunity against pathogenic fungi, whereas the role of th17 cells is vigorously debated. in models of primary fungal infection, some studies have shown ... | 2011 | 21206087 |
| [coccidioidomycosis in argentina, 1892-2009]. | clinical cases of coccidioidomycosis are rare in argentina and are generally found in the large arid precordilleran area of the country. this study aims to perform a retrospective review of all coccidioidomycosis cases documented in the country from 1892 to 2009, and to describe those occurring in the last 4 years. one hundred and twenty eight cases were documented in the 117 year-period. since the original description of the disease in 1892 until 1939, only 6 cases were registered; between 1940 ... | 2010 | 21229194 |
| fungalrv: adhesin prediction and immunoinformatics portal for human fungal pathogens. | abstract: | 2011 | 21496229 |
| molecular identification of coccidioides spp. in soil samples from brazil. | abstract: background: since 1991 several outbreaks of acute coccidioidomycosis (cm) were diagnosed in the semi-arid northeast of brazil, mainly related to disturbance of armadillo burrows caused by hunters while digging them for the capture of these animals. this activity causes dust contaminated with arthroconidia of coccidioides posadasii, which, once inhaled, cause the mycosis. we report on the identification of c. posadasii in soil samples related to outbreaks of cm. results: twenty four soi ... | 2011 | 21575248 |
| subclinical dissemination of coccidioidomycosis in a liver transplant recipient. | coccidioidomycosis is common in the southwestern united states, northern mexico, and areas of south america. coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii form arthroconidia that, if inhaled, can cause respiratory infection. rarely, the organism disseminates throughout the body, causing disease in bones, lymph nodes, skin, joints, and brain in most severe cases. certain populations are at higher risk for dissemination, including persons with compromised cellular immunity. this group includes p ... | 2011 | 21744045 |
| a tcr transgenic mouse reactive with multiple systemic dimorphic fungi. | dimorphic fungi collectively account for 5-10 million new infections annually worldwide. ongoing efforts seek to clarify mechanisms of cellular resistance to these agents and develop vaccines. a major limitation in studying the development of protective t cells in this group of organisms is the lack of tools to detect, enumerate, and characterize fungus-specific t cells during vaccination and infection. we generated a tcr transgenic mouse (bd 1807) whose cd4(+) t cells respond to a native epitop ... | 2011 | 21705621 |
| Pulmonary coccidioidomycosis. | Coccidioidomycosis refers to the spectrum of disease caused by the dimorphic fungi COCCIDIOIDES IMMITIS and COCCIDIOIDES POSADASII. Clinical manifestations vary depending upon both the extent of infection and the immune status of the host. Coccidioidomycosis has been reported to involve almost all organ systems; however, pulmonary disease is the most common clinical manifestation. The incidence of coccidioidomycosis continues to rise, and primary coccidioidal pneumonia accounts for 17 to 29% o ... | 2011 | 22167403 |
| percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in a patient with vasospasm secondary to coccidioidal meningitis: case report and review of the literature. | coccidioidomycosis is secondary to infection with fungal species coccidioides immitis or coccidioides posadasii. one consequence of extrapulmonary coccidioidomycosis dissemination is meningitis, which is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality if left untreated. intracranial vasospasm, although rarely described, can occur and may be a result of vasculitic or subacute fibrotic changes. we describe a case of successful percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (pta) in a patient with sev ... | 2011 | 21990792 |
| Early treatment with fluconazole may abrogate the development of IgG antibodies in coccidioidomycosis. | We have observed a number of patients who fail to develop coccidioidal complement fixing (CF) antibody (immunoglobulin [IgG]) after the initiation of early antifungal therapy. Although this is the first description of this phenomenon in mycology, a precedent for the abrogation of the immune response has been observed in other conditions, including primary syphilis and primary Lyme disease. | 2011 | 21865185 |
| vaccine immunity to coccidioidomycosis occurs by early activation of three signal pathways of t helper cell response (th1, th2, and th17). | we have previously reported that c57bl/6 mice vaccinated with a live, attenuated mutant of coccidioides posadasii, referred to as the δt vaccine, are fully protected against pulmonary coccidioidomycosis. this model was used here to explore the nature of vaccine immunity during the initial 2-week period after intranasal challenge. elevated neutrophil and eosinophil infiltration into the lungs of nonvaccinated mice contrasted with markedly reduced recruitment of these cells in vaccinated animals. ... | 2011 | 21859851 |
| cotrimoxazole enhances the in vitro susceptibility of coccidioides posadasii to antifungals. | the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of cotrimoxazole on the in vitro susceptibility of coccidioides posadasii strains to antifungals. a total of 18 strains of c. posadasii isolated in brazil were evaluated in this study. the assays were performed in accordance with the clinical and laboratory standards institute guidelines and the combinations were tested using the checkerboard method. the minimum inhibitory concentrations were reduced by 11, 2.4, 4.3 and 3.5 times for amphot ... | 2011 | 22241131 |
| case report: abortion and disseminated infection by coccidioides posadasii in an alpaca (vicugna pacos) fetus in southern california. | coccidioidomycosis is a fungal disease affecting humans and other mammals caused by the soil-dwelling fungi coccidioides immitis and c. posadasii. abortion due to coccidioides spp. infection is rare in domestic animals and transplacental transmission is considered uncommon in women. this report describes a case of placental-fetal infection and abortion in an alpaca with disseminated c. posadasii infection. pcr amplification and dna sequencing were used to confirm the etiology, c. posadasii, in f ... | 2013 | 24432245 |
| vaccinated c57bl/6 mice develop protective and memory t cell responses to coccidioides posadasii infection in the absence of interleukin-10. | high concentrations of lung tissue-associated interleukin-10 (il-10), an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive cytokine, correlate with susceptibility of mice to coccidioides spp. infection. in this study, we found that macrophages, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and both cd8(+) and cd4(+) t cells recruited to coccidioides posadasii-infected lungs of nonvaccinated and vaccinated mice contributed to the production of il-10. the major il-10-producing leukocytes were cd8(+) t cells, neutrophils, a ... | 2014 | 24478103 |
| spider, bacterial and fungal phospholipase d toxins make cyclic phosphate products. | phospholipase d (pld) toxins from sicariid spiders, which cause disease in mammals, were recently found to convert their primary substrates, sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidylcholine, to cyclic phospholipids. here we show that two pld toxins from pathogenic actinobacteria and ascomycete fungi, which share distant homology with the spider toxins, also generate cyclic phospholipids. this shared function supports divergent evolution of the pld toxins from a common ancestor and suggests the importan ... | 2015 | 26482933 |
| structural divergence of the group i intron binding surface in fungal mitochondrial tyrosyl-trna synthetases that function in rna splicing. | the mitochondrial tyrosyl-trna synthetases (mttyrrss) of pezizomycotina fungi, a subphylum that includes many pathogenic species, are bifunctional proteins that both charge mitochondrial trna(tyr) and act as splicing cofactors for autocatalytic group i introns. previous studies showed that one of these proteins, neurospora crassa cyt-18, binds group i introns by using both its n-terminal catalytic and c-terminal anticodon binding domains and that the catalytic domain uses a newly evolved group i ... | 2016 | 27036943 |
| coccidioides endospores and spherules draw strong chemotactic, adhesive, and phagocytic responses by individual human neutrophils. | coccidioides spp. are dimorphic pathogenic fungi whose parasitic forms cause coccidioidomycosis (valley fever) in mammalian hosts. we use an innovative interdisciplinary approach to analyze one-on-one encounters between human neutrophils and two forms of coccidioides posadasii. to examine the mechanisms by which the innate immune system coordinates different stages of the host response to fungal pathogens, we dissect the immune-cell response into chemotaxis, adhesion, and phagocytosis. our singl ... | 2015 | 26070210 |
| nitrogen regulation of virulence in clinically prevalent fungal pathogens. | the habitats of fungal pathogens range from environmental to commensal, and the nutrient content of these different niches varies considerably. upon infection of humans, nutrient availability changes significantly depending on the site and pathophysiology of infection. nonetheless, a common feature enabling successful establishment in these niches is the ability to metabolise available nutrients including sources of nitrogen, carbon and essential metals such as iron. in particular, nitrogen sour ... | 2013 | 23701678 |
| protein targets for broad-spectrum mycosis vaccines: quantitative proteomic analysis of aspergillus and coccidioides and comparisons with other fungal pathogens. | aspergillus species are responsible for most cases of fatal mold infections in immunocompromised patients, particularly in those receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplants. experimental vaccines in mouse models have demonstrated a promising avenue of approach for the prevention of aspergillosis, as well as infections caused by other fungal pathogens, such as coccidioides, the etiological agent of valley fever (coccidioidomycosis). here, we investigated the hyphal proteomes of aspergillus fumi ... | 2012 | 23230836 |
| c-type lectin receptors differentially induce th17 cells and vaccine immunity to the endemic mycosis of north america. | vaccine immunity to the endemic mycoses of north america requires th17 cells, but the pattern recognition receptors and signaling pathways that drive these protective responses have not been defined. we show that c-type lectin receptors exert divergent contributions to the development of antifungal th17 cells and vaccine resistance against blastomyces dermatitidis, histoplasma capsulatum, and coccidioides posadasii. acquired immunity to b. dermatitidis requires dectin-2, whereas vaccination agai ... | 2014 | 24391211 |
| evaluating common humoral responses against fungal infections with yeast protein microarrays. | we profiled the global immunoglobulin response against fungal infection by using yeast protein microarrays. groups of cd-1 mice were infected systemically with human fungal pathogens (coccidioides posadasii, candida albicans, or paracoccidioides brasiliensis) or inoculated with pbs as a control. another group was inoculated with heat-killed yeast (hky) of saccharomyces cerevisiae. after 30 days, serum from mice in the groups were collected and used to probe s. cerevisiae protein microarrays cont ... | 2015 | 26258609 |
| linear epitopes of paracoccidioides brasiliensis and other fungal agents of human systemic mycoses as vaccine candidates. | dimorphic fungi are agents of systemic mycoses associated with significant morbidity and frequent lethality in the americas. among the pathogenic species are paracoccidioides brasiliensis and paracoccidioides lutzii, which predominate in south america; histoplasma capsulatum, coccidioides posadasii, and coccidioides immitis, and the sporothrix spp. complex are other important pathogens. associated with dimorphic fungi other important infections are caused by yeast such as candida spp. and crypto ... | 2017 | 28344577 |
| immune response to coccidioidomycosis and the development of a vaccine. | coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection caused by coccidioides posadasii and coccidioides immitis. it is estimated that 150,000 new infections occur in the united states each year. the incidence of this infection continues to rise in endemic regions. there is an urgent need for the development of better therapeutic drugs and a vaccine against coccidioidomycosis. this review discusses the features of host innate and adaptive immune responses to coccidioides infection. the focus is on the recent ... | 2017 | 28300772 |
| synthesis and in vitro antifungal activity of isoniazid-derived hydrazones against coccidioides posadasii. | coccidioidomycosis is a potentially severe infection caused by dimorphic fungi coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii. although guidelines are well established, refractory disease is a matter of concern in the clinical management of coccidioidomycosis. in the present study three isoniazid-derived hydrazones n'-[(e)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylidene]pyridine-4-carbohydrazide, n'-[(e)-1-(4-methylphenyl)ethylidene]pyridine-4-carbohydrazide, and n'-[(e)-1-(phenyl)ethylidene]pyridine-4-carbohydr ... | 2016 | 27334293 |
| coccidioides immitis cervical lymphadenitis complicated by esophageal fistula. | coccidioidomycosis (valley fever) is caused by the dimorphic fungi coccidioides immitis or coccidioides posadasii. most infections are asymptomatic or result in self-limited pneumonia; extrapulmonary dissemination via either hematogenous or lymphatic spread is rare. here, we present a case of cervical c. immitis lymphadenitis that resulted in fistula formation to the esophagus via mediastinal extension. this case highlights a very unusual extrapulmonary manifestation of coccidioidomycosis, the d ... | 2016 | 27313922 |
| use of population genetics to assess the ecology, evolution, and population structure of coccidioides. | during the past 20 years, a general picture of the genetic diversity and population structure of coccidioides, the causal agent of coccidioidomycosis (valley fever), has emerged. the genus consists of 2 genetically diverse species, c. immitis and c. posadasii, each of which contains 1 or more distinct populations with limited gene flow. genotypic data indicate that c. immitis is divided into 2 subpopulations (central and southern california populations) and c. posadasii is divided into 3 subpopu ... | 2016 | 27191589 |
| local population structure and patterns of western hemisphere dispersal for coccidioides spp., the fungal cause of valley fever. | coccidioidomycosis (or valley fever) is a fungal disease with high morbidity and mortality that affects tens of thousands of people each year. this infection is caused by two sibling species, coccidioides immitis and c. posadasii, which are endemic to specific arid locales throughout the western hemisphere, particularly the desert southwest of the united states. recent epidemiological and population genetic data suggest that the geographic range of coccidioidomycosis is expanding, as new endemic ... | 2016 | 27118594 |
| effective disinfectants for coccidioides immitis and c. posadasii. | the lack of published data on effective disinfectants and contact times for use on the fungal pathogens coccidioides immitis and c. posadasii prompted the authors to investigate the fungicidal activity of three commonly used laboratory disinfectants on arthroconidia harvested from c. immitis strain 2009. they tested the ability of 10% bleach, 70% ethanol, and vesphene(®) iise to inactivate 10(7) arthroconidia in an aqueous suspension within 1, 2, 5, 10, or 20 minutes of contact time. both 10% bl ... | 2017 | 26900366 |
| differences in host innate responses among coccidioides isolates in a murine model of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis. | coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii are soil-dwelling fungi and the causative agents of coccidioidomycosis, a mycosis endemic to certain semiarid regions in the americas. the most common route of infection is by inhalation of airborne coccidioides arthroconidia. once a susceptible host inhales the conidia, a transition to mature endosporulated spherules can occur within the first 5 days of infection. for this study, we examined the host response in a murine model of coccidioidomycosi ... | 2015 | 26275879 |
| primary cutaneous coccidioidomycosis in an italian nun working in south america and review of published literature. | coccidioidomycosis is a systemic disease caused by the dimorphic fungus coccidioides, endemic in parts of the southwestern usa and central and south america. two species, coccidioides immitis and coccidioides posadasii, were differentiated. primary cutaneous coccidioidomycosis (pcc) has been reported rarely. an unusual case of pcc characterized by a persistent solitary lesion diagnosed in italy in an immunocompetent italian nun living in argentina is described. the isolate was identified by sequ ... | 2015 | 25935662 |
| coccidioides species determination: does sequence analysis agree with restriction fragment length polymorphism? | fifteen coccidioides isolates were previously examined for genetic diversity using restriction fragment length polymorphism (rflp); two fragment patterns were observed. two isolates demonstrated one banding pattern (designated rflp group i), while the remaining 13 isolates demonstrated a second pattern (designated rflp group ii). recently, molecular studies supported the division of the genera coccidioides into two species: coccidioides posadasii and coccidioides immitis. it has been assumed tha ... | 2015 | 25577285 |