Fungal infection pathogens

Amphotericin B, is a polyene antibiotic, used in the therapy of systemic fungal infections. Its mode of action exploits differences in membrane composition between the pathogen and the human host. Ergosterol, the predominant sterol of fungi, plants, and some protozoan parasites, interacts with Amphotericin B, resulting in an increased ion permeability of the membrane. Humans contain cholesterol, which has a low affinity for amphotericin B. 

Tinea infections are superficial fungal infections in which the pathogen remains within the keratinous layers of the skin or nails. Typically these infections are named for the affected body part, such as tinea pedis (feet), tinea cruris (groin), and tinea corporis (body). Tinea infections are commonly referred to as ringworm due to the characteristic circular lesions. In actuality, tinea lesions can vary from rings to scales and single or multiple lesions. 

Beyond physical barrier protection, several natural processes lead to skin surface conditions unfavorable to microbial growth. Both sebaceous and eccrine secretions are acidic, lowering the surface pH of the skin below that welcomed by most pathogens. This acid mantle (pH 5) [16] is moderately bacteriostatic. Sebum also contains a number of short-chain fungistatic and bacteriostatic fatty acids, including propanoic, butanoic, hexanoic, and heptanoic acids [17]. That the skin s surface is dry also offers a level of protection. It comes as no surprise that fungal infections and other skin infections are more prevalent in the skin s folds... 

Yeast flocculation mechanism can be described as a phenomenon of adhesion to certain surfaces. The ability to adhere to surfaces and to form biofilm is the basis of the pathogenicity of Candida species. Pathogens adhere to mucous membranes and wounds, they stick to medical instruments and prosthesis, and thus contaminate surfaces in food processing facilities. The high mortality rate in disseminated fungal infections caused an increase in the amount of research on the molecular basis of the adhesive phenomena in Candida. This research discovered a considerable overlap in the molecular regulation of all forms of adhesive behavior. ... 

Moran, P. (1998). Plant-mediated interactions between insects and a fungal plant pathogen and the role of plant chemical responses to infection. Oecologia 115 ... 

The major fungal opportunistic pathogens that affect immunocompromised hosts are the yeasts Candida and Cryptococcus, with the filamentous fungi Aspergillus and Fusarium and the dimorphic fungus Histoplasma also causing potentially fatal infections.4 Candida albicans... 

The existence of tomatinases in fungal-tomato pathogens supports the idea that tomatine may play a role in resistance to fungal attack because these enzymes seem to act specifically on tomatine. Such a role is also supported by the finding that at least in F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, tomatinase is produced during infection both in roots and stems... 

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