Eukaryotic Infections

what are the 3 monophyletic “kingdoms”

• plants (kingdom plantae)

  • multicellular, chloroplast, cellulose

• fungi (kingdom fungi)

  • uni/multicellular, heterotrophic, chitin

• animals (kingdom animalia)

  • multicellular heterotrophic

what is the 1 polyphyletic “kingdom”

protists (kingdom Protista)

• everything not categorized

  • algae

  • protozoa

  • smile molds

what eukaryotic microbes are in the animal & fungi kingdom

animal:

• round worms

• flat worms

fungi:

• yeasts

• molds

what are 2 categories of parasite

ectoparasite:

• arthropods (mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, lice)

• many are vectors for disease

endoparasites:

• protozoa & helminths (tapeworms)

• can reside extra/intracellularly in host

what is the difference between a definitive host & intermediate host

definitive - the host in which sexual reproduction occurs

intermediate - other hosts which the parasite may occupy

what are the 3 eukaryotic supergroups of protozoal parasites

• SAR clade

• excavates

• amoebozoa

what are some qualities of SAR clade protozoal parasites

• apicomplexans (apicoplast - fatty acid synthesis)

• ciliates (ciliated - movement

what are some qualities of excavates protozoal parasites

• kinetoplastids (kinetoplast - modified mitochondria, kDNA)

• diplomonads (mitosomes - reduced mitochondria)

• parabasalids (no mitochondria)

what are some qualities of amoebozoa protozoal parasites

entamoebae (form cysts)

what are some general qualities of protozoal parasites

• complex lifecycles

• most are motile

• various forms of transmission (e.g. vectors, cysts)

what are the 3 categories of helminths

• nematodes (round worms)

• platyhelminthes (flat worms)

  • trematodes (flukes)

  • cestodes (tapeworms)

what are some qualities of nematodes (round worms)

• pseudocoelomate (fluid-filled cavity meso/endoderm)

• round bodies

• non-segmented

what are some qualities of Platyhelminthes (flat worms)

• acoelomate (no fluid-filled body cavity)

• flattened bodies

what are some qualities of trematodes (flukes)

• non-segmented

• suckers for attachment

what are some qualitied for cestodes (tapeworms)

• segmented

• scolex

what are some general qualities of helminths

• complex life cycles

• various forms of transmissions (e.g. vectors, eggs, cysts)

• can migrate through the body (e.g. GIT, tissues)

what are 2 possible forms of fungal pathogens

endogenous - overgrowth of host microbiota → disease

exogenous - inhalation/inoculation of fungal spores from soil

what is some general information about fugal pathogens

• commonly superficial infections

• almost always opportunistic

what does dikaryotic mean for fungi

only found in fungi classified as:

• basidiomycetes

• ascomycetes

refers to organisms that alternate between haploid & diploid

what does dimorphic mean for fungi

switching between unicellular yeast & multicellular mold growth morphologies

• usually in response to temperature

what is the most common infectious agent for fungi

spores, can arise through 2 methods:

• asexual

• sexual