Mycology and Virology Notes

Asexual Reproduction

  • Asexual Reproduction (Anamorphic Phase)
  • Transverse fission
  • Budding
  • Sporulation
  • Thallic conidiogenesis: spore formation of arthroconidia
    • Also known as: arthroconidia
    • 2 types: Macroconidia and microconidia

Fungal Reproduction and Classification

  • Chlamydospores
    • Thick-walled spores found within
    • Example: Candida sp.
    • Synamorphs: fungi that reduces anamorphs
  • Arthroconidia
    • Asexual spore
    • Thallic conidiogenous: formed within a body hyphae itself it is the spore
    • Arthrospore: spore formed
  • Zygomycetes
    • Calumella: formation of sporangiospore (asexual stage)
    • Sporangiospore: stalk that supports the whole cell
    • Stolon: horizontal hypha that connects one mycelia to another
    • LPCM-lactophenol cotton blue (stain used in sporangiophore)
  • Blastoconidia
    • Also known as: Blastospores (budding)
    • The daughter cells produced by a yeast during budding
    • RBC is thin in the microscope and the yeast cell is thick in the microscope

Sexual Reproduction

  • Also known as telemorph
  • Fusion of nuclei from two compatible mating stains (homothallic or heterothallic)
  • Plasmogamy (fusion of cytoplasm), karyogamy, meiosis, teleomorph

Fungal Reproduction

  • Conidiogenous cells: produce spores
    • Phialides: formation of the conidia/spores (phialoconudia) - vase like
    • Annelides: ring like (anneloconidia)
    • Genus Aspergillus: contain both
      • Metulae: secondary branches that supports the phialide
      • Conidiophore: stalk that connects the whole cell
  • Zygospore
    • Sexual spore of zygomycetes
    • Zygomycota order mucorales (most important fungi order)
  • Ascospores
    • Ascomycota group, Aspergillus spp., dermatophytes, Coccidioides spp.
    • Also known as sac fungi
    • Sexual spore- asexual spore, conidiospore, arthroconidia
    • Ascus: sac
    • Dermatophytes
  • Basidiospore
    • Seen as mushrooms, Cryptococcus spp
    • No formation of asexual spores
  • Fungi Imperfecti
    • Anamorph
    • Deuteromycota

Major Taxonomic Group

  • Specimen Collection
    • Hair
      • Wood's lamp: uses ultraviolet light
      • Fluorescence
      • Detect dermatophytes
      • Dandruff: fungal infection
      • Ectothrix: outside the hair
      • Endothrix: within the hair
    • Skin: symptoms: itchiness, dry skin (scaly). We collect at the dermapak 4 for the skin scraping
    • Nails: Onychomycosis
  • Blood/Bone Marrow
    • Adult: 10 mL of Blood
    • Alcohol Iodine Alcohol: Sterilization
    • Media: B-phasic Medium
      • Has a broth and an agar
      • SEPT-CHECK
      • Detect System Mycoses
    • Heparinized Blood: Anticoagulant
  • Cerebrospinal Fluid
    • Diagnose fungal meningitis
    • Cryptococcus neoformans

Specimen Collection and Processing

  • Tissue Biopsy
    • Subcutaneous Mycoses
    • Should not be frozen or allowed to dehydrate prior to culture
    • Mortar and Pestle or a tissue grinder should be avoided
      • Destruction of hyphal forms particularly the aseptate hyphae of Zygomycetes
    • Mince the tissue into 1 mm cubes with sterile scissors or a sharp blade
  • Lesions/Exudates
    • Disinfected and aspirated using sterile needle and syringe
    • Syringe may also serve as a transport container if the needle is capped
    • Biopsy of the lesion may be necessary if the aspirate fails to yield fungi