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Full-Text Articles in Pathogenic Microbiology
The Investigation Of Surface Structures On Various Pathogens And Their Interactions With The Human Immune System, Carmen M. Villalobos
The Investigation Of Surface Structures On Various Pathogens And Their Interactions With The Human Immune System, Carmen M. Villalobos
Biomedical Engineering ETDs
The cell surface is the first interface the host immune system encounters and
its investigation has led to a better understanding of cellular biology and types of
pathways that pathogens target in a host cell. The cell surface has evolved to include
many functions such as manipulation of the cytoskeleton, cell signaling, membrane
trafficking, adhesion, and integration into host tissue. The pathogens of interest are
the pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, and the parasite, Giardia lamblia and we
investigate the consequences of drug treatments on the cell surface, leading to
promising new targets.
Intravital Imaging In A Zebrafish Model Elucidates Interactions Between Mucosal Immunity And Pathogenic Fungi, Linda S. Archambault
Intravital Imaging In A Zebrafish Model Elucidates Interactions Between Mucosal Immunity And Pathogenic Fungi, Linda S. Archambault
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Candida yeasts are common commensals that can cause mucosal disease and life-threatening systemic infections. While many of the components required for defense against Candida albicans infection are well established, questions remain about how various host cells at mucosal sites assess threats and coordinate defenses to prevent normally commensal organisms from becoming pathogenic. Using two Candida species, C. albicans and C. parapsilosis, which differ in their abilities to damage epithelial tissues, we used traditional methods (pathogen CFU, host survival, and host cytokine expression) combined with high-resolution intravital imaging of transparent zebrafish larvae to illuminate host-pathogen interactions at the cellular level …
Mechanism Of Candida Albicans Biofilm And Virulence Inhibition By A Bacterial Secreted Factor, Carrie Graham
Mechanism Of Candida Albicans Biofilm And Virulence Inhibition By A Bacterial Secreted Factor, Carrie Graham
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
The human microbiome is a diverse polymicrobial population comprised of both fungi and bacteria. Perturbations of the normal microbiome can have a profound impact on health, including the development of infections. Exploitation of these polymicrobial interactions has the potential to provide novel treatment and prevention strategies for infectious diseases. Enterococcus faecalis, a Gram-positive bacterium, and Candida albicans, a polymorphic fungus, occupy overlapping niches as ubiquitous constituents of the gastrointestinal and oral microbiome. Both species are also amongst the most important and problematic, opportunistic nosocomial pathogens and are often co-isolated during infection. Surprisingly, these two species antagonize each other’s …
Dynamic Host-Pathogen Interactions Result In Fungal Epitope Unmasking, Alex Hopke
Dynamic Host-Pathogen Interactions Result In Fungal Epitope Unmasking, Alex Hopke
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Molecular camouflage is used by a diverse set of pathogens to disguise their identity and avoid recognition by protective host receptors. The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans is a good example, as it masks the inflammatory component β-glucan in its cell wall to evade detection by the immune receptor Dectin-1. Interestingly, it has been seen that β-glucan becomes unmasked during infection in vivo, though the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. Exposure levels of this epitope may be important, as Dectin-1 mediates protection from some strains of C. albicans and alterations in the organization and composition of the Candida cell wall …