Title:

In vitro evaluation of factors influencing the pathogenicity of fungi of the genus Scopulariopsis

Author:

Skóra, Magdalena

Subject:

Scopulariopsis ; superficial mycosis ; determinants of pathogenicity ; enzymatic activity ; identification ; susceptibility to antimycotics

Abstract:

This study involved three objectives. First was to evaluate the incidence of infections caused by Scopulariopsis on the basis of the mycological tests carried out at the Department of Mycology, Chair of Microbiology Jagiellonian University Medical College. The second objective was to evaluate in Scopulariopsis the presence of certain properties that are considered to be the fungal virulence factors, such as: the ability to grow at 37°C and the production of various enzymes, and to evaluate the antifungal susceptibility of Scopulariopsis. Furthermore, an attempt was made to develop a simple procedure for molecular identification of Scopulariopsis. The mean prevalence of Scopulariopsis superficial infections was 3.4%. The predominant form of infection was toenail onychomycosis, and the most common species was S. brevicaulis. It has been shown that S. brevicaulis strains differ in the presence and the degree of expression of certain determinants of pathogenicity. S. brevicaulis was found to be resistant to amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine and azole compounds. Terbinafine and ciclopirox revealed antifungal activity against this species. The usefulness of the analysis of a gene fragment encoding the 28S rDNA, amplified with LSU1 and LSU2 primers, in the identification of Scopulariopsis requires further investigation on a larger number of strains of different species.

Place of publishing:

Kraków

Level of degree:

2 - studia doktoranckie

Degree discipline:

mikrobiologia

Degree grantor:

Wydział Lekarski

Promoter:

Macura, Anna Barbara

Date:

2014

Date issued:

2013

Type:

Praca doktorska

Call number:

ZB-120428

Language:

pol

Access rights:

nieograniczony