The principal host cell of H. capsulatum (Hc) is the M phi within which the pathogenic yeast phase of the fungus multiplies during active disease. The initial interaction between Hc yeasts and M phi therefore is a crucial step in the pathogenesis of histoplasmosis. In the present study, we have identified the major receptor mechanism that mediates the attachment of unopsonized Hc yeasts to huma...

Abstract Background and Purpose: Onychomycosis is fungal infection of the nails with an overall increasing incidence, worldwide. The epidemiological aspects of onychomycosis in Khuzestan, Iran have not been established. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical and mycological status of fungal nail infection in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Material and Methods: The study population included ...

We have demonstrated that monocyte-derived macrophages (Mphi) from HIV+ individuals are deficient in their capacity to phagocytose Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) yeasts, and are more permissive for the intracellular growth of Hc. To determine whether these defects in Mphi function were caused by HIV infection of the Mphi and/or by pathological events associated with HIV infection, cultured normal ...

Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc), is a facultative intracellular fungus that binds to CD11/CD18 receptors on macrophages (Mphi). To identify the ligand(s) on Hc yeasts that is recognized by Mphi, purified human complement receptor type 3 (CR3, CD11b/CD18) was used to probe a Far Western blot of a detergent extract of Hc cell wall and cell membrane. CR3 recognized a single 60-kDa protein, which was i...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Variation in the composition of floral nectar reflects intrinsic plant characteristics as well as the action of extrinsic factors. Micro-organisms, particularly yeasts, represent one extrinsic factor that inhabit the nectar of animal-pollinated flowers worldwide. In this study a 'microbial imprint hypothesis' is formulated and tested, in which it is proposed that natural com...

The probiotic potential of 3 yeasts strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from kefirs and feces was investigated and compared with 3 isolates from medicines and 2 collection strains (ATCC) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii. Genetic identification of yeasts based on karyotypes indicated their affiliation to Saccharomyces spp. although chromosomal polymorphism was observed. Concer...

D-xylose is one of the most abundant pentose sugars in nature. To isolate oleaginous yeasts that can utilize xylose from diverse soil samples, soils from a litchi orchard, longan orchard, carambola orchard, and woods were collected, yeasts were isolated by the glycerol enrichment and their xylose-assimilating capacities were measured. A subset of these isolates was grown in nitrogen-limited med...

In response to starvation, cells undergo increased levels of autophagy and cell cycle arrest but the role of autophagy in starvation-induced cell cycle arrest is not fully understood. Here we show that autophagy genes regulate cell cycle arrest in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae during nitrogen starvation. While exponentially growing wild-type yeasts preferentially arrest in G₁/G₀ in...

The aim of this research is to improve an existing low-cost and simple but consistent culturing technique for measuring the adsorption of grape skin pigments on yeasts, comprising: (i) growing yeasts in Petri dishes on chromogenic grape-skin-based medium, (ii) photographing the yeast biomass, (iii) measuring its red, green, and blue colour components, and (iv) performing the statistical analysi...