Guess what, students? It's my turn to regale you with the stuff I research. I hope all of you will read the background paper and be prepared to ask me some stumpers!
Also, Kaite is in charge of posting the question pertaining to my seminar.
See you tomorrow and bring your pillow!
Dr. C
Kaite is in Germany, so I'll be gracing everyone with my review and question later! 😋
ReplyDeleteAlrighty, as we all witnessed, Dr. Cooper gave a great performance on Friday for his seminar. However, I’m sure everyone really wished Dr. Walker had a clip of these karaoke nights! Anyway…..
ReplyDeleteDr. Cooper’s presentation was about Penicillium marneffei, a dimorphic species of Penicillium that causes infections in patients with AIDS. When inhaled, the conidia are engulfed by macrophages. Once inside the macrophage, the conidia convert to yeast form, kill the macrophage, and then are able to circulate throughout the host.
His lab looks at the yakA gene and its role in growth and development. At first, they believed the yakA gene played a role in the regulation of chitin synthesis. However, after looking at chitin and glucan synthesis, they now believe that yakA regulates glucan synthesis. This was determined after looking at antifungal susceptibility and looking at the cell wall of the organism.
What are some of the most deadly fungi known to humans? List some signs and symptoms.
I agree Kayla. Dr. Cooper's performance was exceptional. Dr. Cooper is quite a colorful individual. I never knew he was an umpire. I attempted to officiate little league baseball when I was in high school. Let's just say that it did not go very well.
ReplyDeleteHis research is a great example of how surprising scientific exploration can be when discoveries are made that could never have been anticipated. His narration of the journey him and his colleagues have taken to achieve their current level of understanding was fascinating as well as inspiring. Scientific inquiry certainly can be challenging due to its complexity. When successful however, quashing the boundary between the known and unknown can be quite intoxicating while making our world a better place.
Amanita bisporigera, commonly known as the eastern North American, is a fungus commonly found in the eastern United States, Canada, and Mexico. It is considered to be the most toxic species of the genus Amanita. In the human body, the toxin α-amanitin interferes with the function of RNA polymerase II. Acute liver failure is ultimately the cause of death as 60% of toxin is excreted into the bile through enterohepatic circulation. The lethal dose is considered to be 0.1mg/kg body weight. An average size adult can easily ingest a lethal dose of toxin as one mature fruit body contains between 10-12mg of α-amanitin. An asymptomatic incubation period ranging from 6-12 hours occurs following ingestion. This followed by a gastrointestinal phase beginning anywhere from 6-16 hours after ingestion. The affected individual will present with severe vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. These signs and symptoms will relieve as the toxin enters its third and final stage, the cytotoxic phase, occurring anywhere from 12-24 hours after ingestion. At this point classic signs and symptoms of liver failure begin to develop such as jaundice, hemorrhage, hypoglycemia, and acidosis. This is why I am terrified to eat wild mushrooms, as I do not trust my ability to correctly differentiate between the ones that are edible from the ones that are not.
Sorry, I did not poof read well enough. The common name is the eastern North American Death Angel.
DeleteAmanita phalloides: The more common name for this fungus is Death cap and is known as one of the most deadly mushrooms in the world for its toxicity and resemblance to other safe mushrooms. Death cap originated in Europe but have found their way over to the Northeastern part of the United States. This fungus has amatoxins and phallotoxins which contribute to its toxicity. As David was saying with Amanita bisporigera, amatoxins interfere with RNA polymerase 2 and prevent the production of mRNA and prevent the cell from producing any of the proteins needed for normal function. Phallotoxins interfere with f-actin in the liver cells and prevent depolymerization, which leads to poisoning of the cell. Death cap has deceptive quality where it has a pleasant taste and resemblance to other safe mushrooms. There is also a delay in the appearance of symptoms while the toxicity is damaging organs. This adds to the destructive ability of the mushroom. Symptoms start with gastrointestinal distress including cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. These initial symptoms will resolve in a few days and then the more dangerous conditions manifest. Ultimately, the toxins can cause liver and kidney failure which could result in seizures, coma, intracranial bleeding, cardiac arrest, or even death. Half a cap is enough to kill a human.
ReplyDeletePodostroma cornu-damae is a rare fungus native to Asia that is part of the Hypocreaceae family. The red fruiting bodies are highly toxic and have resulted in several deaths in Japan and Korea. The fungus contains satratoxin-H, a trichothecene mycotoxin that inhibits protein and nucleic acid synthesis by reacting with ribosomal RNA components and causing ribosomal disaggregation. These toxins do not only have to be ingested to cause a reaction, they can also act through skin contact. Symptoms include stomach pain, peeling of skin, loss of hair, erroneous perception, liver necrosis, acute kidney failure, atrophy of the cerebellum, and death if not treated.
ReplyDeleteAmanita Ocreata looks very similar to mushrooms which human commonly eat. When infected people mostly experience gastrointestinal issues, including abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. These symptoms to the extreme can lead to dehydration. Eventually the liver can become damaged as well as the kidneys, therefore substances normally removed by the liver accumulate in the blood leading to possible sepsis. Death can occur from complications a week to 2 after eating the poisonous mushroom. The symptoms are very similar to the ones described by Michael. Severe damage to the liver and kidneys can occur even after primary symptoms resolve which leads to death from complications due to liver and renal failure such as coma and seizures. The Scariest part about this Fungi is that it is often found in North America and most poisonings occur in California, So beware!!
ReplyDeleteI thought Dr. Cooper's presentation was very interesting, especially when we consider Penicillium sp. as being beneficial towards disease instead of causing them.
ReplyDeleteCoccidioides immitis is a fungus found in the soils of the southwest United States, northern Mexico and parts of South America. It is responsible for causing Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis). I first learned of this disease after watching an episode of “Monsters Inside Me” on Animal Planet. The boy who contracted it did so after a tornado caused the spores to be airborne in his hometown. C. immitis is contracted by inhalation of spores and is considered a systemic mycoses. It begins as a respiratory disease, but has the potential to travel via the blood stream to virtually all other tissues. Symptoms begin as chills, fever, lethargy, chest pain, and coughing; although, some patients may have no symptoms at all. These typically show two weeks after exposure. For those with weakened immune systems, complications may occur such as lung nodules, severe pneumonia, skin ulcerations, swollen, painful joints, bone lesions, inflammation of both heart and brain, which leads to death.
Histoplasmosis is caused by histoplasma capsulatun. The disease is both pulmonary and hematogenous and has three main forms. Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis is characterized by fever, cough, myalgias, chest pain and malaise. Chronic cavity histoplasmosis on the other hand produces pulmonary lesions resembling cavitary TB at the lungs apex, cough and dyspnea leading to respiratory dysfunction.
ReplyDeleteProgressive disseminated histoplasmosis involves of reticuloendothelial system and It is characterized by hepatomegaly and lymphodenopathy. Oftentenly, there is bone marrow involvement and may also cause oral and GI ulceration. Addison disease may result whenever there is adrenal gland infection.
The patient with AIDs may develop severe acute pneumonia with hypoxia, Pneumocystis jirovecii infection, hypotension, mental status deterioration, coagulopathy and rhabdomyolysis. Histoplasmosis my also lead to lose of vision.
Acute primary Histoplasmosis is almost always self-limiting. Death may however occur after massive infection. Chronic cavitary histoplasmosis will always cause death due to severe respiratory failure. Untreated progressive disseminated form has a mortality rate of greater than 90%.
Cryptococcus gattii is a fungus type that lives in tropical areas, U.S and British Columbia. When it is inhaled, it will cause an infection that is called gattiicryptococcosis which affects the lungs and central nervous system. Occasionally, that fungus associated with soft tissue, bone and skin. Recently it was found in British Columbiana and Pacific Northwest. There were 216 people in British Columbiana were infected with C.gattii and 8 of them were died from it. The fungus is able to infect some animals such as dogs, koalas and dolphins.
ReplyDeleteDr Cooper had great presentation last Friday!
ReplyDeleteGalerina marginata is poisonous fungus. Toxins found in this species are amatoxins, which inhibits enzyme RNA polymerase-II. Humans get poisoned with a toxin by digesting it. Symptoms might arise in less than 6 hours. Some of the symptoms are: vomiting, and diarrhea. In more severe cases: liver failure, kidney failure and pulmonary edema. Currently there is no confirmed antidote for the poisoning, but physicians are trying to monitor fluids and electrolyte balances in intoxicated patients.
Dr. Cooper delivered a superb presentation as always, his mixture of humor and scientific content made the talk extremely entertaining and informing.
ReplyDeletePneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a serious infection that causes inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs. It is caused by a fungus called Pneumocystis jiroveci, it is an opportunistic infection; meaning it mainly affects people with weakened immune systems from diseases such as AIDS. The disease is spread through the air and most people are exposed to it around 3 to 4 years of age. Although it's rare, PCP can affect other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, and bone marrow.
PCP is the mot common disease affecting immune compromised individuals, the mortality rate of individuals has greatly decreased due to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and PCP-preventive drugs. Symptoms include fever, dry-cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, fatigue and major weight loss. Chest x-rays along with sputum induction can be used to diagnose PCP. Fluid samples from the lungs called bronchoscopy are also used for diagnosis. Treatment involves taking Bactrim, Septra, or Cotrim. These drugs are combinations of two antibiotics (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, or TMP/SMX). Also taking TMP/SMX as a pill or intravenously through your vein (by IV) in a hospital. It is often combined with a course of oral steroids.