ninth edition TORTORA  FUNKE  CASE

MICROBIOLOGY
an introduction

Chapter 12
The Eukaryotes:
Fungi ,Protozoa
& Helminths
PowerPoint® Lecture Slide Presentation prepared by Christine L. Case
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Fungi

Mycology - the study of fungi

Fungi important in food chain

Decompose dead matter

Recycle vital elements

Used for food, produce food, drugs

Chemoheterotrophic

Most are aerobic or facultative anaerobes

Few anaerobes known
Characteristics of Fungi

Multicellular fungi ID based on physical appearance

Colony characteristics, reproductive spores

Classified into 3 groups:

Molds and fleshy fungi

Yeasts

Dimorphic fungi
Characteristics of Fungi

Molds and fleshy fungi

Thallus – body of fungus

Consist of long filaments of cells joined together

Called “Hyphae” or “Hypha” (singular)

Hyphae grow by elongating at the tips

Each tip of hypha is capable of growth

Fragments that break off can form new hypha

Vegetative hypha – portion of thallus that obtains
nutrients  actively growing portion
Characteristics of Fungi

Two kinds of vegetative hyphae

Most hyphae have septums
Few have no septums

Septum separates hyphae into
Appear as long continous cells
“cell-like” units with many nuclei
Characteristics of Fungi

Reproductive hyphae concerned with reproduction

Aka “Aerial hyphae”

Project above the surface

Reproductive hypha
projecting off the surface
Characteristics of Fungi

Mycelium – filamentous mass of fungi

Characteristics of Fungi

Yeasts

Nonfilamentous,
unicellular fungi

Typically spherical or
oval

Budding yeasts divide
unevenly

Daughter cell (bud) is Saccharomyces cerevisiae,
a common budding yeast
smaller than parent cell
Characteristics of Fungi

Yeasts capable of facultative anaerobic growth

Can use oxygen as final electron acceptor

Forms CO2 and water - what type of metabolism?

Can use organic compound as final electron acceptor

Forms ethanol, CO2 - what type of metabolism?

Important in food industry
Characteristics of Fungi

Dimorphic fungi

Can grow as yeast or
mold

In pathogens,
dimorphism is
temperature dependent

37°C – yeast-like

25°C – mold-like

Mucor indicus
Characteristics of Fungi

Life cycle

Reproduction accomplished by forming spores

Both sexual and asexual

Spores detach from parent

Germinate into new mold

Spores can survive for extended periods in dry, heat

But not to the extreme like bacterial endospores
Characteristics of Fungi

Asexual spores formed by

fragmenting hyphae

Spores are genetically
identical

Two types of asexual spores

Conodiospore

Sporangiospore

Aspergillus flavus produces spores

at end of “conidiophore”
Characteristics of Fungi

Conidiospore, conidium
(pl, conidia)

Spore not enclosed in sac

Spores produced in chain
at end of “conidiophore”

Conidiospore
Characteristics of Fungi

Sporangiospores

Formed within
“Sporangium” or sac at
end of aerial hyphae
called “sporangiophore”

Can contain hundreds of
sporangiospores

Sporangiospore
Characteristics of Fungi

Sexual spores result of fusion of

two nuclei (“+” and “-”)

Requires opposite mating types

Spores have characteristics of
both parents

Teleomorphic fungi Sexual structure in Rhizopus

Produce sexual and asexual spores

Anamorphic

Produce only asexual spores
Characteristics of Fungi

Fungi are chemoheterotrophs

Compete with bacteria for food

Nutritional characteristics provide some advantages

Fungi can grow at pH 5

Resistant to osmotic pressure

Can grow in low moisture, low nitrogen environment

Capable of degrading complex carbs; lignin in wood
Fungal diseases

Mycosis – a fungal infection

Generally chronic (long-lasting) because fungi grow
slowly

Classified into 5 groups according to:

Degree of tissue involvement (How much of host is
invaded?)

Mode of entry into host (How does it get into host?)
Fungal diseases

1. Systemic mycoses

Infections deep within the body, many tissues

Route of entry is inhalation

Begin in lungs, spread to other tissues

Cryptococcus neoformans
2. Subcutaneous mycoses

Fungal infections beneath skin

Infections occurs by implantation of spores into skin

Sporothrix schenckii  sporotrichosis in gardeners
Fungal Diseases

3. Dermatomycoses, cutaneous mycoses

Infect epidermis, hair, nails

Secrete keratinase, degrades keratin in hair, skin

Transmitted by contact

Candida albicans
4. Superficial mycoses

Localized along hair shafts, surface of skin cells

No tissue is invaded, often unaware of infection

Malassezia furfur  dandruff
Fungal Diseases

5. Opportunistic pathogen

Generally harmless in normal habitat

Becomes pathogenic in compromised host

Under treatments with antibiotics, suppressed
immune system

Pneumocystis most common life threatening infection
among AIDS patients

Stachybotrys can grow in water damaged homes,
cause pulmonary hemorrhage in infants
Economic Effects of Fungi

Positive Effects Negative Effects

Bread, wine, beer Food spoilage

Recombinant vaccines, proteins

Cellulose used for juices and fabric Cryphonectria parasitica

(chestnut blight)

Taxol production Ceratocystis ulm (Dutch

elm disease)

Gypsy moth control

Name that asexual spore

Sporangiospores Conidiospores
Name that mycosis

Genus Method of entry Site of infection Mycosis

Blastomyces Inhalation Lungs Systemic

Ulcerative
Sporothrix Puncture Subcutaneous
lesions

Microsporum Contact Fingernails Dermatomycosis

Trichosporon Contact Hair shafts Superficial

Aspergillus Inhalation Lungs Systemic

Characteristics of Protozoa

Unicellular eukaryotes

Inhabit water and soil

Trophozoite – feeding and growing stage

Relatively few cause disease

But diseases are significant

Involve complex life cycles

Often with multiple hosts
Characteristics of Protozoa

Life cycle

Reproduce asexually by
fission, budding, or
schizogeny

Schizogeny – multiple fission, nucleus divides
many times before cell division

Some protozoa reproduce sexually by “conjugation”

Fusion of cells, nuclei fuse

Cells separate
Characteristics of Protozoa

Encystment – formation of a protective capsule called a

cyst

Occurs when food, moisture, oxygen lacking

Parasites can survive outside of host
Characteristics of Protozoa

Mostly aerobic heterotrophs

Some capable of anaerobic growth

All live in areas with large supply of water
Malaria
2
Plasmodium
Causative agent of malaria

Human is
“intermediate”
host – asexual
Anopheles7 6 reproduction
mosquito is
“definitive”
host – sexual
reproduction
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasma gondii
Causative agent of toxoplasmosis
Felines are
“definitive”
hosts

Humans can eat

cysts directly or
indirectly

Humans, other mammals

Especially harmful to are “intermediate” hosts
 humans are
pregnant women 
“accidental” or
can cause miscarriage “incidental” hosts
Characteristics of Helminths

Multicellular eukaryotic animals

Parasitic helminths have characteristics that differ from
free-living helminths

Lack digestive system

Reduced nervous system

Reduced or absent mobility

Complex reproductive system

Two groups of helminths

Platyhelminths and Nematodes
Types of Helminths

Platyhelminths

The Flatworms  flukes and tapeworms

Nematodes

The Roundworms

Two modes of transmission

Eating of eggs, cysts

Secreted in feces

Eating of larvae

From undercooked meat
Lung Fluke
Paragonimus westermani Lives in lungs,
Paragonimiasis excreted in feces

Humans are
“definitive” hosts

Uses mollusks as
intermediate host
Rat Lungworm disease
Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Angiostrongyliasis
Rats are
“definitive” hosts
Humans are Lives in lungs,
“accidental” or excreted in feces
“incidental” 
can be infected,
but not part of
life cycle

Humans eat larvae

from raw or Snails are
undercooked snails, or “intermediate”
snail eat contaminated hosts
water, vegetables

Three cases on Big
Island in December
2008

Two in coma

Both recovered

What’s the lesson?